During my time with the club I cannot recall us taking points off Eastbourne United while often giving them a good game. Last time out we got a thrilling added time 4-3 win at Shoreham while Eastbourne lost by a single goal to runaway leaders Haywards Heath Town and in their previous game had put seven goals past Shoreham. However, the home side at kick off were just a single point ahead of us having had to build a new team this season after attracting the attention of Step 4 sides by getting into the promotion play off final and losing players. We know the feeling although our players stay at Step 5.

Matt Cheeseman and Jeff Duah-Kessie were suspended, Noah Agbinone returned and Louie Erotokritos Staussi got his first start in goal. Action from the whistle as Matt Feeney-Hill got in a shot that was straight at the keeper. Eastbourne then had an attack down the other end that Guyni Nganga ended by clearing their cross and we were just in the first minute. A slight slowing of the pace in the light drizzle but on 8mins Jack McDonnell delivered the ball into the box for Kai Neil-Gray but the offside flag went up. The home side were getting some joy attacking down the right and Noah Agbinone cleared one cross and then next time it was McDonnell on hand in the centre to put the ball out for a throw. Nearly at the twenty minute mark of what was a good game, there was expectation as Conor Wilford – the hat trick hero from Shoreham – lined up a free kick but it was wide of the post. On 22mins Eastbourne were on a break down the left but McDonnell was there to cover and get his body across to protect the ball winning a free kick. A couple of minutes later Reece Jacobs collected the ball on the left wing, cut to shape for a shot towards the top right corner but there was no curl on the ball. The Deven Reid-Solanki was pushing down the right to deliver a lovely ball into Feeney-Hill for a shot that was saved at the expense of a corner that nothing came from.

On 26mins Nganga was on a run down the left, cut back on the edge of the box and kept the ball under some strong challenges. He slid the ball out the Jacobs but in trying to keep it he was adjudged to have fouled. Putting in a good shift on the left, Nganga was on defensive duty to foil Eastbourne and win a free kick by the corner flag. A clear opening from a throw from the right when McDonnell blocked a cross and the rebound fell to an Eastbourne player but he could only shoot wide. On the half hour it was another frustrating offside as Jacobs curled in a good ball from the left to the far post. On 33mins Nganga had to concede a corner on the right but from it Eastbourne could only shoot over the bar. In response Reid-Solanki had a shot from wide on the right but it was straight at the keeper – something we seem to do a lot. From a break by Jacobs, Eastbourne turned it over and were away down the right. Their cross went over to the far post for a shot across our six yard box and behind for a goal kick.

Inside the last ten minutes and Reid-Solanki did excellent work on the right to get into the box and shoot across the goal but it went past the far post. It was Reid-Solanki again making a great turn on the right and then winning a throw. Then it was McDonnell winning the ball back and playing in Reid-Solanki inside the six yard box but he could not turn it home. The missed chances were costly as on 40mins Eastbourne attacked down the right and got the break of ball as it was put into the roof of the net from the edge of the six yard box. The home team had one further chance as from a useful break down the left, the ball was laid back but the shot went out of the ground. Half time and an even half but we failed to take our chances while the home side tucked one of theirs away.

Five minutes into the second half and Jacobs was on the end of a free kick on the left and into the box but the keeper came to gather the ball. On 52mins Eastbourne were camped around our box but we were defending really well and then McDonnell put the ball in touch. It looked like Neil-Gray was through on goal only to be called offside once again. Agbinone covered well on the byline at the expense of a corner that Eastbourne headed beyond the far post. Another opening for us just short of the hour as a ball across from the right found Jacobs and he cut in but could not keep his shot down. On 65mins from our free kick from the right, a solid punch out by their keeper set them on the attack but the lads covered well, blocked their progress and cleared. A string of changes as on 68mins Levi Phillips replaced Jacobs; Bailey Neil-Gray replaced McDonnell on 75mins; and finally Reese Cartwright replaced Feeney-Hill on 78mins.

Into the last ten minutes and from a free kick in the centre Eastbourne shot wide of the left post. Two minutes later Reid-Solanki on the right fired in a shot that was deflected behind, just missing the right post. Good teamwork with five minutes to go as Bailey Neil-Gray slowed down an Eastbourne break and had Reid-Solanki on hand to tidy up. With three minutes to go and Eastbourne were holding the ball in the corner to run the clock down and then they had a final break of the game but the shot was across the goal and past the post. After three added minutes it ended up as a 1-0 win for Eastbourne.

It will be interesting to see where our teams are in the table when Eastbourne United come to visit us in February as we are both developing our sides. Eastbourne have moved up to twelfth while we remain in seventeenth place although we have now played three games more than Seaford Town who sit a point behind us and two games more than Crawley Down Gatwick who are above us only on goal difference. There is a limited league programme next Saturday as it is FA Vase day but in amongst the cup games Seaford Town host Crawley Down Gatwick and then during the following week Seaford Town travel to Little Common so we could be in a different place in the table when we set out for our long trip to fifth placed Pagham.

Our hosts commented on how well we played and after the frenetic game at Shoreham this was a good team performance and evidence that things are coming together. Two areas to improve on are being caught offside too often and to improve our finishing as we are creating chances and had we taken just one here would have given us a deserved draw. Hopefully these can be worked on in training given we have Saturday spare.