Battle-hardened Blake steering Eastbourne Borough ship away from peril
Another full week into the reign of Robbie Blake, another week closer to the final fate of Eastbourne Borough's season - and has anything changed?
Actually, yes. Three valuable points in the locker, and a new mood in the locker room. And a clear sense among supporters that Blake's crew really might steer the HMS Borough off the relegation rocks.
The Sports have notched up two victories in seven days - one of them routine, and the other snatched dramatically against National South relegation rivals.
On Tuesday night at a damp and chilly Priory Lane, Borough finally completed their Sussex Senior Cup quarter-final against County Leaguers Horsham YM - a tie previously postponed or rescheduled three times. A goalless first half was followed by a flood of five goals without reply, and Borough will now face Albion Under-21s in a semi-final at Lancing - date to be announced.
Blake will have been pleased with the result and with the showing of a number of squad players, including promising youngster Zak Tarrant, whose Under-18 form has impressed many observers. But he will have quietly cursed his luck as the Eastbourne squad - not high on numbers - was deprived by serious injury of striker Kingsley Anokye.
Just last Saturday, Kingsley had been catapulted from the bench into a tight physical battle at Hampton and Richmond Borough. And with the game deadlocked at 1-1 and just six minutes to play, the young striker pounced to claim a winning goal.
Borough's noisy travelling supporters - a good hundred of them - roared, sang and drummed with an energy that must have shaken the Tudor foundations of Hampton Court, just along the road. And with good reason.
The simple statistic is that draws will not keep Borough up. The route to survival requires victories on the road - and perhaps, just perhaps, that achingly tight 2-1 result has cleared a kind of roadblock in Borough minds.
And the next leg of the Borough road movie sets off tomorrow (Saturday) when Robbie takes his squad around the motorways to Salisbury - with, needless to say, the coachload of faithful supporters following an hour or so behind.
Salisbury are one of a little clutch of rival clubs who could, just possibly, be overhauled if Blake's battlers keep up their momentum.
Last week we ran through the list of opponents who are scrambling for National South safety: Chippenham, Enfield Town, Farnborough, Bath City, Hampton and Richmond - and just possibly Salisbury. Add in the Borough, and four of those seven clubs will slip through the relegation trapdoor on April 25.
The rivals' results this week gave a glimmer of hope. Several defeats and just a couple of draws - and frankly none of these clubs is anything other than nervous.
So can Blake's Borough really defy the odds?
The six-pointers with the West Country trio of Salisbury, Chippenham and Bath have to produce victories. Draws will not do. But Robbie's lads must also upset the form-book against a couple of promotion-chasers, beginning with next Tuesday's visit of Ebbsfleet to the Connect Management Stadium - swiftly followed by Maidenhead United on Saturday week.
Eastbourne Borough's season is in the hands of a battered but spirited playing squad. And a battle-hardened Gaffer who keeps it simple, believes in his players, and might just pull of that Great Escape.