Eastbourne Borough: We're proud - but physically and mentally drained

Eastbourne Boro held Blackpool for nearly an hour / Picture: Lydia Redman

That sums up the feeling in the Eastbourne Borough camp after a whirlwind week in which they’ve pushed League One Blackpool all the way in a live televised Cup, taken a point from Ebbsfleet in National South – and been challenged by manager Danny Bloor to regard their journey to the first round of football’s greatest knockout competition as something they should be doing every year.

Bloor said after Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Pool he was proud of his team and of the whole club. He said everyone involved could be proud of the way they had put the club and the town on the map.

And, this being Bloor’s first venture into the Cup’s proper rounds, he now has a taste for more.

Dean Cox celebrates his equaliser against Ebbsfleet / Picture: Andy Pelling

He said: “Our club and our players can be very proud of the display we put on against a very good side.

“My aim is to make it not an unusual thing for us to reach the first round proper. We need to be doing it on a regular basis.

“We want to be getting to the first regularly like other non-league clubs do, as we take this club onwards and upwards.”

Borough were straight back into league action two days after the tie, drawing 1-1 at home to Ebbsfleet thanks to Dean Cox’s equaliser.

Speaking after that game, Bloor said: “I could not be more proud of our players.

“Only 48 hours before, we were playing Blackpool in that iconic FA Cup game, and I won’t lie – Sergio (Torres) and I felt that this game would be one step too far.

“We all feel physically and mentally drained, and yet we take a point against an Ebbsfleet side who have one of the biggest budgets in the league – they are full-time.

“It speaks volumes and it shows the amazing set of players that we have.

“The league programme is relentless. We have given all the boys Thursday night off. There are some really tired bodies in that changing room and we need to regroup.

“It’s another massive game on Saturday, here against Braintree Town. I know their early league position, at the foot of the table, might not imply that. But this will be another tough game and we need and want to take all three points.”