Sutton United 1-1 Bath City
Having started in a way that suggested the FA Trophy defeat at Bognor was already a distant memory, Sutton fund themselves pegged back on Saturday as Bath ended a run of five consecutive league defeats and gave new manager Gary Owers some reward on his first game back in charge.
Despite a growing injury list U's were still able to field a decent starting line-up, with Kevin Amankwaah returning at right back, and they started in fine style. Dan Fitchett played a good pass out wide to Stearn, whose shot was deflected for a corner, but who then met Dan Wishart's flag kick with a glancing header that flashed in to the net.
Before fifteen minutes was out Stearn might have had at least one more, a snap half-volley being tipped over by Steve Phillips, who also had to touch a couple of awkwards crosses over the bar, while Craig Dundas was inches away from connecting with a low Wishart cross.
Bath managed to work their way back in to the game, with debutant Liam Kelly driving a 25 yard shot just too high, and Eliot Richards then hitting a first time volley which almost surprised Ross Worner, who managed to turn the ball over with his legs as it bounced just in front of him. Their efforts were rewarded when Andy Watkins, his usual troublesome self up front, scampered clear on to a long through ball and as Worner came racing off his line the striker went over under the keeper's challenge.
With Watkins heading towards the corner flag there was no question of a red card, and Worner only saw the yellow card after receiving lengthy treatment for a facial injury sustained in the collision, but after a further delay as referee Dan Cook sorted out some hostilities on the edge of the penalty area, Richards powered his penalty in to the bottom corner of the net just out of Worner's reach.
Much of the second half was attack against defence, with Worner a spectator for long spells, but Bath defended well and there were few moments of serious threat. Stearn hit one fierce shot which was blocked by a defender's head, and sent in a low cross which evaded everyone and had to be grabbed by Phillips as it skidded off the surface, but otherwise any threat was snuffed out before it troubled the goal.
The one moment when U's fans thought they might have snatched the winner was when substitute Tommy Wright produced a brilliant finish to turn the ball in after Dundas had finished a powerful run with a low cross, but only after taking the ball fractionally over the by-line, and the celebrations were cut short as Bath held on for a hard-earned point.
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