Eastbourne Borough back to free-flowing best to down Dover

The Sports have taken a few games to find their best form as new players slot in, but another large and noisy crowd enjoyed a front-foot performance and some wonderful goals.

For just the second time ever – after Amy Fearn – we had a lady on the whistle at the Lane. Kirsty Dowle has already achieved most things in the game, including taking the Women’s FA Cup Final at Wembley, and this week she is off to Montenegro for a World Cup qualifier. Efficient and unassuming, she was a ten out of ten.

Eastbourne Borough v Dover in 49 pictures.

So often, the referee is at the eye of the storm; but this game was anything but stormy, under Dowle’s sharp eye and immaculate judgement. Even the one really close call, a disallowed Mitch Dickenson goal on the stroke of half-time, was a 60-40 decision and a fair call.

And – at least as importantly – the level of respect for these officials was noticeably higher.

It begs a question, sometimes unspoken: if Nigel Evans can run a Rugby match without a word of dissent from those seventeen-stone prop forwards, if Kader Nouni can take the umpire’s chair, at Eastbourne or Flushing Meadows, with genial booming authority, and if cricket umpires can peaceably stand for hours on village greens – why can football not reel in the dissent, and the compulsion to challenge every throw-in? Food for thought.

But back to the action: Dover – who had never lost to the Sports in a competitive game – were behind after just two minutes. Leone Gravata has added physical presence to his excellent close skills, and he burst between defenders on the Borough left and squeezed a pass to Jake Hutchinson, whose looping cross found Chris Whelpdale on the six-yard line. The Sports playmaker steered his downward header through the legs of veteran keeper Stuart Nelson for 1-0.

The Kent club, after two seasons in free fall, have assembled a squad under Andy Hessentaler with plenty of experience and class, but they looked disjointed and, after that early setback, a little dispirited. Captain Lee Martin – once of Manchester United – earned a 7th minute yellow card for a concrete challenge on James Hammond, who was looking back to his best, breaking up attacks and spraying superb passes from deep, while midfield partner James Vaughan was making smart inroads further forward.

Meanwhile the right-sided pair of Milly Scarlett and Shiloh Remy were a joy to watch: quick, alert, adventurous and with mesmerising close control. It gives a new dimension to Borough’s team play and strategy, and with all the cogs now clicking, Danny’s team are certainly entertaining the punters.

Attendances at the SO Legal Community Stadium are regularly clicking past the 1,000 mark, and Saturday’s crowd of 1,012 was second only to league leaders Ebbsfleet. As ever, there was ample value for money.

The Athletic had briefly threatened with a promising move but a Myles Judd effort that cleared the Mick Green Stand – embarrassingly, the first of three such wayward strikes from the visiting full-back – and then on 24 minutes they were level.

Chike Kandi found his way, a bit too easily, round the back of Borough and his cross was met by the impressive Luke Wanadio with a flying header that sliced in off the left-hand post. Lee Worgan – back to his best in the Sports goal – was cross, and his manager was not amused either.

Just four minutes later, the smiles returned. The home side were turning defence into attack with phenomenal speed – and a nine-second transition from Dickenson at the back, to a Whelpdale header on, set up Hutchinson’s screamer of a finish past Nelson for 2-1. The big striker has been making a strong impact in recent games, and this goal crowned it.

Dover had battled back once, but a second response seemed beyond them. For the rest of the half, a confident home side swept forward with pace and purpose. The imperious Whelpdale found Hutch from halfway, but a slight mis-control allowed Nelson to pounce and prevent a third Borough goal.

Postponed, not prevented. On the stroke of half-time, Dickenson met Kai Innocent’s inswinging corner with a power header, but there had been some argy-bargy in the goalmouth, and Ms Dowle judged Mitch to be the offender, and disallowed the goal.

Two-one, then, as the teams turned around – but less than two minutes from the restart, the lead was doubled. Remy stole possession from a Dover defender and sprinted clear, with Hutchinson racing to keep up and then netting confidently from the winger’s pass. It was football with the handbrake off.

There was now no more than token response from the Lilywhites. Two half-chances ended up in the car park, but the home defence was organised and assured, around the increasingly effective partnership of Dickenson and Alex Wynter. What a signing Alex is proving to be.

There were late tastes of the action for the perpetual-motion man, Simo Mbonkwi, for Brad Barry and for Elliott Romain, who now faces the frustration of a three-match suspension before returning to Ebbsfleet.

Two wins and a draw, then, for Danny’s team as the season gets properly into gear - with eagerness, energy and flair.

Borough: Worgan; Scarlett, Wynter, Dickenson, Innocent; Hammond, Vaughan; Remy (Barry 82), Whelpdale (Mbonkwi 82), Gravata; Hutchinson (Romain 78).

Referee: Kirsty Dowle – can we have her back every week, please!

Att: 1,012 Borough MoM: Jake Hutchinson – two goals and an assist