Ethan Sutcliffe turned goal scorer at the weekend and with that came a career landmark for the young defender.
In his fifteenth appearance for Tonbridge Angels, Ethan gave the National League South side a first-half lead against Eastbourne Borough at Longmead Stadium on Saturday - his first goal at senior level.
With just under ten minutes to go before the break, in the 36th minute, the ball landed at the feet of Ethan from a corner and he dispatched it for the opener past Ben Dudzinski. Ethan completed another 90 minutes and Tonbridge went on to wrap up the three points, following a 2-0 victory in front of a crowd of 1,185.
Tonbridge, who have also had the injured Paris Lock on loan this season, are currently just above mid-table in eleventh place.
“The goal was my first in men’s football,” said Ethan. “So that’s obviously a great feeling. It fell to me unexpectedly in the box from a corner, and I managed to finish it a few yards from goal.”
Ethan, who started out with Crystal Palace before joining our Academy, has had previous loan spells with Salisbury City and King’s Lynn Town. Having turned professional with the Dons in the summer of 2022, he’d made his first team debut the previous season against Palace in the EFL Trophy.
Having made his league debut for us earlier during this campaign, as a substitute at home to Stockport County, Ethan has quickly established himself as a regular starter and a favourite with the fans of the Kent club - in what is now his second loan spell with the Angels.
Former AFC Wimbledon midfielder Scott Wagstaff is Ethan’s captain at Tonbridge. Although he missed Saturday’s win due to a suspension, our defensive prospect feels he’s learning from “Waggy” - who, of course, memorably scored twice for the Dons to knock West Ham out of the FA Cup in 2019.
Ethan said: “It’s been great playing with Scott Wagstaff, having a senior player like him is really beneficial to me and the team. He’s a great captain with loads of experience.”
Ethan's efforts earned him inclusion in the Vanarama National League South Team of the Week.
Photos: Pro Sports Images.
