SUTTON’S bid for automatic promotion to the Football League suffered another hit as they lost 1-0 to Eastleigh on Saturday.
Lions striker Isaac Olaofe was looking to add to his 10 National League goals this season but he was brilliantly denied by Eastleigh goalkeeper Joe McDonnell.
Adam Marriott scored the only goal of the game in the 43rd minute as the hosts moved to within a point of the play-off places.
South London’s Sutton were four points clear at the top of the table with three games in hand after winning 3-1 at Bromley last month.
But just one win in their last six games has left them third, a point behind both Torquay in first and Hartlepool in second with one game and two games in hand, respectively.
Millwall centre-back Alex Mitchell made it two wins in two games as Bromley climbed into the play-off places after their 2-1 victory at Halifax Town.
The visitors went ahead in the 13th minute when Michael Cheek was fouled by Kieran Green and got up to score from the spot.
James Alabi made it 2-0 in the 91st minute before before Neill Byrne responded two minutes later but it was too late for the home side to salvage anything.
Bromley have won their last four games and are sixth, two points above Chesterfield in eighth.
Meanwhile, midfielder Sam Skeffington is yet to experience defeat with Barnet as they continued their recent resurgence in their efforts to avoid the drop with a remarkable comeback at Altrincham.
Altrincham led 2-0 after 16 minutes through Ryan Colclough and Alistair Smith.
Courtney Baker-Richardson pulled a goal back before the break before Skeffington was replaced at half-time.
It didn’t look like Barnet would get anything from the game until a dramatic finish when Ephron Mason-Clark and Tomi Adeloye scored in the final two minutes.
After going on a 12-game run without a win that included 10 defeats, the Bees have won two and drawn one of their three games under Simon Bassey to give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation to National League South.
Barnet are nine points off Weymouth with nine games left this season.
In Scotland, James Brown was an unused substitute as Callum Davidson’s St Johnstone shocked Rangers on penalties to reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
James Tavernier looked like he had won it for Steven Gerrard’s side when he scored in the 117th minute.
But the Saints dramatically sent the tie to penalties when Chris Kane scored a 122nd-minute equaliser.
St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark – who had assisted his side’s leveller after going forward for a corner – saved two spot-kicks before Ali McCann scored from 12 yards to clinch his side’s place in the last four.
The Saints are aiming for a domestic cup double under former Millwall assistant Davidson after they won the League Cup in February for the first time in their history.
The draw for the semi-finals takes place today.
Graphic: @ShedCreative