Sutton moved top of the National League with a narrow home victory over relegation-threatened Chester.
Harry Beautyman gave the U's the lead in the 13th minute when he smartly turned his marker to fire into the corner.
Sutton had a goal disallowed 15 minutes later when Byron Harrison's header was ruled out for offside but the forward made up for it just before half-time with a tap-in from a corner.
Chester pulled one back on the hour when James Akintunde won a foul and then got on the end of the resulting free-kick.
However, Ross Stearn's 25-yard shot into the top corner regained Sutton's two-goal cushion 11 minutes from time.
The visitors set up a tense finale when Harry White converted a 87th-minute penalty after Akintunde was upended, but Sutton held on to leapfrog Macclesfield on goal difference.
Cash-strapped Chester were playing their first game since allowing top scorer Ross Hannah to join National League North side Southport on loan for the rest of the season in midweek.
Match report supplied by the Press Association.
