After a night that Sutton United fans will want to forget, head coach Ian Baird pulled no punches in his own verdict of events.

United crashed out of the Surrey Senior Cup at Merstham on Tuesday night, losing 2-1 to a side that plies its trade two divisions below United, and who played the entire second half with only 10 men.

Fabio Saravia blasted the hosts ahead in the first half with a powerful free-kick, before Shaun Cooper’s deflected drive hauled United level on the hour.

However, despite dominating possession, United fell to Tommy Hutchings’ 90th minute winner – much to the consternation of the United fans at the Moatside.

Baird said: “Once again we did not finish the chances we created, and it has been the tale of the tape since I have been here.

“But credit where credit is due to Merstham, they were very well organised and played good football.

“The sending off changed the game, and I have never seen a side park not one bus but two. However, we were not good enough to break them down.”

He added: “For all the possession we had, we did not create too many chances, and the goal we conceded in the 90th minute was not good enough.

“Overall, it’s not good enough for Sutton United Football Club.”

Life gets no easier this weekend when United return to Conference South action with the visit to Gander Green Lane of Ebbsfleet.

The north Kent side, now under the leadership of former Welling United boss Jamie Day, have recruited Danny Kedwell and Matt Fish from Gillingham, Stuart Lewis from Wycombe Wanderers and Kelvin Langmead from Northampton Town.

Baird said: “It is not the end of the world getting beaten in the Surrey Senior Cup, but we’ve got a massive game coming up on Saturday.

“We’ve got to regroup, we’ve got to go again, we cannot feel sorry for ourselves, and we’ve got to make sure we get a result.

“Ebbsfleet have brought in a lot of good players, but hopefully we can hit them at the right time because maybe they have not had time to gel.”

United, lying 18th in the Conference South table, will be without the injured Kevin Amankwaah, Callum Hart, Dale Binns, Bill Medlock and Jamie White.