FA Cup: Sutton 1 Shrewsbury 2 (AET) - Salop survive non-league scare to secure third round spot

Salop had to come from behind at impressive non-league outfit Sutton United on Saturday evening, in a tie which required stoppage time and saw three players sent off.

Kai Jennings netted directly from a corner kick to give the hosts a deserved lead, before Ismeal Kabia's stoppage time rocket drew Salop level - that was after they'd had Josh Ruffels sent off and just before United winger David Ogbonna was also given his marching orders.

Substitute John Marquis pounced on a mistake to hand Town the lead immediately after the tie restarted for extra time, and then Sutton defender Junior Eccleston was also sent from the field for a coming together with striker Chuks Aneke.

Michael Appleton named the same XI who started the entertaining 3-3 draw at home to Gillingham a week ago and was permitted to bolster the options on his bench - because of FA Cup rules allowing for nine substitutes, Harrison Biggins and Will Gray were involved here, too.

The stage was set; there was predictable anticipation around the packed out VBS Community Stadium, an atmosphere generated to match what was a significant occasion in the hosts' campaign in welcoming EFL opponents. That encouraging early roar was only fuelled by a yellow card for Sam Stubbs inside 70 seconds, when he tugged back Ashley Nadesan on the run with Tom Anderson thankfully covering.

Sutton demonstrated that their confidence levels were indeed reflective of their recent form under manager Chris Agutter; they'd won six and lost just one of their last 11 matches before this outing, including the toppling of Telford United in the first round of the FA Cup, and they once or twice in the opening stages played around Town's aggressive press, zipping the ball around at a tempo and asking questions from set-pieces.

They carved out the first major opportunity of the evening, too - although it was eventually of Shrewsbury's own doing. Sutton worked their way into Town's box via the left side of the defence and when the cross came in, Sam Clucas could only divert his header towards his own goal rather than away from it. Will Brook, mercifully, pulled off an exceptional reactionary save to to ensure his side didn't slip behind.

United went close again at the midway stage of the first half. Isaac England was guilty of clipping his man on the edge of the penalty area and Kai Jennings, from the resulting free kick, fired an effort just beyond Brook's far post which had half of the ground of the belief that he'd in fact picked out the top corner.

Indeed Sutton only grew in their dominance of the first half. They nullified any Salop attempts to build attacks and, coupled with some poor decision making and execution of passes from those in black shirts, it made for a modest showing in the final third from the visitors against their non-league rivals.

Sutton continued to look far likelier to open the scoring and, in the final throes of the first period, the lively Jayden Harris rattled the crossbar with an attempt from range which had Brook at full stretch. It might've been goalless at the interval, but the home side were applauded off at the break having been comfortable and in control of affairs in the opening 45.

Appleton clearly read some form of riot act to his players at the break, because they themselves began far quicker after the restart. Kabia's low cross fell awkwardly for Will Boyle, who felt as though he'd been fouled in the penalty area. The referee instead opted to award a free kick, which Anthony Scully stung the palms of goalkeeper Jack Sims with - Town's first shot of any kind of the night.

Boyle, who remained high upfield, then lifted the ball onto the crossbar from the narrowest of angles, before Luca Hoole failed to convert at the back post. It was a promising response, after a drab first half effort collectively, and the game showed signs of opening up into a typical cup tie when Lewis Simper rattled Brook's bar with a clean strike of his own moments later - clearly Sutton's enthusiasm hadn't been dampened.

There was no denying that Salop grew into the game somewhat and gathered some form of momentum. Kabia was denied by Jack Sims when finding space on the shoulder of his man as England and Ruffels made eye-catching passes, and then Scully couldn't find the space to poke beyond Sims when with the ball in the area. George Lloyd failed when he attempted to spin inside the six yard box and shoot cleanly all in one movement.

Failure to strike first in general, though, left the door open for Sutton. They won a corner after the hour mark and Jennings curled the ball over the head of Brook and into the far corner, directly from the set-piece. The hosts might even have doubled their lead shortly afterwards, too, when Harris was almost granted the freedom of the Town penalty area, only for Brook and the recovering Hoole to do just enough in preventing the attacker doubling their advantage.

Appleton sent for Marquis and Chuks Aneke, who did combine when the former crossed for the latter to head over, but by this time Salop had been reduced to ten men. Ruffels picked up two yellow cards quickly and was given his marching orders having eventually got to his feet following treatment after the challenge in question.

That left the trailing Town with an even bigger task in front of them, but Kabia had other ideas. Only moments before he'd extracted a superb finger-tip save from Sims when trying his luck after cutting inside from the left, but - as stoppage time was confirmed as lasting nine minutes - the tricky winger found himself in a similar position. This time, Sims had no answer to his quality and the shot was beyond him before he'd barely registered it.

Deep into stoppage time the numbers were even again. Marquis' attempted quick free kick was blocked off by the impressive and influential David Ogbonna, who was also sent from the pitch and, with the wind in their sails, the pendulum of momentum swung back towards Town.

Sutton had played some expressive stuff over the course of this piece, and proved that they weren't scared to take risks when playing out from the back - but that well and truly came back to bite them on the backside shortly after extra time commenced. Marquis was alive to the opportunity when Jennings gave up the ball in his own penalty area and finished off his chance to nose Town in front for the first time in the tie.

To their credit, Sutton continued to probe; clearly leggy, Salop had the measure of them for the most part in extra time but Jack Taylor made room for himself to create another opening and force yet another stop from the gloves of Brook in the visiting goal.

The tie, though, took another grim turn when Eccleston was adjudged to have committed an act of violent conduct when jostling with Aneke for the ball and the man in the middle, Mr Miles, administered his red card for a third time on the night.

Salop are, though, in the hat for the third round and they'll soon find out their opponents - but all eyes now turn to the league again and the visit of Grimsby Town on Tuesday night.