Carlisle United will face Sutton United in league football for the first time after the south London club sealed the National League title.

Sutton - including ex-Blues goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis - swept aside Hartlepool 3-0 to guarantee promotion.

It sees the Gander Green Lane club reach the Football League for the first time in their 123-year history.

Their thrashing of the Monkey Hangers means they cannot be caught by nearest rivals Torquay at the summit of non-league's top tier.

Rob Milsom's free-kick, fumbled over the line by Pools keeper Brad James, put Sutton in front in Sunday's encounter before second-half goals from Louis John and Isaac Olaofe ensured a memorable victory.

It came in front of more than 1,000 fans against their fourth-placed visitors, as Sutton celebrated their rise to the EFL under boss Matt Gray.

Carlisle were quick to offer their congratulations to the League new boys.

It will mean another long trip added to the calendar for the Blues when they travel to Sutton for the first time in the 2021/22 League Two season.

A 660-mile round trip awaits United for the game at Gander Green Lane - the ground previously famous for Sutton's memorable 1989 FA Cup giantkilling of Coventry.

News and Star: Sutton's Gander Green Lane ground was famously the setting for a 1989 FA Cup upset over Coventry (photo: PA)Sutton's Gander Green Lane ground was famously the setting for a 1989 FA Cup upset over Coventry (photo: PA)

Sutton will now have to replace their artificial pitch with a grass surface under EFL rules.

A key man in their promotion has been keeper Bouzanis, who was on Carlisle's books in the 2013/14 season.

The ex-Oldham and Liverpool man joined during Graham Kavanagh's reign but never made an appearance for Carlisle.

Hartlepool remain promotion contenders via the play-offs, with Torquay, Stockport, Notts County, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Bromley, Eastleigh and Halifax also still in the race.

Carlisle, meanwhile, will be heading back to Tranmere's Prenton Park and Forest Green's innocent New Lawn next season after they lost out to Morecambe and Newport respectively in the League Two play-off semi-finals.