Harrogate Town spurned the chance to cement their place in the play-off positions, when they went down to a 3-1 defeat at a freezing, Gander Green Lane, Sutton.
Town had to make two changes to their starting line up, with Jon Stead replacing the injured Mark Beck and Jack Emmett starting for the suspended Warren Burrell.
The Town followers were also heartened to see Lloyd Kerry take his place in the squad for the first time since August.
It took until the quarter-hour mark for either side to threaten, when Town’s Will Smith headed Emmett’s cross over the bar.
But it was the hosts who took the lead after thirty minutes when Harry Beautyman stooped low to head Craig Eastmond’s pin point cross past James Belshaw from six yards out.
It took until the forty-third minute until Town forced a corner when Jack Diamond’s shot was deflected wide,but George Thomson’s volley from the clearance was headed clear by Ben Goodliffe.
Both sides had chances in the early play after the break.with a Town corner being turned on to Sutton’s post by Jack Muldoon,while at the other end Connor Hall had to clear a Beautyman shot off the line.
Harrogate scored a deserved equaliser after sixty-eight minutes when Josh Falkingham latched on to Stead’s flick on and rounded keeper Tzanev, before rolling the ball into the net.
Unfortunately, Town’s joy was short-lived, because four minutes later, Tommy Wright was left unmarked, and he curled an unstoppable strike from twenty-five yards past Belshaw.
With three minutes left,Sutton poured salt into the wound, when a long ball caught Town’s defence on the break,as they sought a leveller,and Wright shot past the unprotected Belshaw to seal the victory.
Town,
Belshaw,Fallowfield,Falkingham,Thomson,Emmett,Stead,Muldoon,Hall,W Smith,Diamond(Kiernan 65),Hancox.
Unused subs,G Smith,Cracknell,Bradley,Kerry.
Scorer,Falkingham 68, Att.1490
Booked,Muldoon,Emmett.
Sutton,
Tvanev,John,Barden,Goodliffe,Davis(Ajboyee 45),Buglei(Dundas 90),Beautyman,Eastmond,Wright,Wyatt,Reid.
Unused subs,Collins,Randall,Jarvis.
Scorers,Beautyman 30,Wright 72,87
Booked,Beautyman
Referee, G Parsons,
By John Harrison
