Wayne Shaw's absence felt at Sutton United as first-team keeper forced off with injury against Torquay
The former 'keeper has been approached by Morrisons to become an official 'pie-taster'
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Your support makes all the difference.The recent resignation of Sutton United's reserve goalkeeper and part-time coach Wayne Shaw appears to have caught up with the club after their first-team 'keeper, Ross Worner, was forced off with injury in the side's National League game against Torquay.
In the wake of the infamous 'Pie-gate', which saw Shaw come under intense scrutiny for his involvement in a betting publicity stunt involving him eating a pie, 45-year-old agreed to leave the club under their request.
But in the first game following their FA Cup defeat by Arsenal on Monday, Sutton are feeling the full effects of the big man's departure having failed to find a new reserve 'keeper.
Just 15 minutes into the game at Plainmoor, Sutton's Worner was forced to depart the pitch with an injury.
Instead of calling upon pie-eating Shaw, Paul Doswell's side have instead turned to defender Simon Downer to don the 'keeper's gloves.
Prior to Worner's injury, Torquay had pulled ahead through Luke Young but Roarie Deacon has since equalised for the visitors.
The 46-year-old was seen eating a pie live on television during Sutton's clash with Arsenal on Monday night after Doswell had made all three substitutions at Gander Green Lane.
After the initial comedy wore off though, the incident was revealed to be a publicity stunt for Sun Bet who offered odds on Shaw eating a pie during the match.
Both the Football Association and the Government’s Gambling Commission have launched investigations into the matter, but a club statement released on Tuesday confirmed that Shaw had accepted the club’s request for him to resign.
“It’s been a very sobering day,” Doswell said in light of the incident.
“It’s obviously early days [in the investigation] ... but it’s taken the gloss off the performance for my players. It’s very sad that the spotlight has been taken away from them.
“The reality is that what happened last night didn’t make us look particularly good.”
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