After the bitter disappointment of their FA Cup exit on Tuesday night, an away trip to a team whose form was beginning to justify their position among the pre-season favourites might not have been at the top of Sutton's list for preferred fixtures on Saturday, and when they trailed 2-0 inside the first 25 minutes there will have been fears among their supporters that the afternoon would be a torrid one. Not for the first time this season, though, U's produced a second half fightback that spoke volumes for the spirit in the side, and in the end were worth the point that Matt Fowler's last gasp equaliser gave them. Such an outcome seemed extremely distant after a first half in which Hayes seemed to have taken a firm grip on the game, although U's should have scored first when Matt Ottley had a clear header from Danny Bolt's corner but put it over the bar. That was after seven minutes, and two minutes later U's were behind. Ryan Palmer's poorly struck free kick from inside his own half went straight to Dean Clark, who launched a swift counter attack. Jack Midson took the ball on, played it left to Kevin Warner, and he drilled a low shot in to the far corner of Andy Pape's net. Sutton had their moments, Bolt just failing to find Mark Watson with one chip in from the left, but a physically strong Hayes team continued with the confidence of a side looking for a fifth consecutive win and went further ahead in the 24th minute. Sutton failed to deal properly with a corner from the left, and when the ball came back in from the same side and was headed goalwards, Ian Hodge touched it in past a hesitant Pape. A few Sutton heads seemed to be dropping during the rest of the half, but whatever was said at the interval soon seemed to be taking effect as Palmer and Nick Bailey might both have scored inside the first five minutes of the half with better headers from Bolt free kicks. Scott Corbett was forced off by a tackle which earned Warner a booking, but both Paul Honey and, five minutes later, Matt Gray, were keen to make an impression on the game and as the game entered its final quarter U's got the goal to keep their spirits up. Dave Timothy crossed from the right following a throw in and Bailey climbed highest to head down past Bertrand Bossu. It was difficult for U's to gain any momentum as the game was broken up by a series of stoppages and substitutions, and an increasingly heated battle between Watson and home defender Jamie Jarvis, who while playing for Maidenhead last season had been sent off against Sutton for propelling Fowler from one side of the penalty area to the other, ended with Watson picking up a yellow card for a foul right in front of the home dug out, whose reactions did little to calm the situation. Referee Andy Sainsbury, who had a good game, paid little heed to them or the scuffle between a number of players that followed and contented himself with booking U's striker. Hayes might have made the game safe immediately as Pape made a superb close range save to deny Warner, but it still seemed as though U's fightback would not be enough. Then Mr Sainsbury, having seen his attempt to give Bolt an advantage in the first half fail through his ignorance of Bolt's left footed-ness, this time erred on the side of caution as a Bolt cross went in to the penalty area, and penalised the late tackle. It was probably a good decision as Bossu seemed favourite to claim the cross, and it worked spectacularly in U's favour. Bolt's free kick was headed out to Bailey, and although his 20 yard shot was mis-hit it fell nicely for Fowler on the edge of the six yard box, and he calmly slotted the ball past Bossu.

Hayes: Bossu, Molesley, McCormick, Yeboah, Jarvis, Paul Holsgrove, Peter Holsgrove, Clark(Cochrane 72), Hodge(Jolly 81), Midson(Shipperley 87), Warner..sub n/u Williams
Sutton: Pape, Timothy(Beale 81), Hollands, Palmer, Ottley(Gray 63), Bailey, Bolt, Corbett(Honey 58), Fowler, Watson, Gonsalves. Subs n/u Brett, Dunn
Referee: A Sainsbury Attendance 394

Sutton have no game on Saturday following their FA Cup exit-their next first team game is a Ryman League clash at Hitchin on Saturday 19 October.

U's reserves lost 4-0 at home to Hayes on Saturday-they were due to travel to Met Police on Thursday of this week and then are away to Corinthian Casuals on Saturday and to Dulwich next Tuesday. The youth team had no game last week and were due to entertain Chipstead on Wednesday of this week. Next Wednesday they are at home to Croydon Athletic.