Eastbourne Borough boxing clever ahead of break from action

The Sports find themselves without a game on Saturday because their scheduled opponents Torquay United are in FA Cup action.

After their usual Wednesday morning training session, Beard took his first team squad downtown for a session at Eastbourne Boxing Club. “It’s always useful to build in some variation into the players’ routines! We owe a big thank you to all the officials down there for hosting us. I know our two clubs enjoy a great relationship already.”

64 photos from Eastbourne Boro’s excellent win at St Albans.

And sources indicate that no players were harmed in the afternoon’s sparring! But there was method in the manager’s thinking. “Footballers week by week have their heads filled with the tactics and match preparation, and sometimes even over-information. We do have to keep the fitness up as well, but a little bit of variation in the routine is very welcome too.”

It is understood that Borough looked briefly at slotting in a re-arranged fixture, but Beard is happy with a blank Saturday. “It gives the players the chance of a weekend with the family, and it also gives some useful time for players on the injury list to recuperate and work back to fitness. Then back to it next week, with a tough schedule and a lot of Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday weeks in October and November.”

Gloves off then, Mark: are you still floating on that terrific result last Saturday, when the Sports came from behind to beat St Albans City 3-2? “Ha – we specifically told them that we mustn’t dine out on it. We did enjoy Saturday and we celebrated with the travelling fans after the game.

“We can enjoy the moment, but then we build on it. I knew a performance like that was coming, but the consistency is just as important. We are putting a bit of a run together.”

And Mark is delighted to be slotting what look like the final pieces into the jigsaw: a potent strike force. After several frustrating games when his lively young team did everything but put the ball in the net, the manager has brought in two front men who can make the crucial difference.

First, nineteen-year-old Zak Emmerson – an Albion professional – was tempted back to the South Coast from his projected loan season at Blackpool. And then, with the St Albans trip looming, Beard brought in highly-rated striker Callum Kealy. The Aussie, who impressed last season at Worthing, had headed west to Havant and Waterlooville. But Hawks’ new manager Steve King – who has his own rebuilding to do – agreed the deal that brings Kealy to Priory Lane on a two-year contract.

Speaking to the Herald this week, Beard was purring. “Callum may not score twenty goals in the season – it might be only fifteen! But what he does is to bring other forwards into the game, with his strength and hold-up play. We saw that with two of Emmerson’s three goals at St Albans, where Kealy got the ball played into his feet and drew defenders to him.

“I knew what Zak could do and I trusted him. I know what Callum can do, he’ll get goals and he’ll make goals!”