The trend of a decent performance not being matched by the result, which has dated back to the FA Cup defeat at Aldershot, continued in painful fashion for Sutton as they failed to break down a stubborn performance from the Hayes & Yeading defence, and goalkeeper Dan Lincoln, and found themselves beaten by a soft goal on the break that gave Hayes their second 1-0 win in a row at Gander Green Lane.
Last season there was little to encourage U's supporters in the performance in the defeat, whereas here there wasn't a lot to complain about except the failure to take the chances that came their way, and almost inevitably the woodwork played a role again as Bedsente Gomis saw a shot pushed against the post with just three minutes left.
It would be unfair on Hayes to suggest they only had the one chance - they might have led early on but for a superb save from Ross Worner after Elliott Benyon pounced on a losse pass to put Luke Williams in on the left, only for Worner to dive to his left and turn the ball away, and had the ball in the net soon afterwards through Benyon, whose effort was ruled out for pushing.
It was Sutton who did most of the attacking, though, without creating too much in the way of clear cut chances in the first half. Ross Stearn had an opportunity when Jim Fenlon failed to cut out Tom Bolarinwa's right-to-left crossfield pass, but opted to shoot early and left-footed and sent the ball wide, and just after having penalty appeals turned down after he had tangled with Max Worsfold, Dan Fitchett was forced off with a hamstring injury, giving Stuart Fleetwood nearly an hour alongside Craig McAllister in attack.
The first chance of the second half again fell to Hayes when they were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area and Worner again had to stretch to his left to tuen away Williams' effort. Play immediately switched to the other end, and McAllister did well to set up Stearn on the left, Stearn this time cutting in and shooting right-footed and low and drawing a good save from Lincoln. Just before the hour Lincoln had to be at his best again as Gomis nodded a long clearance through to Bolarinwa, who raced through and saw his shot rebound off the legs of the advancing keeper.
It seemed only a matter of time before a goal came, and so it proved, but it was the visitors who grabbed it as an interception in midfield turned in to an incisive pass through the middle of a square defence and Josh Scott, who had replaced Ismael Ehui five minutes earlier, went through, beat the recovering Dean Beckwith, and hit a slightly scuffed shot that bobbled across Worner and inside the far post.
It might have quickly been worse for U's, Jamie Collins only inches away from an own goal as he tried to clear Worsfold's cross, but they came back strongly only to find Lincoln having an inspired afternoon. He tipped a shot from Bolarinwa over the bar after originally being beaten by McAllister to a cross, and then threw himself in the way of a McAllister shot after more good work by Bolarinwa, who seemed U's likeliest source of inspiration. When Lincoln was helpless, Sutton did his job for him as McAllister blocked a shot from Gomis.
The visitors might have put the issue beyond doubt when Adam Everitt volleyed over from close range, but as it was U's were able to pile forward in search of the leveller that they deserved. Gomis stabbed a shot goalwards but Lincoln pushed the ball on to the post and grabbed the rebound, Craig Dundas saw a shot diverted wide by the latest in a long line of telling interventions from the Hayes back line, and in the last minute the best chance of all fell to Gomis as Beckwith headed a Dan Wishart corner goalwards, but eight yards out and with Hayes convinced he was offside, Gomis miscued his shot wide.
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