Match Report

Omar Bugiel scored on his return to Hayes Lane and gave Sutton a valuable three points, their first Vanarama National League victory since the demolition of Woking on New Year’s Day. Valuable as Bugiel’s clinical 16th minute strike was, though, U’s success was also built on a resolute defensive performance and a match-winning display from goalkeeper Nik Tzanev as they were put under pressure by a Bromley side who will feel they deserved better than a seventh defeat in eight games.

For the third game in a row a strong wind made conditions difficult, with U’s facing the elements in the first half. It was a testing National League debut for Coby Rowe, called in to the side with Louis John suffering from a calf injury, but he was a commanding presence in the air alongside Ben Goodliffe as U’s were put under pressure from the start. Chris Bush had plenty of opportunity to use his long throw, but every time the ball came in to the penalty area it was a Sutton head that made first contact, although twice early on the ball came back and Jack Holland put one header just over the angle of post and bar. Bromley’s best chance, though, fell to Ben Williamson when a long clearance from Mark Cousins carried over the U’s defence and left him with just Tzanev to beat. It seemed a formality, but he put his shot too close to the goalkeeper, who held on.

Tzanev then made good stops to deny Holland and Michael Cheek and it seemed as though U’s were in for a tough afternoon, but they had already threatened once on the break, Cousins off his line quickly to dive at Isaac Olaofe’s feet, and on their next visit to the home penalty area they struck the decisive blow. Rob Milsom, again playing in midfield with Kenny Davis(toe) and Craig Eastmond (knee) unavailable, slipped a pass through to Will Randall, who reached it just before it ran out of play and pulled the ball back for Bugiel, whose first time low left foot shot made a difficult finish look easy.

There was the chance of a second soon afterwards when David Ajiboye’s pace on the right took him to the edge of the penalty area but when he rolled the ball across to Harry Beautyman, the midfielder couldn’t quite get the ball out from under his feet and his shot ultimately lacked power and was cleared. At the other end Tzanev was well placed to hold a volley from Holland as U’s saw the half out to turn round ahead.

The second half started in scrappy fashion, with referee Elliott Swallow becoming increasingly unpopular with the home contingent and coach Alan Dunne was shown a red card for a comment from the bench. The home side made an early change as Aaron Rowe replaced Williamson, but initially struggled to put the U’s defence under the same pressure as in the first half. Sutton were a threat on the break, with Holland booked for ending one Olaofe run, and Randall twice squandering good openings, firstly with a heavy touch that allowed Cousins to save at his feet, and then a poor pass to Beautyman that was cut out.

The more the game progressed, though, the more U’s found themselves having to defend, and there were some excellent challenges to deny shooting opportunities in the penalty area. Josh Rees should have equalised when he arrived to meet Aaron Rowe’s low cross but scooped the ball over the bar, but Josh Coulson looked the likeliest source of a breakthrough, and, when Coby Rowe’s hurried clearance landed at his feet he controlled it superbly before firing in a low shot that was well blocked by Rowe, atoning for his one error of the afternoon. Another Coulson cross just evaded Clifton at the far post, and Goodliffe was booked for a foul on the edge of the penalty area as Clifton turned past him, Bromley’s protests that the card should have been red leading to a booking for Cheek, who ran twenty yards to collect one of six yellow cards picked up by the home side. Bush’s free kick didn’t beat the wall, and there was a much better effort at the other end from Milsom after Winfield had been booked for checking Craig Dundas’s run, the ball curling just wide.

The game finished with Bromley throwing everything at U’s, with Winfield volleying wide and, during six minutes of stoppage time which had seen Wayne Brown make his first National League appearance since December 2018, Tzanev saved his best till last, superbly tipping over a powerful Holland header. It led to goalkeeping coach Seb Brown reviving memories of Bob Stokoe in the 1973 FA Cup final as he ran on at the final whistle to congratulate the keeper, U’s celebrations at the end underlining the value of the win, and the effort that had gone in to it.

Bromley: M Cousins, J Kizzi (sub A Clifton 75), C Bush, B Bingham (sub F Raymond 66), D Winfield, J Holland, J Rees, L Coulson, M Cheek, B Williamson(sub A Rowe 55), C Whitely. Subs n/u R Huddart, J Higgs. Booked: Whitely, Bingham, Holland, Cheek, Wingfield, Coulson.