Sutton 2-2 Hawks – Bradbury’s boys’ survival hopes dented at Gander Green Lane

Goalscorer Tyler Cordner. Picture: Ian Hargreaves

Needing a win to boost their National League survival hopes, the Hawks could only manage a 2-2 draw at Sutton United.

Lee Bradbury’s side had chances to win it in stoppage-time but failed to make them count.

Tyler Cordner conceded an early penalty which was converted by ex-Hawks midfielder Jamie Collins.

Cordner redeemed himself with goals either side of half-time, but the home side scrambled an equaliser from a corner.

The result leaves the Hawks eight points adrift of safety with just five games left to play.

For the second successive game, Bradbury forced to give a debut to a new on-loan keeper.

Martija Sarkic, was recalled by Aston Villa after just one game, and replaced by last-minute signing Laurence Bilboe from Rotherham United.

Regular keeper Ben Dudzinski remains injured.

The visitors also gave a debut Millwall defender Dan McNamara, who has joined on loan until the end of the season.

Bradbury also made other changes to the side that lost disappointingly at Maidenhead United.

At the back, Ryan Woodford was preferred to Ed Harris and up front Matt Paterson replaced Joe Quigley.

Bilboe was soon in the thick of the action, punching out a free-kick that was floated in from the right by Aswad Thomas.

Disaster struck on four minutes, however.

Cordner tried to clear the ball but was adjudged to have brought down Jon Barden inside the area in the process.

And Collins made no mistake with his spot-kick, sending Bilboe the wrong way.

There was then a let-off for the visitors when the unmarked Collins, at the far post, headed the ball back across goal

Cordner, on this occasion, managed to scramble the ball clear.

At the other end, Alfie Rutherford rode a tackle and burst into the area to force a corner, from which the visitors had their best chance of the match so far.

Rory Williams delivered the flag-kick and Cordner headed just over the top.

But on 39 minutes the visitors dragged themselves level.

Williams sent in a free-kick from the left and Cordner escaped his marker to send his header into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

The Hawks almost got through in the opening minute of the second period.