Eastbourne Town's FA Cup adventure is all too short this year

Mid-August, and fourteen games away from Wembley, and yet this Extra Preliminary Round still carried that familiar tingle of anticipation, for the supporters of both clubs - who turned up in such healthy numbers that the very excellent match programme had sold out by half past two. The Surrey visitors were well represented and cheerily vocal – not that Town’s Pier Pressure chorale is ever knowingly out-sung.

John Lambert’s starting line-up was depleted, with some experienced players unavailable, but the replacements stepped up impressively. Skipper Simon Johnson led by example, Dan Rogers had the defence commandingly organised, and the front of the team was full of eager running.

A cracking game in prospect, then, and within 96 seconds it exploded with a goal for the hosts. Aaron Capon powered through a gaping City defence and cut in from the left. His first strike was bravely parried by keeper Mike McEntaggart, but Aaron kept his head to drill the loose ball home.

One-nil in under two minutes may not have been in the script for the ambitious and well-funded visitors. There must be a quiz category awaiting on BBC’s Pointless for clubs called City who have played in an FA Cup qualifier – and we non-leaguers will have a Pointless answer. The list is even shorter, of course, of clubs who play within a long throw-in of a bowling green, a croquet lawn, an all-weather hockey pitch and a cricket square. The FA Cup is 150 years old this season – and Town have been playing at the Saffrons for 125 of them!

Never mind the history. Games of football are not won in 96 seconds – but the men in yellow and blue should have had this one nailed in the opening twenty minutes. Their forwards plundered gaps in a disorganised City defence, and the lively James Hull – with assists from Ryan Moynes and Jack Samways – forged himself three great chances, but none of them hit the target.

Guildford meanwhile had scarcely had even a sight of the home goal when, from their first corner on 24 minutes, they got a slice of Cup luck. Edson Da Silva’s shot struck Sam Cole from a distance of about three paces: ball to hand or hand to ball? Referee Tom Price decided the latter – although these days the rule seems to be weighted heavily against defenders.

Up stepped Jordan Adeyemi to send Chris Winterton the wrong way from the penalty spot, and City were level. But an indignant Town responded with fresh attacks – and more near misses. Aaron Capon’s curler didn’t quite curl enough , and then Capon himself was tugged back by a defender, but the free-kick was kept out by McEntaggart’s frantic double save.

On 38 minutes Sam Scott pounced on a City defensive error to create himself a glorious chance, but put it over the bar. And – wouldn’t you know it – it was Guildford who snatched the lead, two minutes before the break, with their first effort from open play. Prince Mbengui slotted a gem of a pass through the home defence, and the outstanding Adeyemi fizzed an angled shot past Winterton for 2-1.

All to play for, still, after the break. But this game was changing and swaying as fast as the Saffrons weather – from blazing sun through to blustery winds and, in this second half, absolutely torrential rain from dark, malevolent clouds so low you could reach up and touch them.

But the tie was to turn even more quickly. Two minutes into the second half, Max Oldham cut in from the left, switched feet, and hit a lovely swerving shot with his right for 3-1. And six minutes later, after Edson Da Silva’s strike had left the Town goalpost shuddering, Adeyimi completed a splendid hat-trick with an awesome direct free-kick from 25 yards.

There should have been no way back – but the yellow shirts actually made a game of it. Lambert sent on a couple more of his bright young Under-18s, Tom McDonald catching the eye with some enterprising front-running, and one delicious strike that looped over the keeper but landed just on the top of the net.

And exactly midway through the second half, Eastbourne gave themselves a way back. Snappy passing and a perfect Johnson assist set up Scott for a missile of a strike that found the bottom left corner past McEntaggart’s desperate dive.

So 4-2, and just two minutes later Greig was literally inches away from a repeat. Stepping for a free-kick from exactly the same spot, the Town full-back hammered low to the same corner – but this time the ball struck the post, spun achingly along the goal-line and was saved by a grateful City keeper. If only, if only.

The match ended in a biblical cloudburst – forcing even the Eastbourne valiant cricketers, just on the other side of the fence, to abandon their hardy efforts and race for cover. Did someone say summer of sport? Even the Town Hall clock was murkily hidden behind a drenching grey curtain.

A game of two halves? Four quarters, really: Town started splendidly and finished defiantly, but in those spells before and after half-time, Guildford’s ruthless finishing had put the game beyond the home side.

No FA Cup campaign this year, then for the Town. But keep an eye on Guildford City’s progress – oh, and watch out for that Pointless question….