Sutton United boss Paul Doswell admitted he had to laugh at the freak goal that robbed him of three points at Hemel Hempstead, otherwise he would cry.

As the match entered injury time, United were 2-0 ahead, thanks to goals from Tom Bolarinwa and Dan Fitchett, and seemingly home and dry.

However, Michael Richens pulled one back for the hosts, before Hemel keeper Jamie Butler launched a last gasp drop-kick which bounced in the United penalty area and flew past Ross Worner in the top corner.

The 2-2 draw dropped United one place to third in the table, but with leaders Ebbsfleet also drawing, the gap to the top of the National League South table remains 12 points.

Doswell said: “In all my years in football as a manager and a player, I have never seen anything like that goal.

“We were playing in horrendous conditions with gusts of up to 60mph and the keeper’s kick has bounced and literally flown into the top corner.

“It puts Ross [Worner] in the spot because he has been beaten by another keeper, but there is no keeper that would have saved that.”

He added: “The whole ground went ballistic, and we left having to laugh but feeling like we’re sucking on a lemon.

“If you didn’t laugh you would cry, and we still know that a point away from home is a good point, but it should have been all three.”

United face host Margate this weekend, and Doswell is expecting a tough encounter against the team top of the form table.

Margate had been on a bad run which ended with the sacking of boss Terry Brown, and since then, under the tutelage of former United favourite Jamie Stuart, and Nicky Bull, they have lost just once in 11 games.

Doswell said: “It is going to a cracking game. I know Jamie well, and he and Nicky have done an amazing job turning the club around.

“They have been on a great run against some difficult teams [including Ebbsfleet United].”

Doswell will be without Jamie Collins and Craig McAllister, and Nicky Bailey remains a doubt.

Meanwhile, the manager has signed former Port Vale midfielder Ryan Burge until the end of the season subject to international clearance from the Welsh FA.

Video courtesy of SUFCTV