When Segers sustained an injury in 1985, Sutton became Brian Clough's regular first-choice in goal for Forest until the end of the decade. During this time Sutton was a part of a team with five England international players – including defensive partners Stuart Pearce and Des Walker. Sutton was one of the Forest players who had to cope with the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster, during the opening minutes of their FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool on 15 April 1989. After playing in two victorious League Cup finals for Forest in 1989 and 1990, Sutton's position increasingly came under threat from promising understudy Mark Crossley. Sutton was on the bench, but did not appear as a substitute, during Forest's unsuccessful 1991 FA Cup Final appearance against Tottenham Hotspur.