A dominant first-half didn’t produce any goals, but Mani Dieseruvwe’s fourth of the season, just six minutes after the restart, was enough to secure three points at the Crown Oil Arena.
Jimmy McNulty made 11 changes to his line-up from Saturday’s game at Brackley Town, reverting to the team that started in the 4-0 win over Gateshead on Wednesday.
It was Dale who controlled the lion’s share of possession in the opening period, as Kyron Gordon headed over a Ryan East corner early on, before Joe Pritchard curled a low effort inches wide of the far post from inside the area.
Sam Beckwith’s powerful strike from distance was well tipped over by Sutton goalkeeper Jack Sims, who was then helpless as Devante Rodney curled an effort just the wrong side of his left post.
Skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell glanced a corner just wide of the far post and Ryan East saw a shot well blocked, whilst at the other end, Sutton’s rare forays forward resulted in some good blocks from the Dale defence and a comfortable save from Oliver Whatmuff.
The Dale stopper was the first to be called into action after the break, saving low from Kane Crichlow, before Pritchard saw a shot well closed down.
The deadlock was broken six minutes after the restart, though when Dieseruvwe flicked home Harvey Gilmour’s low cross, following a neat Dale move on the edge of the Sutton area.
Rodney hit an effort from the edge of the area over after substitute Connor McBride’s layoff, before the visitors had a number of long-range efforts either blocked or comfortably held by Whatmuff.
Dale had to stay strong in the closing stages but were able to restrict Sutton to very little by way of chances, holding on for an important three points.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East (85’ Pettit), Ebanks-Landell ©, Gilmour, Dieseruvwe, Rodney (85’ Moss), Adebayo-Rowling, Pritchard (73’ Allarakhia), Barlow (40’ McBride), Beckwith.
Unused subs | Tutonda, Gomez-Mancini, Amantchi.
Scorers | 51’ Dieseruvwe.
Sutton United XI | Sims, Phipps ©, White (57’ Ogbonna), Simper, Nadesan, Pruti, Taylor, Crichlow (61’ Njoku), Wadham, Dabre (46’ Harris), Eccleston (85’ De Silva).
Unused subs | Aziaya, Odelusi, Jones.
Attendance | 2,647 (67 away).
