Attendance 703.

A strong early season contender for worst game of the season this one. Sutton never showed the urgency that was required to finish off a Heybridge side low on confidence and it was the visitors who eventually realised how badly Sutton were playing and gave the home side a nervous last five minutes but eventually the points were shared. A referee who seemed very reluctant to play any form of advantage did not help the game which was never allowed to flow.

Sutton made one change from the side that won so convincingly in midweek against Hendon, Junior Haynes coming into the side for Nko Ekoku who had informed the club during the week of work commitments which would keep him out of the game. Although it turned out he was able to play manager John Rains decided to stay with his original selection.

The game started very quietly, Kingsley Banks the Heybridge goalkeeper did push a stinging drive from an Andy Riley free kick away early on but Sutton took the lead from a set play after 17 minutes. A free kick from Riley was back headed inside the box by Mark Watson for Andy Salako to nip in and score with a right foot drive from the edge of the six yard box.

If Sutton thought that this was the start of the expected avalanche they were wrong. Mark Watson did have one header comfortably saved after thirty minutes and Gareth Howells had to go down by his left hand post to keep out a header from Terry Rayner but there was precious little excitement in the remainder of a very poor half.

Two minutes into the second half Heybridge brought on Colin Warn for Ben Lewis and almost immediately Sutton should have taken the lead, Mark Watson latching onto a mistake by Alex Fiddes but he scuffed his shot wide with his right foot when he should have taken it with his left. Nassim Akrour had a shot from a narrow angle that hit the outside of post and bar but in truth Sutton were still struggling to make any real chances.

With fifteen minutes to go the most extraordinary incident of the afternoon occurred as referee Bill Stoneham had cause to speak to Roy Mcdonagh the Heybridge manager and after animated conversation had to ask for the assistance of a police officer to escort him from the dugout to the great delight of the crowd.

With the game still at one-nil Heybridge always had a chance to snatch a point and with seven minutes to go they got their reward. A long cross into the box from the right landed near the penalty spot and substitute Colin Warn beat Gareth Howells in the air to head into an empty net.

Sutton did bring on Nko Ekoku for Danny Brooker but the game fizzled out into a draw to the huge disappointment of those present.

The Sutton line up was:

Gareth Howells, Danny Brooker (Ekoku), Andy Riley, Gwynne Berry, Richard Skelly, Steve Watson, John Ugbah, Andy Salako, Nassim Akrour, Mark Watson and Junior Haynes.

Barry Laker and Barry Blackman were the unused Subs.

The Heybridge Swifts line up was:

Kingsley Banks, Mark Cranfield, Alex Fiddes, Mark Sinfield, Ben Lewis (Warn), Paul Roberts, Tony English, Steve Ball, Daniel Reeves, Terry Rayner and Dave Streetley (Caldon).

Sutton now go to Dulwich on Tuesday night to begin the defence of the league cup won so emphatically against Oxford last May.

The next league fixture is at Harrow Borough on Saturday next.