With Gary Charman and John Westcott on holiday, there was an opportunity for some of the new players to make an immediate impact and there was a familiar name in the Horsham starting line-up with Charlie Cooke, son of former Hornet Marcus, wearing Westcott’s number eight jersey while the highly rated Gareth Williams took his place in goal after recently joining from Corinthian-Casuals. Ex-Crawley Town player Owen Botting completed the trio of new arrivals for the hosts while Sutton United fielded a fairly unchanged squad from that which led them to thirteenth place in last season’s Conference South table with Banstead’s Andy Parkinson drafted in to keep goal.

It was evident that the stiff breeze would pay its part in proceedings and it was the visitors who were the beneficiaries during a first half in which they attacked down the Queen Street slope. However, it was the Hornets who fashioned the first chance when Lee Carney’s shot was deflected behind, after a good interchange with Jamie Taylor, but Taylor’s control let him down shortly after when Botting’s through ball put him in behind the U’s defence and the chance was lost. Sutton dictated the next ten minutes although two long range shots from John Scarborough and Benson Taylor failed to test Williams. The visitors began to exploit the flanks to good effect with James Cant struggling against the pace of Michael Johnson and the deadlock was broken when Cant fouled his man and, from the resulting free-kick, Steve Broad sent a deft header into the far corner of the net. Williams was by far the busier of the two keepers at this stage and had to show good hands when dealing with a menacing cross from Steve Douglas.

Broad was forced to leave the field after just 23 minutes, following a strong challenge from Botting who, ironically was to suffer the same fate less than ten minutes later. Sutton continued to press and Williams saved well from Taylor and Douglas before launching a clearance upfield that saw his opposite number misjudge the bouncing ball, under pressure from Taylor, only for a defender to save the keeper’s blushes by clearing the danger. A Sutton corner on the half hour inadvertently led to their second goal. The floated cross was easily headed away by Eddie French, giving the hosts the chance to break forward in numbers, but a poor pass was cleared from the Sutton penalty area straight to the unmarked Douglas who calmly went past the exposed Williams to double his side’s lead. The exacting conditions prompted the referee to call for a cricket style drinks break and Hornets’ boss John Maggs used the break in play to introduce Carl Rook in place of the injured Botting to give Taylor some much needed help up front. The switch didn’t prevent the visitors’ forwards from making inroads into their opponents' penalty area, though, and the home fans were grateful to Nigel Brake for first providing a timely interception and then clearing the resultant corner. Rook showed a couple of neat touches before the referee's whistle signalled the end of the first period.

The second half began with numerous substitutions and, with Sutton having more subs than replacement shirts, it became difficult for the Horsham supporters to identify who was who in the visiting side. Maggs was rather more conservative with his changes, sending on Eric Pudaloff in place of Williams, Andy Howard for Cooke and Mark Zydonik replacing Cant at right back as Maggs reverted to a 4-4-2 formation. Yet it was Sutton who continued to look the more threatening and, during the next twenty minutes, sent in a number of shots from distance that were easily dealt with by Pudaloff. The England futsal international, who had enjoyed a brief yet highly impressive cameo at Queen Street the previous September, sent a long wind-assisted kick towards Taylor who beat his namesake but could only find the side netting after being forced wide.

Horsham were starting to impose themselves at last as the slick build up play of last season began to return and Rook earned his side their reward after 67 minutes, following a couple of corners. Taylor's cheeky chip over the advancing 'keeper was turned behind and Brake's corner kick found Rook unmarked in the area to calmly volley into the net to give the home supporters something to cheer. With their tails now clearly up, the Hornets went on to dictate the closing stages with one mesmerising run from Carney leaving three Sutton players in his wake as he waltzed into the final third of the pitch - his whipped cross brilliantly cleared by the excellent Scarborough. The hosts drew level on 71 minutes after Brake was upended on the left and when Parkinson spilled Matt Geard's shot, Tom Graves turned goal poacher to turn the ball home.

Rook almost completed an unlikely comeback but, this time, Parkinson was able to redeem himself with a fine save. Three Horsham corners followed in quick succession before youngsters Lee Saxby and Kieron Johnson replaced French and Graves for the final twelve minutes. Saxby was immediately involved in the action when he intercepted a pass down the Sutton right, beat his man and sent Rook through on goal with a good ball down the flank but the forward's cross-cum-shot failed to curl sufficiently and drifted wide of the far post. A minute later, Carney's free-kick took the same route and the same player fizzed a blockbuster fractionally wide of the post from Rook's lay-off. Johnson's enthusiasm won him appreciative applause when, after initially losing possession of the ball, the tenacious midfielder tore after his opponent like a greyhound out of its trap, producing a winning challenge before finding Brake. His pass found Taylor whose quick one-two with Rook allowed him cut inside the defender and let fly only to see his shot rebound to safety off a defender.

Sutton had a chance to claim victory at the death when a needless infringement by Geard saw Scarborough leap to head the free-kick goalwards but Pudaloff was equal to it and the goal remained intact. There was still time for Horsham to respond with two headers of their own but Brake twice failed to find the target from Walker's crosses and the match ended all square.