A penalty six minutes in to stoppage time denied Steve Morison his first win as Sutton manager and kept U’s seven points behind the sides just outside the relegation zone. It was a bitter blow for U’s, who had dominated long periods of the game and looked to have grabbed what would have been a deserved and valuable victory when captain Craig Eastmond found the net for the second successive Saturday with just over a quarter of an hour left. However substitute Omari Patrick missed two chances to give his team a two goal cushion, and a moment of rashness from goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis, who came off his line to try and collect a cross from Owen Bailey but was adjudged to have felled Ironside as he tried to punch clear, allowed Ironside to convert from the spot.

There was a lively start to the game with Doncaster striker Billy Waters put through by Hakeeb Adelajun after just fifty seconds and going down as he tried to go round Bouzanis, with referee Scott Simpson deciding the striker had dived and booking him accordingly.

It was as close as Doncaster were to come for much of the first half as Sutton enjoyed the better of possession and territorial advantage but failing to test debutant goalkeeper Tim Lo-Tutala as several crosses were comfortably cleared. Lee Angol sent a sharp volley on the turn straight at the keeper, who was then off his line quickly to deny Olly Sanderson who had turned in to space inside the penalty area. It wasn’t until five minutes before the break that Doncaster threatened again when Waters was again in behind the defence and this time Ben Goodliffe, back in the starting line up and making his 200th appearance for Sutton, diverted his shot wide.

The second half saw U’s continue to press for the breakthrough, with Harry Smith returning from his six game suspension along with Omari Patrick on the hour mark. The clear chances still didn’t reflect the approach work, however, and it wasn’t until Charlie Lakin sent a volley from twenty yards narrowly wide that the Doncaster goal was threatened. It was nevertheless well deserved when U’s did take the lead with a fine goal, a sweeping crossfield move ending with Kizzi putting Ryan Jackson in on the right and his low cross was met by Eastmond bursting in to the penalty area and volleying in after his first effort had been blocked.

Patrick should have doubled the lead when he volleyed wide from Stephen Duke-McKenna’s free kick, and with two minutes left pulled another shot across goal from a narrow angle. Doncaster’s efforts to grab a point looked to have gone when Ironside spooned a shot over at full stretch from George Broadbent’s pass, but with the indicated five minutes’ stoppage time just about up Smith was tackled on the half way line and Bailey’s cross found Bouzanis coming almost to the edge of the penalty area and colliding with Ironside as he tried to punch clear. The referee waited for Jon Taylor to send the loose ball wide before pointing to the spot, and after Harry Beautyman had been booked for dissent Ironside coolly tucked the penalty in to the corner of the net. Lakin tried to regain the lead straight from the kick off but his effort was just too high and the final whistle followed.

Sutton: D Bouzanis, R Jackson, N Adom-Malaki(sub H Beautyman 74), J Kizzi, B Goodliffe, C Eastmond, S Duke-McKenna, O Sanderson(sub O Patrick 60), L Angol(sub H Smith 60), C Lakin, S Hart. Subs n/u L John, C N’Guessan, S Arnold, D Moore. Booked: Kizzi, Beautyman.

Doncaster: T Lo-Tutala, J Sterry(sub J Taylor 75), O Bailey, J McGrath(sub J Maxwell H-T), J Olowu, R Wood, J Senior, H Adelakun(sub G Broadbent 59), J Ironside, T Rowe(sub K Hurst 82), B Waters(sub L Molyneux 74). Subs n/u L Jones, M Craig. Booked: Waters, Wood, Broadbent.

Referee: Scott Simpson

Attendance: 3,021(469 away)