Eastbourne Borough yield another three points in defeat to Horsham

Borough’s support base is a true mix, from wizened old Langney Sports veterans to eager new converts to the passions of non-League – but there was a common mood of gloom across that spectrum, as the fans trooped away from Horsham’s stadium into a cold, wet and very dark night.

Matt Gray’s new Borough may, in fairness, be regarded as a work in progress – but it is clearly an uphill climb and the top of the mountain, or the National South table, is scarcely even in sight. This was an Eastbourne performance without cohesion or fluency, and with very little attacking threat.

In some ways, the defeat was no surprise. If you pitch a buoyant and tightly knit team, fresh from winning the Isthmian Premier title, against a floundering team with low morale and little cohesion, you have a nailed-on home win. The Horsham faithful are just loving life, and 1200 of them – including, in fairness, a hundred or more from Eastbourne – turned the tight stadium into a fearsome arena.

The Sports had slightly the better of the opening phase, Josh Anifowose’s shot grazing the Horsham crossbar and then Arthur Grout’s run behind the very high Horsham defensive line halted by an offside flag. The Hornets responded with Charlie Hester-Cook’s range-finder, gathered by Borough keeper Ryan Sandford at the left-hand post.

But this was still rather a phoney war – with not even a foul awarded until the 29th minute, under Tom Ellsmore’s benign and intelligent refereeing. The lively Leone Gravata, once a Langney lad and now on loan at Horsham from York City, finally drew a free-kick for the home side, but it failed to trouble Sandford.

Half-time came and went, with drizzle now setting in across the Horsham patch, and the Hornets were getting on top. On 53 minutes came a major turning point. An inswinging corner from the Horsham right curled its way to the Borough back post, where home centre-back Jack Brivio was credited with a touch into the net – despite half a dozen Borough bodies in the goal area. Delight for Horsham, but an awful goal to concede.

There was, in fairness, energy and purpose in Eastbourne’s response – and all the more painful to then concede again within minutes. They piled bodies forward for a corner, but had left the back door open: Gravata won a tussle on the edge of the box and released Jake Elliott into a vast and empty midfield. The former Borough defender – who actually scored one of the Sports’ greatest ever goals, to defeat Dorking Wanderers under floodlights at the Lane in 2022 – found himself charging forward with Meekums sprinting in support against a single defender. A diagonal pass, a drilled finish, and Horsham had doubled the lead.

Borough still had nearly half an hour to rescue the game, but it never looked likely. Substitutions came and went, and just five minute remained when the Sports came close to halving the deficit – Mo Sagaf, who had worked tirelessly and intelligently throughout, spun his slightly miscued shot against the right-hand post and away to safety.

And that was that. No quibbles with the result, with West Sussex fully deserving the bragging rights over East. But many questions, needing urgent answers, for the Borough management and hierarchy.

Matt Gray cuts a wise and affable figure, and has the sort of broad footballing experience which really does not speak of panic. He has been hindered by injuries, and by the lack of time to weld some very promising players into a cohesive team. Supporters have persistently questioned the club’s recruitment, after the dissolution of Adam Murray’s 2024-25 title-chasing squad.

Next April, thirty-nine league games from now, we may be looking back and wondering what the panic was all about. But for now, bottom of the table and winless in seven National South matches, Borough need strong nerves, clear heads, and some honest assessment of the situation.