Eastbourne Borough held at Slough, so one run ends but another continues

The Sports – as the electronic scoreboard rather gloatingly reminded us – have never won at Arbour Park, and that statistic remained unbroken, but the match and the performance were at least a couple of notches higher than the listless 3-1 Trophy defeat back in December. And the visitors were to be literally inches away from turning Saturday’s draw into a 3-2 victory. More of that later…

Picture special on Slough 2 Eastbourne Boro 2.

With a virtually full squad to choose from – only Steven James and Dom Hutchinson were missing – Danny Bloor lined up James Vaughan alongside James Hammond in midfield, while Jake Elliott got the manager’s nod over Luke Nippard at right back. It certainly made for a formidable bench with plenty of options.

The game had began quite tamely, until alarm bells clanged on 5 minutes, when Slough really should have gone ahead. Playing out from the back took on a new dimension as Lee Worgan rolled a short pass to Hammond, only just in front of the D and surrounded by three opponents. Hammo was dispossessed instantly by Rebels captain Scott Davies, who somehow dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post. Phew.

Bloor wins award but deflects the plaudits.

It is worth adding that Worgan has been a cornerstone of the team that Bloor has built. The seven National South fixtures without Worgs between the posts yielded a meagre five points out of 21 – one win, two draws, five defeats. If he had pulled on the jersey in August, the Sports would arguably now be top of the table.

Meanwhile at Arbour Park, Borough were getting their game together. A majestic sweeping ball from Chris Whelpdale released Greg Luer down the right touchline, but the striker’s final ball was drilled too close to home keeper Jonathan North. Whelpdale himself struck a long shot too high, and then Charlie Walker was caught offside to cut short a promising move: a frustration repeated several times during the afternoon.

But after 17 quite comfortable minutes, the Sports suddenly fell behind to a soft goal. Out on the Rebels’ right, young debutant Archie Anderson accepted a short infield pass, took a couple of paces past a wrong-footed Borough defence, and suddenly found himself in the box – to plant a simple low shot just inside the near post.

It was the first time in a month – since the Dorking game – that the Sports had found themselves behind. But the response was positive. Just on the half-hour, after a couple of moves had been thwarted by offside flags, Borough did spring the high Slough back line twice.

First Whelpdale pounded on to an inch-perfect floated ball from Trent Mahorn, took an expert touch, and planted his left-foot shot past North for the equaliser. The goal lifted Borough’s belief, and just five minutes later they were ahead. A crisp move from Dickenson at the back, through James Vaughan on halfway, and into Walker’s feet. The swiftest of turns by the skipper and a sweetly weighted ball found Charley Kendall. One touch, one strike, and the visitors were 2-1 up.

Wonderful goals – and evidence once again that this Borough side can score against anyone. But within a minute, it took a breathtaking save by Worgan to preserve the lead – stretching to touch Aaron Kuhl’s 25-yarder on to his right-hand post before Mahorn bashed it gratefully to safety.

The fifteen minutes to half-time were unremarkable, although Kendall, through on goal, looked unfortunate to be penalised for a marginal foul on last defender Lee Togwell. In fairness, referee Dale Wootton had a very decent game on the whistle; and that referee was about fifty yards closer to that incident than this reporter…

And so to the second half. A goal up, against dangerous opponents: stick or twist? With Joel Rollinson on for Greg Luer, and Kendall prowling like a hungry leopard, the Sports still had shots in their locker. The back line looked in comfortable control, and Hammond and Vaughan were doing a tidy job in central midfield. The watchwords were clear – manage the game.

In truth, much of the second half proved less than compelling. But there were moments. Just two minutes after the break, a crisp Eastbourne had the home defence looking three ways at once, but finished with a Walker shot bobbling narrowly wide. And on 53 minutes Whelpdale’s arching long pass found Walker on the right, and the skipper’s neat ball in found Rollinson – whose volley cannoned off the right hand post.

Jack Currie then advanced on the left and played in Kendall, but the striker hooked off target under pressure from his marker.

And on 62 minutes, a defining moment: with a midfield interception, Whelpdale raced forward exposing a home defence as thin as a fishing line, and slid a pass to Kendall, who netted assuredly – but the assistant referee had raised the Offside Flag of Doom. Video evidence only suggested a very, very marginal decision.

It proved costly. Borough continued to dominate, and one move of 18 passes ended with a Kendall shot saved by a sprawling North. But crucially, the Rebels were still only one goal adrift – and needed just one chance. As their massively splendid supporters’ flag took its stately march around the far touchline, a deep cross from the right was only half-cleared by the impeded Jack Currie. From just inside the box substitute Kurtis Cumberbatch pounced with a low shot inches inside the left post. And the Rebels’ flag almost took flight.

It had been almost the only credible scoring chance of the second half for the suddenly jubilant home side – and Borough had paid the price of not putting the game to bed.

There were still 20 minutes to regain the lead, but it didn’t happen. One brilliant surging Whelpdale run turned the Slough defence inside out, but Kendall, with only a split second to convert from five yards out, sliced his shot wide. The young man is mortal.

Late midfield substitutes Kai Woollard-Innocent and Jaden Perez could not quite swing the momentum back to Borough – and they finished with an honourable draw, another point towards the play-off cause, and a Good Friday home game with bottom club Welling United. Nothing is certain.

Borough: Worgan; Elliott, Mahorn, Dickenson, Currie; Hammond, Vaughan; Luer (Rollinson 46), Walker (Woollard-Innocent 77), Whelpdale (Perez 83); Kendall. Unused subs: Nippard, Shaw.

Referee: Dale Wootton

Borough MoM: James Hammond – unsung midfield hero