Basingstoke Town were made to pay for a Tim Sills missed penalty as newly promoted Sutton United ended their 100 per cent record this season with a 2-1 victory at the Camrose on Saturday.
After two consecutive wins, Dragons boss Frank Gray started with the same 11 that had served him well against Eastleigh and Weston-super-Mare. It was the visitors who started on the front foot, however, with Tony Taggart forcing a save from 'keeper Ashley Bayes in the first minute after cutting in from the right.
It took until the 20-minute mark for Town to make any impression as an attacking force, with Sutton 'keeper Kevin Scriven pushing away a shot from Shaun McAuley after Delano Sam-Yorke had played him in with his head. Play quickly swung to the other end and it required a last-ditch clearance from Ross Adams to stop Leroy Griffiths knocking home a cross from Taggart.
Shortly before the half hour mark the game descended into a pushing and shoving match on the edge of the Sutton penalty area after a clash between Sills and Karul Murray, who ended up on the floor. When the fracas had subsided both players found themselves in referee Ian Cooper's notebook, long with Karim El-Salahi and McAuley.
Basingstoke were looking more threatening now, and David Pratt sent a low shot across the face of goal. Sam-Yorke was then booked for following through into Scriven as he raced out of his area to clear the ball. Sutton could have taken the lead on 34 minutes when Fola Orilonishe charged down the left and crossed for Anthony Riviere but he could only blaze a volley over Bayes' bar.
The pivotal moment of the match happened on the stroke of half time. First, McAuley looked to battle his way into the box and was brought down by El-Salahi. Sills stepped up to take the resulting penalty but it was weak and Scriven diving to his left to push it away. Scriven was called into action again after Adams rose to head the corner goalwards, only for the 'keeper to save.
Sutton immediately broke forward and Orilonishe won a free kick when he was obstructed by both Wes Daly and Robert Rice. Taggart swung the ball over to the far post where Sam Page outjumped Jay Gassonto power a header past Bayes and make it 1-0 to the visitors.
There was still time for Pratt to have a powerful shot from the right that Scriven dealt well with before the whistle blew for half time, and despite having the best chances went in at the break behind. After the restart Taggart advanced down the right for Sutton before finding Riviere unmarked 10 yards from goal only for the midfielder to somehow shoot wide with the goal begging.
Stuart Lake could perhaps have tested Scriven with an effort from 25 yards that flew wide, and McAuley should definitely have done better when he sliced the ball wide of the target.
Town boss Gray rung the changes as the second half reached the midway point with Rob Gradwell coming on for penalty villain Sills, and Matt Warner replacing the bright McAuley. With 15 minutes remaining Rice hurled a throw into the area and Gradwell had an effort blocked, the ball falling to Sam-Yorke who could only scoop it over Scriven's bar.
Like the first half, a great chance for the home side was followed quickly by a goal for the visitors as with his second touch substitute Chris Piper received the ball from Griffiths on the right and rolled the ball to fellow replacement Craig Dundas who guided a low shot past Bayes and into the corner of the net for his first goal of the season.
Sutton could have had a third with nine minutes remaining when Taggart tried to turn a Griffiths cross back across goal instead of shooting, and Scriven was shown the yellow card in stoppage time for time wasting. With 93 minutes on the clock Jide Ogunbote had a header cleared off the line following a Warner free kick and then Basingstoke pulled a consolation goal back after Sam-Yorke nudged Toby Little's header over the line.
The defeat sees Town drop to eighth in the Conference South ahead of Monday's game at Boreham Wood.
