Dartford lost by a single goal to Sutton in their latest pre-season friendly.

A late goal won the game for the National League side at Princes Park.

Tony Burman fielded just about his strongest available team from the start but the evening finished with a host of Darts academy players on the pitch.

Sutton went close early on when Moses Emmanuel's header from a deep Anthony Jeffrey cross was scrambled off the Dartford goal line.

Less than a minute later, Tom Murphy drilled a left-footed shot over for the home side.

When Lyle Della-Verde floated a free-kick into the box, Andy Pugh headed the ball back across goal but no-one in white could apply the finishing touch.

Sutton's Kenny Davis, a summer signing from Boreham Wood, then sent a shot over from distance.

Dartford got bodies into the box on their next attack and when the U's failed to clear a cross, Elliot Bradbrook warmed Jamie Butler's palms from 20 yards.

Tom Bonner threw himself in front of an Emmanuel strike when the former Dover man pulled the trigger from a central position and the same player then worked a yard of space for himself before shooting wide.

Dartford keeper Deren Ibrahim got down well to deal with a powerful Craig Eastmond strike from outside the box although the home side finished the first half well.

A decent Ryan Hayes cross almost picked out Pugh in the middle and Alex Brown then had a shot blocked when the ball was rolled back to him following a corner.

Trialist Warren Mfula came on for Dartford at the start of the second half, replacing Andy Pugh, while Lee Noble took Brown's place in the centre of midfield.

When Hayes lost the ball deep in his own half, Davis played Emmanuel in and he forced a low save from Ibrahim after cutting back onto his left foot.

Ibrahim had to be alert when Aswad Thomas connected with a low cross from the Sutton left and substitute Adam Coombes, who scored a brilliant free-kick here for Welling last season, smashed a shot wide with his left foot.

Dartford occasionally strung a few passes together, with youngster Alfie Cue showing quick feet in tight spaces on a couple of occasions.

The winning goal arrived 10 minutes from time, Jeffrey Monakana's ball through the Darts defence converted first time by fellow substitute Pape Gueye.

Mfula's only chance of the evening went begging when his flying header from a Noble corner flashed past the near post.

Dartford: Ibrahim, Harris (Habte 86mins), Wood (Fulton 79mins), Bonner, Vint, Brown (Noble 46mins), Hayes (Cue 63mins), Bradbrook (Eweka 86mins), Murphy (Ufuah 79mins), Pugh (Mfula 46mins), Della-Verde (Thorley-Porter 86mins). Sub not used: Coxall.

Sutton: Butler (Al-Droubi 67mins), Amankwaah, Thomas, Collins, Davis (Monakana 67mins), Lafayette (Coombes 56mins), Eastmond (Gueye 73mins), Bailey (Dundas 67mins), Spence, Emmanuel (Wright 56mins), Jeffrey (Cadogan 56mins).

Attendance: 332.