Eastbourne Borough's unbeaten run faces double threat

Eastbourne Borough’s remarkable unbeaten run faces a double threat at Priory Lane this weekend – from leaders Wealdstone and from Storm Dennis.
Eastbourne Borough's Ade Gbolahan celebrates his equaliser against Concord Rangers. Picture by Jon RigbyEastbourne Borough's Ade Gbolahan celebrates his equaliser against Concord Rangers. Picture by Jon Rigby
Eastbourne Borough's Ade Gbolahan celebrates his equaliser against Concord Rangers. Picture by Jon Rigby

A huge game is in prospect, with travelling support for the Stones expected to be well into three figures, while Danny Bloor’s Borough have been winning over the fans week by week.

“If there were any sceptics previously, I reckon they are believers now,” Bloor told The Herald this week.

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“We are at one with the supporters, and they recognise commitment and spirit when they see it.

“We’re doing small steps and not vain promises. The result at Weymouth was a tribute to the whole club, players, backroom staff, faithful supporters.

"We now even have the injured players travelling with us and in the dressing room, still feeling part of the team.”

But Dennis the meteorological Menace is expected to hammer the Sussex coast in the second half of Saturday, and Priory Lane will not be spared.

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Never the calmest of venues, with the low-lying coastline barely a mile away, the Sports’ home ground will have suffered at least four Saturday blastings this season.

And those weather-beaten results have been costly.

In August, Oxford City escaped with a point from a 1-1 which that had resembled playing table-tennis on the deck of a North Sea trawler, and then autumn gales also thwarted Borough as freak goals gave a sub-standard Dartford a 2-0 victory.

And more recent home draws with St Albans and Hemel Hempstead might well have been victories on a balmier day. But right now for Bloor’s Borough, every draw is a victory!

And never mind the storm-chasing. This weekend, Wealdstone arrive as rampant title-chasers in National South, with eight wins in the last ten games – including an astonishing 7-0 rout of one of their nearest challengers, Bath City, as well as a much tighter 2-0 victory over Danny Bloor’s Borough.

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Back in November, the Sports’ initial visit to Grosvenor Vale was curtailed by floodlight failure and a maddening postponement.

In the re-staged fixture, on a wet and cold Tuesday night, Wealdstone had to work hard for the points.

The Stones are marginally less successful on the road than on their odd, sloping pitch in front of a raucous home crowd.

Since Christmas they have lost at Slough and, more surprisingly, at Oxford City.

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In the same time span, Bloor’s Borough have been learning how not to lose.

Their last defeat in National South came at Dorking on Boxing Day, and since then they are unbeaten in eight successive league games – although six of those have been drawn, an improbable sequence that continued last Saturday with that thrilling 2-2 at Weymouth, Charlie Walker grabbing a stoppage-time equaliser.

Same again tomorrow?

“No reason why not,” replies Danny. “The weather can be a leveller, and for once it might turn to our advantage – a little bit like those old-time FA Cup ties on thick muddy pitches, where you always looked for the upset.

"But win lose or draw, every player will give his all, and I cannot ask more than that.”

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Recent weeks have seen playing resources stretched and some players deployed out of position, but there is better news.

First-choice keeper Tom Hadler should be in contention for the jersey again after six weeks out, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling may return at full-back, and both Michael West and Kiran Khinda-John could also be available. Only Stephane Bombelenga is definitely ruled out.

And with a following wind, the Sports might just topple the Stones.

Kick-off at Priory Lane is at 3.00pm.