National League South play-off spot confirmed for Eastbourne Borough

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Eastbourne Borough will contest the end-of-season playoffs in National South - for the first time since 2009. The Sports' place was confirmed without them kicking a ball on Saturday, because of other results.

Clubs from second to seventh place will do battle for a promotion place - alongside the division's champions, who go up automatically.

Borough currently sit in sixth slot - respectively seven points and eight points clear of Havant and Chippenham Town. But with just nine points still to play for, the Hawks and the Bluebirds face each other on the final day of the season - Saturday 8th May - and at least one club will drop points.

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Not that manager Danny Bloor - who has always remained low-key over his side's prospects - will be cracking any champagne at this stage. "All we have done is to take the field each week and play the opponents in front of us. Other people can do the maths if they wish, but we have won no honours yet. We will prepare as absolutely normal for our remaining three fixtures, and then see who we may face.

There have been plenty of scenes like this at Priory Lane this season - and they've put Eastbourne Borough in the play-offs / Picture: Andy PellingThere have been plenty of scenes like this at Priory Lane this season - and they've put Eastbourne Borough in the play-offs / Picture: Andy Pelling
There have been plenty of scenes like this at Priory Lane this season - and they've put Eastbourne Borough in the play-offs / Picture: Andy Pelling

"As it happens, our three games are absolute crackers. This Saturday we entertain Billericay Town - managed by an old Sports favourite Dan Brown, and they will be busting a gut for the three points to get off the bottom of the table. We are the only local football on offer next Saturday, and I'm sure the Lane will again be filled to the rafters!

"Then we're off to Tonbridge, a tough local derby, on the Holiday Monday, and we face third-placed Dartford at home on the final day. Whatever the final results, I could not be prouder of my players. We don't have to prove anything, we will just see where the journey now takes us."

That journey might see the Sports heading along the M40 on Wednesday 11th May. While nothing is set in stone, the likeliest final placings could see Borough and Oxford City occupying fifth and sixth slots and facing each other - with the higher placed club at home. The winners of that tie would travel on Saturday 14th to the second-placed club, probably Maidstone or Dorking Wanderers. And then on to a final play-off showdown on 21st May, for that coveted National League place.

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Whatever the outcome, Danny's players will look back with either quiet pride or barmy celebration. And a season which began, way back last August with a catastrophic 5-0 home defeat to Hampton and Richmond Borough, will have been quite a ride.

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