Chasetown FC were left to rue what might have been after being hit with a sucker punch at Sutton Coldfield Town on Boxing Day.
This real six pointer at the bottom end of the league table saw the hosts in the ascendancy at the start.
Winger Reece Gibson forced the first save of the game as Scholars stopper Curtis Pond held low to his right.
Chasetown went straight up the other end and Kieran Brown headed over the crossbar.
Mike O’Reilly saw a free kick well saved by Lewis Gwilliams just after the half hour.
Chasetown deservedly took the lead when a Brown header struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced down over the line.
The visitors were a whisker away from doubling their lead when George Cater’s corner was headed goalwards by substitute Liam Kirton, but Ryan Moore cleared off the line.
Sutton had a spell of sustained pressure which resulted in the hosts being awarded a penalty kick. Reece Leek converted from 12 yards with a strike straight down the middle of the goal.
And the Royals turned the game around when a corner to the far post was headed home by James Beresford.
Chasetown almost levelled immediately. Levi Reid drove low along the ground but Gwilliams managed to cling on.
Click below to see Pamela Mullins’ pictures from the game:
