Disbelief: Eastbourne Borough reflect on another one that got away

They had just watched their heroes miss a penalty, spurn a list of chances, and then concede a stoppage-time winner to the Somerset visitors.

A share of the points at 1-1 would have been about right, at the end of an afternoon which swayed back and forth. But so far this season, Borough have proved very expert at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory – and it has become a worrying habit.

Last things first: referee Ben McDonald had indicated six minutes of stoppage, but that timing seemed quite elastic as Weston lined up for their third of three successive free-kicks, all within clear shooting range of the home goal. It was fired into the goalmouth and, amid a chaos of bodies, poked into the net for a 2-1 Weston victory.

Weston were as elated as Eastbourne were deflated: this, even allowing for their own failings, was less than they deserved. The Sports had played inconsistently but had enjoyed several bright spells and created three or four scoring chances in each half.

They had fallen behind just a minute after the break, also from a Seagulls free-kick which was poorly dealt with and scrambled past keeper Ryan Sandford from very close range. Then, lively if a little bit naïve, the home side had produced an energetic response.

The men in red were given a penalty after the hour mark when Pemi Aderoju was fouled inside the area. Aderoju stepped up, but had his shot saved by Harris, with Josh Anifowose firing the rebound over.

Borough continued to dominate and got their reward with just three minutes left. Isaac Pitblado pulled the ball back from the byline to Corbett just inside the area, and his first time strike found the far corner. It was fitting reward for a strong contribution from Corbett: Tommy Widdrington needs a couple more with the same qualities.

Even with only a point to show, a 1-1 draw would have represented definite progress for Borough. But they did not manage to see out the 90 minutes – or rather the ultimate 98...

Disbelief, or belief? The long-suffering Priory Lane regulars shuffled away: the heady and gripping thrills of last season’s play-offs must feel slightly surreal right now. But with two-thirds of the 2025-26 season still to play, and with a new gaffer getting the measure of the task, this Borough chapter still has an awful lot of pages to be written.