For the second week running Sutton suffered the agony of conceding a decisive late goal on Saturday and were left with nothing from probably one of their best performances of the season at Hayes Lane. A rousing game in front of a four-figure crowd went Bromley's way when Pierre Joseph-Dubois, who has made a habit of scoring against Sutton in recent seasons, scrambled the ball over the line after Alan Julian had made fine saves from Reece Prestedge and former Sutton striker Jamie Slabber.
Having hit the woodwork twice, and seen Julian make several fine saves in the second half to atone for his part in the catalogue of errors that had seen Joseph-Dubois level for Bromley within four minutes of Jamie White's debut goal for Sutton, Bromley would feel that if either side was going to snatch the late winner it was them, but it was a reflection of the way Sutton's recent fortunes have gone that, even after the winner, they were desperately unlucky not to equalise when Dan Wishart's free kick crashed against the crossbar, and for much of the game they had played a full part in a fine advert for Conference South football.
Wellard, having a fine game until tiring in the second half, saw a shot deflect just wide off Jack Holland and just wide as both sides played some decent football on a greasy surface, with little to choose between them before half time. Six minutes after the break, though, Bromley seemed certain to go ahead when Ademola, whose last meeting with Sutton had seen him help Dover to a play-off victory, went clear with just Julian to beat. There can't have been many people in the ground who didn't expect a goal to follow, but Ademola's shot hit the inside of the post and rebounded across the six yard box. Ademola should have had a hat-trick, as soon afterwards he put an unmarked header straight at Julian, and then failed to make decent contact at the near post with a low right wing cross.
Wellard again caused problems with a low cross with this time Rob Swaine was within inches of turning in to his own net, and after replacing Medlock midway through the half Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick cut in and hit a low shot which tested Brown, but with Sutton forced to make changes as both Wellard and Southam tired it was the Bromley substitutes, two of whom wore Sutton colours last season, who came closest to providing the winner. Slabber went clear on the right but failed to beat Julian, and the U's keeper made a fine save to tip over a 20 yard shot from Adam Birchall, and when Joseph-Dubois hit the bar with three minutes left with a header after Joe Anderson's free kick had been knocked back across goal it looked as though the points would be shared. Then Sutton got themselves in trouble again as Gomis, having done well to win possession near the corner flag, delayed his clearance too long and under pressure could only find Prestedge 25 yards out. His powerful shot was beaten out by Julian, who then made a brilliant save to keep out Slabber's header from the rebound but could do nothing to prevent Joseph-Dubois forcing the ball over the line as U's looked in vain for an offside flag. Even then U's could have had reward for their afternoon's efforts as they won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, but Wishart's superb effort came back off the bar and was hacked to safety as Bromley held on to their lead.
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