Painter calmly slotted past home ‘keeper Simon Lockwood in the 21st minute to pull United level but it proved to be a fruitless afternoon for Tobi Hutchinson’s men in West Sussex.
Injury, suspension and unavailability hit Hutchinson hard with six changes to the side that overcame Hailsham Town in midweek with Liam Baitup, Zak Dove, Brad Manton, Noir Gordon, Dean Stevens all absent while Callum Christie replaced James Broadbent in goal.
Alex Read made his first start in central defence while Dave Smart, Pete Cooper, Toby Clifford and Painter all earned recalls to the starting XI.
Cooper saw an early effort from range comfortably gathered by Simon Lockwood in the YM goal while Christie was equal to a Luke Gedling free kick as the game started in cagey fashion.
An inch perfect tackle from Jamie Bunn denied Dave Brown when clean through on Christie, but with quarter of an hour played YM took the lead. A right wing cross from Dean Wright was met by the head of Ashley Dugdale who beat Adam Davidson to the ball as he headed into the far corner of Christie’s goal.
United rallied in the immediate aftermath to the goal and found themselves level on 21 minutes as Bunn’s effort from the edge of the area deflected into the path of Painter, who showed great composure to slot home his first goal for the club.
Cooper saw a header following a Dave Smart free kick well smothered by Lockwood under pressure from Clifford, before the post denied Dugdale his second of the afternoon.
YM were reduced to ten men with under 30 minutes played as Dean Carden raised his hand in the direction of Clifford, and after consultation with his assistant, the match official gave Carden his marching orders.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, it was YM who came closest to taking the lead but Christie produced a superb double save, first pushing a free kick from Brown onto the post before making a point blank reaction save to thwart Sam Schaaf.
Christie was unable to repeat his heroics little over two minutes later as the home side regained the lead when Wright was allowed too much time and space as he fired across Christie.
United were forced into a substitution at the break, with Christie succumbing to an ankle injury and replaced by James Broadbent.
Broadbent was forced into an early save as he denied a fizzing effort from Brown but he was helpless for YM’s third of the afternoon.
Smart was penalised for what appeared to be a soft looking free kick 20 yards from goal that was comprehensively despatched into the far corner by Brown.
Chances were at a premium for United, with their best effort falling to Cooper but he could only lift over from 25 yards.
Soon after, United conceded again as substitute Luke Donaldson struck at the second attempt after seeing his initial effort saved by Broadbent, before looping a header over the replacement United ‘keeper.
United refused to give up and debutant Kane O’Callaghan’s deep cross was met by the head of Smart, but his effort just cleared the crossbar.
Broadbent was by far the busier of the two ‘keepers and produced a fingertip stop to deny Schaaf from extending the scoreline, but in time added on Broadbent was left stranded as Schaaf finished from close range as United endured an afternoon to forget in West Sussex.