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Rotherham United and Sutton United prepare to compete for the Papa John’s Trophy at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Millers sit top of the third division as it stands, with their promotion to the Championship almost inevitable after a superb season in Sky Bet League One to date.
The Us are currently tenth in Sky Bet League Two and just two points outside of the play-off spots, a remarkable achievement considering it is their first-ever season in the English Football League.
While both sides will remain focused on securing promotion to the leagues above them, they will both have the chance to win some silverware at the home of English football, a special occasion for both sets of fans.
Rotherham aiming for their second EFL Trophy title
In the league, it has been so far so good for Rotherham, who currently occupy the top spot in League One, albeit second-placed Wigan have two games in hand over them.
With 24 wins and 80 points so far they are on course for an instant return to the Championship, having finished second bottom of the second division last season.
Such impressive form in League One has also been visible to see in their Papa John’s trophy run, and they have seen a vast improvement from the last time they competed in the competition when they failed to make it out of the group stages in the 19/20 campaign.
The Millers were drawn into Northern Group E with Manchester City U21s, Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United, and eventually finished at the top of the standings.
A 6-0 win away at Donny kicked off their EFL Trophy campaign in dominant fashion, before they beat the Iron 4-1 on their home turf. Paul Warne’s side then made it three wins from three as they were 5-0 victors over the Premier League youth side, with Kieran Sadlier scoring a hat-trick. They topped the table with nine points and with a goal difference of 14.
In the second round, they were drawn against Sky Bet League Two outfit Port Vale and secured their progression via a penalty shootout. Next up in the third round were fellow League One side Crewe Alexandra, with Rotherham winning 4-2 away from home.
The quarter-finals beckoned and they were tasked with overcoming Cambridge United at the New York Stadium, with the hosts requiring penalties once again after a 1-1 draw to make their way into the last four. In the semi-finals, Hartlepool United stood between them and a trip to Wembley, but the Millers battled hard and progressed to the final as they won 5-4 on penalties.
Warne was asked on Friday about his side being favourites for the cup, but he was quick to play down such assumptions ahead of their first-ever meeting against Sutton.
“Wigan were favourites when they went into their game with Sutton as well.
“Playing at Wembley is a real leveller and Sutton’s players will be well up for it. They’ve been amazing in their first year in the EFL and are going for back to back promotions and have full belief in the way they play.
“They are in really good form and the whole town has got right behind them for this final.”
Sadlier is their top scorer in the competition this season with four goals to his name, as well as three assists. He is shortly followed by Will Grigg, Freddie Ladapo and Michael Smith who all have three goals apiece.
Rotherham last won the EFL Trophy back in 1996 when they beat Shrewsbury Town in the final at Wembley, thanks to a brace from Nigel Jemson. Their best finish since then was the final of the Northern Section in 2009, but they lost to Scunthorpe 3-0 on aggregate.
A trip to the home of English football is far from unfamiliar to them either, with their last outing coming in 2018 when they were promoted to the Championship via the League One play-off final against Salop.
Sutton hoping underdog status can help them secure victory
National League football was a weekly occurrence for Sutton last year but they now find themselves in a domestic cup final, partly down to their participation in League Two. The Us gained promotion to the Football League in May 2021 and have performed very well in the fourth division of English football, as they sit 10th with seven games remaining.
Promotion to League One is also a genuine possibility for them as they are just two points outside of the play-offs and five points adrift of the automatic spots. Manager Matt Gray is in his third season in charge of the side, and he could lead them to glory once again should they claim victory on Sunday.
Southern Group B was the group Sutton would be drawn in alongside Crystal Palace U21s, Portsmouth and AFC Wimbledon. A 3-0 win against the Palace academy would kickstart their campaign, followed by 2-0 and 1-0 victories against Pompey and the Wombles respectively.
Their impressive performances secured a top of the table finish with six goals scored and zero conceded. League Two strugglers Stevenage would be their next opponents in the competition and after a 0-0 draw at Gander Green Lane, the hosts were able to win 4-3 on penalties.
Essex-based side Colchester Town would soon make the trip down to south London but they were also knocked out of the cup by Sutton, with the latter winning 2-1 on home soil.
A third consecutive home game in the tournament would follow and this time it was fellow fourth division side Harrogate Town who would be their next opponents, with Sutton sealing their spot in the semi-finals thanks to a Craig Eastmond winner in the 80th minute.
Former Premier League outfit Wigan Athletic would prove to be their biggest test of the season to date but that didn’t faze the EFL newcomers, who beat the Latics 7-6 on penalties to reach the final.
Donovan Wilson leads their goalscoring charts in the competition with two goals, with a whole host of his teammates all following with one goal each. They have only conceded twice in the entire tournament, which could bode well for them in the final.
It will be their first appearance at Wembley since 1981 when they lost to Bishop’s Stortford 1-0 in the FA Trophy final, so the Sutton faithful will be hoping to have a better outcome this time around.
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