Sutton United boss Paul Doswell was unconcerned about the football on Tuesday night, rather the spectacle of a Premier League manager officially opening the new 3G pitch.

The duty fell to Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew, who then watched his U21s beat United 2-0 thanks to a Dean Beckwith own goal and Keshi Anderson making the most of a rebound after Ross Worner saved his second half penalty.

Doswell admitted to short-comings in the United performance, although he insisted any rustiness would be eradicated when the National League South season starts on August 8.

However, it was the pomp and circumstance surrounding the cutting of the ribbon in front of more than 1,500 fans that had Doswell purring.

He said: “First and foremost the spectacle was the most important thing.

“We wanted to put on a good show for the fans and we really wanted the pitch to work, and that was certainly the case.

“The drizzle really helped the surface, and I think there’s an argument for watering it before every match.”

Doswell added: “In terms of the game, every manager will tell you he wants no injuries at the end of a game, and he wants his players to look fitter than when pre-season started, and that was the case.

“You do have to chase the ball against technically good players and that is the difference, we’re not going to play against a side that during the season.

“It was good for us to chase a bit, you could see we were a little rusty in our passing, but that will improve, but I thought there was a 20-minute spell in the first half where we got some great crosses in the box, we hit the bar and post.

“The 2-0 scoreline is a little harsh on us, it was an own goal and penalty, but it was not about the result, it was about the whole evening for a fantastic crowd.”