Date   9th October 2007     Competition   Setanta Shield 1st Round     Attendance   309     Referee   Tony Power (Stanmore)

Lineup   1 Phil Wilson     2 Asher Hudson     3 Alan Bray     4 John Scarborough     5 Lewis Gonsalves    h-t Greene 6 Tony Quinton     7 Jason Goodchild     8 Bashiru Alimi      9 Craig Watkins   10 Warren McBean     11 Jason Henry   67 Hammond         12 Mark Hammond     14 Nicky Greene     15 Liam Pestle     16 Zak Graham     17 Gareth Williams

Sutton's first match since the resignation of Ian Hazel as manager ultimately went the same way as many others this season, but there was plenty in the performance at Hayes Lane on Tuesday to encourage Stuart Massey and Micky Stephens, who have taken control on a temporary basis, even if progress in the Setanta Shield eluded them. With both having made their name in their playing careers at Sutton as attacking wide midfield players it was perhaps not surprising to see a line up that had Jason Henry on the right and Craig Watkins on the left using their pace to support Warren McBean, and the Bromley defence were given a testing time in an entertaining first half. They still looked unsteady at the back, though, with Gareth Williams repeatedly getting behind U's back line, and after just eight minutes he forced Phil Wilson, whose recall removed the possibility of Gareth Williams being denied by Gareth Williams, in to a low save. It was U's who came closest to the lead early on, though, when Henry's cross found McBean and Ben Judge challenging at the near post, the ball crashing off the head of the Bromley defender and back off the crossbar, with McBean heading the rebound just wide. Wilson had to be off his line quickly when Williams again broke free of the defence, Alan Bray heading Carl Gibbs' follow up effort off the line, but Williams wasn't to be denied and he gave Bromley the lead three minutes before half time with U's, as so often this season, contributing to their own downfall as Henry was caught in possession inside his own half, conceding a throw in which was worked across the face of the penalty area to Williams, who drilled a low shot in to the net. He might have had a second soon afterwards, evading John Scarborough's challenge but dragging his shot wide, and with Bromley threatening to take control the half time whistle was welcome for Sutton, who came out strongly at the start of the second period and could have been level within three minutes when McBean's low shot was partially stopped by Andy Walker and scrambled away from inside the six yard box as Watkins stretched to make contact. A minute later, though, they had their equaliser after a defensive mix-up saw Walker play a goal kick to left back Simon Glover, who seemed surprised and in trying to return it to Walker succeeded only in letting Watkins through for a confident finish high past the stranded keeper. Gibbs had a chance to give Bromley the lead back immediately, Wilson making something of a meal of saving his downward header, and U's keeper wasn't so fortunate shortly afterwards when the ball was swung out to Sam Wood on the left corner of the penalty area and his shot, which may have deflected off the challenging Jason Goodchild, went straight through Wilson's grasp in to the net. Wilson soon redeemed himself when some poor defending allowed Barry Moore to find Gibbs unmarked in front of goal, blocking the former Sutton striker's shot with his legs when a goal seemed certain. It might have been a pivotal moment, as within minutes U's best passing move of the night ended with Bashiru Alimi guiding Watkins' pass in to the path of Nicky Greene, impressive as a second half substitute, who drifted past a defender and fired in a shot that Walker beat away. The home keeper also had to fist out a 20 yard effort from Goodchild as U's looked in vain to force extra time with the home side happy to defend their lead and try and catch U's on the break, Scarborough booked for ending one raid down the left with a foul.

Bromley:  A Walker, S Clark, S Glover, B Moore, B Judge, T Henriques, J Kadi, G McCleary, C Gibbs(sub R Hughes 77), G Williams, S Wood. subs n/u L Headley, M Harney, F Duku, A Chaaban. Booked: Moore(72-foul).