A penalty from former Sutton striker Aaron Jarvis nine minutes from time condemned U’s to defeat at the VBS after academy graduate Charlie Bell had come off the bench to score his second goal in three National League games with just under twenty minutes left at which point it seemed possible that Sutton would go on to clinch a crucial victory.

Sutton suffered a blow even before kick off when Jack Sims suffered a back injury in the warm-up, giving David Aziaya a National League debut, while Mo Dabre started in midfield as Bell dropped to the bench. Yeovil had the first clear chance of the evening when a quick counter attack saw Andrew Oluwabori put Luke McCormick in on the left. With two players in the penalty area his cross was disappointing, but Lewis Simper’s clearance was equally poor and fell to the feet of  Oluwabori, only for Aziaya to come to U’s rescue with a good save away to his right.

Generally chances were at a premium before the break as both sides struggled to make the final pass count, but Yeovil did come very close when Luke McCormick hammered a 25 yard shot against the crossbar. Sutton then nearly went ahead when a good left wing move ended with Noa Boutin crossing low and Ashley Nadesan  arriving at the far post to send the ball goalwards only for Yeovil goalkeeper Jed Ward to get across and somehow turn the ball over the bar.

Nadesan had another chance early in the second half, put through by Simper on the right but failing to put enough power in his shot to beat Ward, while at the other end Oluwabori flashed a close range header over the bar, again having started the move with an incisive run from deep. When the Yeovil striker found himself with another chance moments later, though, after a long clearance wasn’t dealt with by the Sutton defence, he made no mistake with a shot that took a deflection off Jack Taylor to beat Aziaya.

Sutton looked for the equaliser but again the final pass was disappointing, and a couple of goalmouth scrambles came to nothing, but the breakthrough came with just under twenty minutes left when Aaron Jones hooked back a cross Dillon De Silva’s cross from the left, and although Nadesan’s shot was blocked he was able to lay the rebound back to Bell, who clipped a fine shot in off the underside of the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

Sutton almost went in front when Brandon Njoku headed just over from Liam Vincent’s cross, but hopes that the goal might herald a change of fortunes were killed ten minutes later when Will Tizzard blocked a Josh Sims cross with his arm. Although it was at fairly close quarters referee David Rock decided it was worth a penalty, and Jarvis, on at half time for Tahvon Campbell, slotted home the spot kick.

Unlike on Saturday there was to be no late rescue act as U’s again conceded possession too easily as they tried to build attacks, and Yeovil saw out their third consecutive victory since Richard Dryden took over as manager.

Sutton: D Aziaya, A Jones (sub D Ogbonna 87), N Boutin(sub D De Silva 69), W Tizzard, J Taylor, E Pruti(sub L Vincent 69), M Dabre(sub C Bell 61), L Simper, B Njoku, A Nadesan, J Harris. Subs n/u S Odelusi, J Eccleston, J Sims. Booked: Simper, Harris.

Yeovil: J Ward, J Plant, K Ferguson, M Williams, F Cousin-Dawson(sub B McGavin 66), J Wannell, J Morias(sub H Greenslade 61), L McCormick, A Oluwabori(sub B Wodskou 86), J Sims, T Campbell(sub A Jarvis H-T). Subs n/u M Gould, B Pendleton, A Whittle. Booked: Plant, Cousin-Dawson.

Referee: David Rock

Attendance: 1,891(188 away)

Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin