Sutton United were just seconds away from their first win under Steve Morison until Doncaster were awarded a penalty and equalised.
Currently in one of two relegation spots and seven points adrift, Sutton sit 23rd in the League Two table.
Morison has steadied the ship, amounting four points from his first five games, but wins are necessary if the U’s are to escape the relegation zone.
Behind the scenes, Sutton are working hard to adhere to the tight rules and regulations of the English football league.
However, on the pitch Sutton lack accountability and a willingness to improve.
Morison has been in the hot seat for five games now and is yet to oversee a bad overall performance.
On the other hand, the U’s must iron out a few creases if they want to turn draws into wins.
On Tuesday, the U’s failed to take their chances and conceded a poor goal – leading to their first defeat under Morison.
Whereas this Saturday, it was goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis under the microscope of criticism in particular.
A Bouzanis calamity gave the visitors a late penalty which enabled Rovers an opportunity to draw level at the death.
However, Sutton should have put the game beyond doubt, totalling more shots and possession than Doncaster.
The goalkeeper has struggled to find form during his loan spell, Bouzanis has been poles-apart from the consistent shot-stopper that helped Sutton to the National League title in 2021.
By all means, players are allowed to underperform, but they must identify responsibility to rectify their mistakes and prove their worth to the fanbase & the manager.
How can accountability help?
Sutton have failed to learn from their mistakes since their first defeat of the season, a red-card and late overhaul against Barrow saw them dispose of a lead – losing 2-1.
Morison’s predecessor, Matt Gray, regularly put the defeats down to ‘uncharacteristic mistakes’ before he parted company with the U’s.
But after a while, Gray was proven right, with the U’s walking away from games with less than they deserved.
Moreover, Morison is not afraid to change the team around and maintains his ‘hardened’ persona.
But, many will wonder if there will be a swap in between the sticks, with Bouzanis playing every game since November and his loan from Reading extended.
Steve Arnold, Jack Rose and Matt Kerbey are the other options, with all eyes now on Morison to exercise his goalkeeping options.
Earlier in the season, Sutton’s backline were making repetitive mistakes and conceding an usual amount of goals in comparison to their last two season’s in the EFL.
Yet, there is still more than enough time for the U’s to overturn their fortunes but Morison and his players need to pinpoint the issues, improve their approaches and take responsibility for any dips in quality.
Otherwise, Sutton’s first ever stint in the EFL may come to an extremely abrupt ending.
