Eastbourne Borough blow away Weston-super-Mare to open up favourable National South play-off route

In dazzling Priory Lane sunshine and in front of 2,754 fans, the Sports dominated from start to finish with sublime football played at terrifying pace, and it was to the visitors’ credit that they were not completely blown away – especially after losing skipper Emlyn Lewis to a red card for a 12th minute last-man foul on Alfie Pavey.

Borough knew early on that Truro were winning so the title was out of reach but that did not flummox them. With Yahaya Bamba rampant on the left and Jayden Davis dancing on the other flank, Borough repeatedly stretched the visitors’ defence, and they took the lead on 28 minutes, with an absolute missile of a strike into the top left corner by Kai Innocent.

Seven minutes later the lead was doubled, when Freddie Carter hung up a dipping diagonal ball, met with perfect timing by the outstanding Jack Clarke for 2-0. Weston worked really hard, but the Somerset Seagulls looked as vulnerable as sandcastles on an incoming tide, as wave after wave of red shirts poured forward.

That said, the Eastbourne lead should absolutely have been halved when a Weston breakaway played in Louis Britton, and slightly off balance but with the goal at his mercy, the striker’s effort soared ober the bar and into the car park.

The second half brought more of the same: samba in the sunshine by Eastbourne in front of a 2,754 crowd, but just one more goal. The excellent Jason Adigun combined sweetly with Pavey, who laid back neatly for Camron Gbadebo’s power header to make it 3-0.

It was now fun in the sun for a Sports side whose victory was total, and totally earned. Unbeaten in the league all season at The ReachTV Stadium, there was a sense of elation, celebration and just the tiniest hint of pinch-me disbelief, as fans from age eight to 80 danced in the sunshine.

Well, the 80-year-olds may have opted out of the terrace conga, but they knew what they knew. A modest club – sometimes labelled “everyone’s favourite opponents” after 15 seasons of admirable mid-table survival – is now a football club reborn.

Gallant Weston never stopped running, and amid a clutch of late substitutions they ensured that the final scoreline stayed respectable. But Borough are in the form of their lives, and they will enter the play-offs with glee.

What next? Adam Murray will no doubt permit his squad what Winston Churchill, 80 years ago, called “a brief period of rejoicing” – and Borough do have the blessing of a clear midweek, while the clubs just below them summon their strength for the midweek eliminators.

On Tuesday, Boreham Wood and Dorking Wanderers will face off for the right to travel to Torquay United next Saturday. And on Wednesday evening, Worthing will welcome Maidstone United for a reprise of last season’s play-off clash. The victors at Woodside Road will then be the visitors at Priory Lane – next Sunday, May 4, kick-off 3pm.

If Borough can win that next game, they will face the “other half” victors a fortnight later – the weekend of 17-18 May, the match delayed so it does not clash with the FA Trophy final. Home advantage goes to the club which finished higher in the final league table.

Borough (3-1-4-2): Wright; Gbadebo, Kensdale, Carter (Diarra 84); Barry; Adigun, Clarke (Klass 84), Innocent, Davis (Sesay 84); Bamba (Ligendza 75), Pavey (Shamalo 84). Star man: Jack Clarke (Eastbourne Borough)