Eastbourne United AFC

A trip to the seaside on a warm Spring afternoon for the thirty-eighth and final game of the season would have been nice. It was already spitting with rain before kick-off and it was constant throughout the game. Neither side would be affected by the outcome as Eastbourne United would finish in seventh and The Lingers had already secured eleventh. With the extension of the season some players had commitments and so it was the first time this eleven had played together and the manager himself brought the bench up to four substitutes. The lads gave a good account of themselves in the first half as evidenced by the shouting from the Eastbourne bench and the agitation between their players. It took a late goal in the first half and a second early in the second half to win it for Eastbourne.

In the opening minute Jay Simpson sent Louis Gates into the box on the right only to have Eastbourne clear the ball and then attack down the left only to deliver a soft shot into the arms of Rafferty Pearce. On 5mins Simpson lines up a free kick midway into their half but plays it short to Josh McArthur Nolan on the left wing. His cross into the box was cleared. A minute later Tom Green played a long ball to Gates to cross into the box where Dennis Asante and Jimmy Williams challenged the keeper but he was able to clear it. Then Williams thought he was through into the box only to see the flag raised. The good opening start continued as a throw put Stephen Hodge into the box on the left but the ball would not sit for a shot.

On the quarter hour Eastbourne pushed forward but the end shot was an easy save for Pearce. On 17mins Hodge was on the end of a free kick into the box but the keeper claimed it. Two minutes later another fine ball from Green down the right to Gates allowed him to cross to Asante in the box. He got his head to the ball but it was deflected behind for a corner. A short corner to Simpson to drive into the box and find Williams but the defence cleared. On 21mins Simpson played a cross field ball into Gates in the box. His shot was blocked and the follow up went behind for a goal kick. Asante was on the end of a long ball on 25mins and battled away to win a corner. The corner was short and low to McArthur Nolan and then flicked on to Williams and deflected behind for….a goal kick!

Eastbourne had an attack down the left on 27mins but this ended with a weak shot wide of the left post. On 34mins a long ball out for Eastbourne was collected by Tyrone Magala-Bryan who was then pushed over but nothing was given. The defence covered well but there was still a final shot that produced a great save from Pearce and Magala-Bryan was back to clear the ball. On 38mins a cross from the right found an Eastbourne head in the box but the ball landed on the roof of the net. Having nearly reached half-time all square, Eastbourne broke the deadlock with a ball down the left that looked suspiciously offside but the linesman was not the quickest and the cross into the box was tucked home for 1-0.

Into the second half on 49mins Asante chased down the ball and laid it on the Simpson but Eastbourne cleared. Eastbourne applied some pressure but the lads were blocking them around the box at the expense of a corner. The referee called a free kick for us when the corner came in. On 54mins Hodge was doing an excellent job covering a long ball and seeing it out for a goal kick. The lads were trying to play it shorter in the second half but were dispossessed and a quick break forward by Eastbourne and cross into the box saw a header loop over Pearce into the net for 2-0. On 61mins Richie Wetton and Jamal Robinson-Davids came on for Asante and Williams. The ball was played forward to Wetton on 62mins who then played in Gates for a cross from the left that was cleared. On 66mins Lucas Sewell came on for Green. Eastbourne nearly had a chance to tie it up as they pressed us as we were playing out from the back on 68mins but the ball was cleared up field. A minute later Hodge was caught on the ball but excellent covering by Magala-Bryan shielded the ball back to Pearce.

On 71mins David Heaton made an excellent tackle on the edge of the box and Magala-Bryan followed up with a last ditch tackle to concede a corner. Heaton headed the corner clear at the expense of another. The corner was over hit and went out beyond the far post. Sewell played a long ball from the right looking for Robinson-Davids on the left edge of the box but it was just too long for him to gather. On 81mins Cameron Sinclair made a saving tackle and won a goal kick. As the final minutes ticked by, Robinson-Davids had the ball on the left edge of the box on 84mins. He cut inside to curl a shot to the far post but there was not enough whip on the ball and it was always going right of the goal. Eastbourne were through with just Sinclair to defend but the shot was saved and Sinclair cleared the rebound for a corner. Nothing came of the corner. Into added time and Eastbourne won a corner. Magala-Bryan put it behind for another corner that was cleared. In the fourth minute of added time a long ball was headed on by Robinson-Davids to Simpson. He played it on the Gates but he could not make an opening for a shot. That was it and it ended 2-0 to the home team on the final game on the grass pitch before a 3G pitch is installed for next season.

A good effort by the lads on a miserable afternoon to end a season that saw the club record its second best SCFL Premier Division finish, match its best performance in the FA Vase and play a record five games in that competition. The league moves on to the play-offs on Tuesday evening as Eastbourne Town host Hassocks and Newhaven visit Crowborough Athletic. Spare a thought for AFC Uckfield Town who were already relegated but had to face a final trip to the champions Steyning Town and where they were beaten 10-1.