Eastbourne Borough miss Sussex Senior Cup final spot – but push Brighton U21s all way

Taking on Brighton and Hove Albion's Under-21 side, Steve King's Sports - with a line-up stitched together from a skeleton playing staff - played with improbable cohesion and fluency, and with terrific commitment.

They were beaten by one very early goal and one late breakaway - and, crucially, undermined by the 32nd minute dismissal of centre-back Freddie Carter for a last-man foul. The young defender collected his third red card of the season when Albion striker Adam Brett broke from halfway, and the pursuing Carter tripped him from behind.

By that stage, Borough had winched their way back into a game

which had the worst of starts - a goal conceded after just three minutes - and any neutral spectators would have given little for their chances. In the event, though, the Sports steadied, rallied and ultimately dominated the remaining hour of the tie. But the youthful Seagulls clung on, scored a late second goal, and progressed to next month's Amex final against Three Bridges.

Deprived of several out-of-contract players, Steve King improvised a line-up - including new wide player Owen Bellamy - which made a real contest of this tie, despite conceding an early goal.

Just four minutes were on the clock when Albion's lightning start was rewarded with an opening goal: unpicking the right side of Borough's defence, Kofi Shaw's strike was parried by Jamie Searle but fell kindly for Brett, who drilled in from ten yards.

At that stage, the travelling Eastbourne support must have feared the worst: a goal down, and 86 minutes still to survive! Young Albion were moving the ball swiftly and lethally, and Borough had little possession to work with. But this curious semi-final tie - much postponed amid a tangle of other fixtures, as well as a four-week mid-season break for the Brighton Under-21s - would actually turn into an absorbing contest.

From that slow start, Borough steadied, found their shape, and actually took control. Experienced skipper Harry Phipps, with seasoned midfielders Craig Eastmond and Adam May, led a recovery which may have surprised neutrals and Brighton fans among the modest crowd of 359.

Bellamy raced clear through the inside-right channel but saw his looping shot skim just too high. Then Eastmond slickly released Quevin Castro, whose strike crashed off the Albion crossbar. And on the half-hour Bellamy's right wing cross was met with a thunderous volley by Phipps - but that one too came back off the bar.

This was actually pretty remarkable: a relegated club, after a season of five managers and fifty players, rallying for one final defiant time. But then came the pivotal red card, and even the most diehard of Borough's fans must have feared the worst.

Half-time came and went, and the men in red - with a gale force wind now at their backs - were now dominating.

Men against boys? An unfair cliche, perhaps - but Brighton's youthful side did look quite leaderless against a dominant Eastbourne. Kai Corbett, from a fairly quiet first half, was now eagerly tormenting the Brighton defence, and Albion keeper Seb Jensen did well to keep out Kai's swerving top-corner effort.

At the other end, Jamie Searle had enjoyed a busy first half and was equally commanding now in the second - an impressive night for the genial-giant New Zealander who has sometimes been overlooked among a succession of goalkeeper signings.

But Searle could do little to prevent the 76th minute Adam West strike - from a surprise breakaway - which would seal the Albion victory.

From 2-0 there was to be no dramatic come-back, and Borough had to concede defeat. But the King's Men, from the youthful eagerness of an Archie Taylor, to the solid professionalism of Eastmond and May and Pitblado, will have surprised a fair few neutrals - and will surely have given a glimpse of better fortunes ahead.

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FANS GIVE VERDICT

Nine months older and wiser? After Wednesday's Senior Cup exit, we nailed down two stalwart supporters, Trevor Fuggle and David Bauckham - regularly heard on the Priory Lane tannoy - for their view of the game:

"After the first ten minutes - when we looked liable to lose by a cricket score - we played very well. Possibly we gave Brighton a bit too much respect early one!

"Freddie's red card was really a disaster - playing for an hour with ten men. But then we played with spirit, hit the woodwork three times, Kai Corbett drew that great save by their keeper.

"On the hour Adam May hit a shot wide when it was easier to score! But at the other end Searle made three superb saves. So it could really have gone either way.

"We played with more spirit than in a lot of our league games. Especially in the second half, when we started moving the ball around and Brighton were chasing us! Kai Corbett was seeing so much of the ball and Albion struggled to contain him.

"Our front two - Angol and Castro - were clicking much better in the second half than earlier on. A mix of some pride and some frustration really! We've finished with our heads held high!"

Another season to put in the record books, then - for some of the wrong reasons! But for all proper supporters, they will surely be back for more - and the same, of course applies to Town and United fans. What's that ancient line of footballing wisdom? You don't choose your football club - your football club chooses you!