Bognor boss Jack Pearce today admitted he will have to beg, steal or borrow reinforcements to reignite his team's league campaign after this damaging defeat last night.

Rocks, with 19 goals in their previous five home games, drew a disappointing blank this time and were defeated by Evren Arkali's 64th-minute strike.

They did not create too much against a muscular and hard-working Sutton side who played the last 12 minutes with ten men after Joff Vansittart was sent off for a professional foul on Luke Nightingale.

Of as much concern to Pearce, however, will have been the way his squad was further depleted by first-half injuries to defender Chris Breach and midfielder Simon Clayton.

Rocks have been walking on thin ice already this season with a small squad and could ill-afford to add to an injury list which already included Michael Birmingham, Richard Hudson, David Wright and goalkeeper Craig Stoner.

Will Packham's arrival on loan from Worthing, who in turn have borrowed Mark Ormerod from Dorchester, does not only mean Bognor are relying on two other clubs to cover for Stoner.

It has also led to the return to Albion of midfielder Darren Budd as the club are only permitted two loan players at one time. Dan Beck is the other loanee, though he was well dealt with by Sutton.

Pearce admitted: "At the moment we've got about 11 players for next Saturday. We will beg, steal and borrow and we will get through but it's not easy.

"I'm very disappointed with the result because over 90 minutes we deserved more than nothing from the game.

"I thought we did more than Sutton to try and score but we made four bad errors leading up to the goal.

"Sutton have got the Indian sign over us. They have had for years."

Pearce's problems piled up within 23 minutes as Breach was forced off with a head injury and his substitute Clayton crocked by a dreadful challenge from Peter Fear.

Hardly surprising then that Sutton controlled the first half, though their careless delivery into the danger area from promising wide positions ensured Packham was not tested too often.

When they did get it right, Bognor's goalkeeper produced a superb save from Vansittart's near-post header following a corner on 18 minutes.

Packham had little chance with the only goal, Arkali directing a crisp half-volley into the bottom corner after a free kick had been cleared to the edge of the box. It was mainly Bognor pressure after that.

Phil Wilson saved well from Matt Russell and later from Beck, who blasted the follow up wildly off target.

The Sutton keeper also reacted sharply to block Beck's fierce free kick after Vansittart, the former Crawley striker operating as an emergency defender, felled Nightingale.

Bognor: Packham; Piper, Rowland, D. Birmingham (Singh 72), Breach (Clayton 10 (Russell 26)), Murphy, Watson, Howell, Beck, Nightingale, Rutherford. Yellow card: Rowland (38, foul)

Sutton: Wilson; Gray, Akuamoah, Arkali, Corbett, Booth, Fear (Brake 61), Vansittart, Watkins (Olusesi 83), Gonsalves, Martin. Subs: Boosey, Ajoge. Yellow card: Fear (23 foul); Martin (73 persistent foul play). Red card: Vansittart (78 professional foul)

*Attendance: 463.