Back down to earth for Lillies

4:17pm Sunday 20th July 2008

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Bromley 1-2 Sutton United

BROMLEY were handed a pre-season reality check by Sutton United yesterday at Hayes Lane following a string of impressive results against Football League outfits.

Having already enjoyed victories over Charlton and Brentford and a draw against Crystal Palace, Mark Goldberg's Lillywhites were strong favourites to overcome opposition from the Ryman Premiership.

But it was his side's turn to be on the receiving end of an upset as two second half strikes in as many minutes from Sutton substitutes Jerson Dos Santos and Adam Roberts cancelled out Nic McDonnell's 39th minute opener.

Despite the setback, manager Goldberg conceded it was best to suffer a defeat now than in the opening game of the Blue Square South camapaign against Maidenhead on August 9.

He said: "It is unfortunate it ended up being a bit of an embarrassment, but if I need to learn these lessons it is better to do so today rather than in the early part of the season.

"We came in at half-time pretty confident we had put in a good team effort and a decent workout for us, but we came back out and tried to make the extra pass.

"Not only did we try to make the extra pass, we were making it from the edge of our box and trying to make triangles in our own half."

The manager added: "When you play against teams like this, they press on you and nick it.

"Then suddenly you are playing all of your football in your own half rather than doing what we had been in the first half where to a certain extent, we were forcing the ball a little bit too early to our front men.

"I told them to play the extra pass if needed, but they went to the other extreme I'm afraid and we never quite got out of our own half."

Goldberg made four substitutions after the break against Sutton and the boss admitted afterwards it had cost his side victory.

He explained: "It did change things because we lost our shape and conceded two goals quite quickly.

"Again this isn't something which would happen in the normal course of a league game and we learnt what not to do.

"We will take it on the chin, pick ourselves up and go again at Croydon Athletic this week.

"I expect we will take what we learnt today into the Croydon game.

"We will not take Croydon Athletic likely, just like we knew not to take Sutton likely."

Bromley: Williams, Clark, Haverson (O'Sullivan 61), I'Anson (Toppin 61), Sobers, Gillman, Corneille (Davis 77), Murray, McBean, McDonnell, Joseph (May 61). Sub not used: Omunura.