Eastbourne Borough 1, Hornchurch 1: Another gripping afternoon at the ReachTV Stadium

Playing into a dazzling low sun, Borough started strongly, and on 12 minutes – with Hornchurch defence sliced apart – home striker Alfie Pavey shot a mile high with the goal gaping. And then Courtney Clarke, who was to enjoy a terrific afternoon in the wide attacking areas, curled a thirty-yarder only just over.

But wouldn’t you know it: on 34 minutes Hornchurch snatched the lead – an open midfield, and a ball through the left channel found Henry Hearn who turned the centre backs inside out to score from ten yards.

The lead, however, lasted just six minutes. Michael Klass squeezed in behind the visitors’ defence, drilled a low ball across the goalmouth, and Pavey converted at the back post. The Sports enjoyed more possession in the phase before half-time, but the scoreline stayed level.

The action was never far from ignition point, and with all to play for, the second half began at pace. Clarke expertly found Brad Barry on a rare excursion into the opposition box, but the Borough skipper shot fiercely past the back post. Then keeper Mason Terry was bailed out by Harry Gibbs’ goalline clearance.

With the Urchins still taking no prisoners, Tom Wraight looked fortunate to escape a red card for his ugly challenge on Klass. And as Borough resumed their almost incessant attacks, Terry simply flung himself left, right and centre in the visitors’ goal.

Twice in the chaotic Hornchurch goalmouth – on 75 minutes and again in stoppage time – Borough claimed that the ball had crossed the goalline, but the officials shied away from contentious decisions, and the visitors rode their luck – and rode off with a point.

THE VIEW FROM THE PRESS BENCH

No complaints on the quality of entertainment – nor actually on the standard of football. The Sports got most things right, and there were several impressive individual performances. It wasn’t even a case of woeful finishing: a front-foot team like Borough are endlessly looking to create chances, and they did so. But Hornchurch keeper Mason Terry was brave, and he truthfully rode his luck, and that’s all part of the game.

Two points dropped – in the context of a closely bunched National South table – will be maddening to Adam Murray, but his forwards really do have a five-goal performance in them very soon. The engine room of the team is functioning better every week, with players understanding their roles. It all looks promising.

THE VIEW FROM THE GAFFER

"The performance, the domination of the game – we had possession, we had territory, we had final-third entries and (penalty) box entries, we had shots. But you have to put the ball in the net! Whether it’s the shot, the final pass, the end product. We should have been three or four up at half-time. In that first half Hornchurch had one shot on target – and scored!

"It’s what happens when you have a very good team. Opponents know, and they come and put the barricades up. In one sense it’s a positive, because people know how good we are! But the players have to rise to that: if clubs come to our place and put eleven men behind the ball, it’s our job to break them down! Actually I felt we did that today, we got into great areas – but that’s why forward players get paid the most! They score the goals that win games.

"So it’s frustration, but with a lot of positives. We said this would our title season! And we’re just four points off the top, with just that final bit of our game to get right."