Darts draw gives Eastbourne Borough much-needed lift – Paxman and Beard give verdict on tough week

At first glance, a single point from two winnable fixtures is a poor return. But on second sight, it may not be quite so negative. Saturday’s defeat, against a lively but not exceptional Terras side, left the Sports – management, team and supporters – as depressive and mournful as the huge banks of damp grey clouds that pillowed over Weymouth’s cavernous ground.

Weymouth v Borough in pictures by Lydia and Nick Redman.

But Tuesday restored a good deal of faith. Borough emerged with a hard-fought point from an eventful 1-1 draw with a very experienced Dartford side. And Mark Beard’s squad – full of late teens and early twenties – showed very real signs that they can add a combative edge to their eagerness and pace.

Eastbourne Boro v Dartford in the Redmans’ pictures.

Successful clubs at National South level almost always have a core of battle-hardened players, many with a decade at semi-professional level and with a dash of Football League experience. They know their way around a division like this.

Beard’s squad, by contrast, is astonishingly young. Missing Alex Finney and with Brad Barry only just easing back to fitness, the side look to goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski, plus defenders Archie Procter and Dan Quick and – above all – to midfield architect Jack Paxman for experience and leadership.

Paxman not only took the captain’s armband against Weymouth and Dartford, but he also produced two performances of sheer class. He is the sort of guy you would trust to ferry you across a fast-running river, or to find the right platform if you’re lost in the Paris Metro. And straight after the final whistle at Weymouth, it was not manager Beard who faced the reporters, but Captain Jack.

“That was the players’ decision,” explained Beard. “It certainly wasn’t the manager hiding away – I’ll talk to anyone anytime. But the players wanted to get a message across to supporters.”

And Paxman’s words were honest and articulate: “We had a game plan, but we didn’t stick to it. Simple as that, and the players have to take responsibility. At two down, we gave ourselves an uphill battle.

“The second half was a little bit better, but we were chasing the game, and we were naïve in some respects – such as giving unnecessary free kicks away. I thought our win at St Albans would be the turning point, the catalyst for our season. People who watch us in training will see the standards we set, and we need to start again and prove ourselves.”

And if the coachload of Borough supporters – plus many others travelling independently – had trekked home glumly from deepest Dorset, they had much more to cheer on Tuesday night, when the Sports took on Dartford.

A chill in the air, a shimmering arena under the Priory Lane lights, and the 1300-strong crowd was gripped by a desperately close contest, a clash of styles, and a contest in the balance until the very last kick. The 1-1 result was about right – but the scoreline alone did not tell the story.

Visitors Dartford, mountainous in several positions and ruthlessly physical all over the field, proved formidable opponents – and for Beard’s team of quick, eager youngsters, this was simply a clash of opposites. And Borough came through the challenge with credit.

The Darts made their mark early, and ruthlessly. In the 21st minute, a scything tackle by defender Joash Nembhard – earning a yellow card but worthy of a red – left Eastbourne’s most potent attacker, Leone Gravata, in a heap and promptly substituted. And a string of heavy challenges followed.

Boys against men? Well, yes in a sense, but the young bloods never stopped running, creating and passing the ball. Their reward came three minutes after half-time, when young Fletcher Holman produced a goal of the season contender. Pinching possession on half-way from a Dartford defender, he raced clear with pace and control, turned the last man inside out, and fired low into the bottom corner.

The Kent side powered back and equalised on 63 minutes through Brandon Braizey’s outstanding solo goal, and so it finished. But Borough’s performance had been several notches above the misfiring Weymouth defeat.

“We knew how Dartford would play, and we needed to adapt,” said manager Beard. “I normally want my teams to be playing pass and move football, but I asked them to do something different tonight, to counter them, and so we were often playing longer and more direct.

“This result is really good for morale. And now on Saturday we can go back closer to our normal game. Slough Town always look to play a passing game, and that suits us. The biggest issue, though, is that we have taken a few more injuries against Dartford. It’s a horrific injury list and I’m running out of players. But we will keep the faith!”