Never mind the quality, points will do as Eastbourne Borough see off St Albans City

Single-goal victories are not actually a part of the game plan – every spectator wants to see a 4-2 thriller, and even miserly managers are happier with a 3-1 than a 1-0. But in real football you have to play the opposition, the conditions, the imponderables like a freak goal or an injury or a marginal refereeing decision. And after a couple of goalless draws, this 1-0 victory over St Albans City was very acceptable.

Indeed, this was Borough’s fourth successive clean sheet: Weston super Mare, Salisbury, Worthing and now St Albans. Add on the 55 minutes since Hornchurch grabbed a goal at the Lane, plus some slices of stoppage time, and Joe Wright’s goal has not been breached for seven hours of football.

That statistic also reflects well on Wright himself – a relatively late recruit in the summer – who has grown impressively into the role. Just in front of him, centre-back Ollie Kensale has also proved a terrific signing.

In Murray’s preferred formation, of three at the back, and with his established policy of playing out from the back, those two positions are key. We all get excited by flying wingers and lethal strikers – but there are eleven guys out there! For every Michelangelo, someone is mixing the paint…

But back to the grey and white of a January afternoon at the ReachTV Stadium. Murray was delighted to give a first start – after an achingly long ACL injury – to creative midfielder Jack Clarke.

The visiting Saints are in some trouble: after a dreadful start to the season, they parted company with manager Mark Noble. His replacement, Ian Culverhouse – formerly of Norwich, Spurs and Brighton and Hove Albion – has inherited a squad of contracted players, and rebuilding is a challenge.

Even so, the Saints did not look a side seven points adrift of safety: they were organised and committed. And if Borough were to avoid yet another Priory Lane stalemate, Murray’s team needed an early goal. Just nine minutes in, the Sports were ahead.

With a notably attack-minded starting eleven, Eastbourne had already begun with purpose and they took the lead with a magnificent goal. Courtney Clarke began the move from the wide right touchline, and he finished it with an emphatic twelve-yard strike after a quick interchange with Alfie Pavey and then a piece of close-control sorcery by Yahya Bamba.

An opening of floodgates? Not this time, for that was as good as it got. Borough did keep up the pace and momentum, but they spurned further chances,

The Saints, meanwhile, looked organised and just a little cagey, but with the lively Ken Charles and seasoned marksman Shaun Jeffers up front, they did stretch the Borough back line more than once. A slick left-wing move set up a chance for James Claridge, who sliced wide from just outside the box. And with the final kick before the break, Charles curled a 20-yard free-kick just over the Borough crossbar.

But otherwise, the first half was noted only for a novelty yellow card for Dom Odusanya – for taking a free-kick too quickly. Referees at set-pieces never have it easy: the sporting equivalent of the harassed schoolteacher trying to marshall the lunch queue. Poor Lewis Sandoe, who actually is among the best and most experienced officials on the circuit, had evidently lost patience…

Could City salvage something after the break?

Well, in spells the visitors had more of the ball, and a few minutes in, Charles struck the post with a scorching angled shot, but that was as close as they came. Meanwhile Borough saw two credible penalty appeals turned down, and the Saints escaped an arguable red card when keeper Michael Johnson pulled down a breaking Borough forward on the halfway line.

Pavey headed wide from a Pierce Bird free-kick, and the Sports had to be content with just that single Courtney Clarke strike. The ReachTV Stadium may see better games this season, but they probably won’t see a better goal.

But in the end it didn’t matter, as time ran out on City.

Three stars? Well, for the tension, just about. City will feel their performance deserved some reward, while the Sports will gratefully bank the three points, and move on up the table.

VIEW FROM THE GAFFER

Adam Murray said: "Probably our worst performance of the season! I hated every minute of it. Our match-winner was a great goal, but from then on, our decision-making, energy and performances were all poor!

"In the last few weeks we have played a thousand times better than that, and not got the win - so we will take that result! I would rather be standing here talking after a win, rather than - as some weeks - talking about how well we played without getting the result!"