Mixed into the appeal of Sutton United’s tie against Notts County on Saturday was the chance to revisit the site of an enduring act of FA Cup giantkilling, the Surrey club’s victory over Coventry City in January 1989 that remains the last time a nonLeague side toppled opponents from the top flight.

Sutton caught the mood of nostalgia by inviting five members of the team who lost 3-2 away to Notts County on their most recent appearance in the third round, in 1994 – and Paul Doswell, their manager, admitted that he is not immune to the expectations that past feats impose upon him in his first season in charge.

“I watched the Coventry game on Match of the Day,” he said. “I remember thinking it was something special, but you do get reminded of it here regularly. It is nice that we managed to get a League club here again.”

Doswell’s observation was not misplaced because not since 1992 have Sutton played a League club at their pleasingly unchanged ground. Indeed, it is 13 years since they progressed to the first round. That marks a fall from Sutton’s previous status among nonLeague’s big hitters as the club remained tightly wedded to parsimony in a game flooded by big spenders.

The manager was appointed after Sutton were relegated last season from the Blue Square South to the Ryman League on the strength of his achievement in taking Eastleigh from the Wessex League to Blue Square South in six years of dynamic endeavour. In his reflections after the match, he was happy to point out that the Cup exploits and a continuing FA Trophy run have netted his new club £50,000.

“My overriding feeling is being a bit disappointed because I felt we deserved a draw out of the game and we could have had another little Wembley at their place, but it wasn’t to be and they showed real quality in their goal,” he said. “We’ve got pace, we can pass the ball, but you’re up against a professional team that can do what you can do and do it better.

“You’ve got to hope they’re not at their best and you’re at your very best. We were close to that. It could have been a 1-0 win to us – but it wasn’t.”

The goal in the 75th minute was outstandingly worked down the right by Notts County, with Matt Hamshaw crossing for Richard Butcher to glide in unchallenged at the far post for a header. Sutton’s best chance fell shortly afterwards to Gavin McCallum, who spun on to a ball that dropped to his feet in the six-yard box, but he shot straight at Russell Hoult.

Ian McParland, the County manager, was pleased with the way his team approached their task on a sodden pitch. “We kept going, we kept passing the ball, we kept passing it wide, we kept getting in front of players,” he said. “We didn’t panic. We stuck to our game plan. The lads deserved it.”

If Sutton have dropped from previous heights, so, too, have County – when they beat Sutton in 1995, they were in the second tier. Now McParland voiced the Cup hopes of a Coca-Cola League Two manager. “It would be nice to get through another round, by hook or by crook, and draw one of the big boys and get a right pay day then,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sutton have their eyes on the £4,000 prize if they win away to Wingate & Finchley in the next round of the Trophy, picking up their average league form and setting up a twentieth anniversary reunion dinner for the heroes of 1989.

Sutton United (4-3-3): P Nicholls – S Jackson, K El-Salahi, C Collins, A Bray – D Palmer (sub: D Hughes, 66min), S McKimm (sub: B Dunn, 77), C Dundas – G Heeroo, S West (sub: M Hann, 72), G McCallum. Substitutes not used: J Smith, A Wilde, C Eribenne, J McLoughlin. Booked: Dundas, Heeroo, Jackson, Hughes.

Notts County (4-4-2): R Hoult – J Clapham, M Edwards, J Thompson, P Mayo – M Hamshaw, L Neal, R Butcher, M Weston (sub: A Nowland, 86) – S Canham (sub: S Weir-Daley, 89), D Facey. Substitutes not used: K Pilkington, J Beardsley, N Mackenzie, S Hunt, B Fairclough. Booked: Edwards, Butcher.

Referee: C Sarginson. Attendance: 2,041.