Priory Lane faithful are restless as Eastbourne Borough’s wait for a league win drags on

The Sports remain winless from nine National South starts, and after last Saturday’s goalless – and featureless – draw with second-bottom Salisbury, patience and goodwill are wearing thin. A loud chorus of booing greeted the final whistle, and within hours, a cascade of criticism was flooding social media.

We usually offer a pretty detailed match report after Borough’s first-team games, but this meeting of two equally mediocre teams was as eventful as a couple of hours on the deck of a fogbound Newhaven-Dieppe ferry.

In fairness, we were treated to a string of near misses, none closer than the 81st-minute George Alexander flick which beat a flailing keeper, struck the inside of the right-hand post, and somehow defied the laws of physics by spinning out of goal instead of into a gaping net. But that very moment of frustration was a freeze-frame of Eastbourne’s wretched afternoon.

The previous 80 minutes, and the ten that followed, had witnessed no lack of effort or indeed energy, but in the sixth tier of English football, from full-time professionals, we are entitled to expect more. Visitors Salisbury – after their own feeble start to 2025-26 – will have travelled home quite happy, although the early phases of the game had seen them on top.

Twice the woodwork rescued Borough from slipping a goal behind, before the home side winched their way into the contest and, in fairness, made some impact up front through the pounding hunger of striker Pemi Aderoju and the canny touch of Arthur Grout in midfield. And the Sports are welding a solid back four around Freddie Carter and impressive newcomer Laiith Fairlie.

But the supporters’ concerns are more fundamental – the style of play. These days, partly due to televised match analysis, spectators are no longer mere spectators. We are armchair pundits and terrace experts: and Priory Lane has its share. Is that lad an eight or a ten, they will muse? How do you beat the high press, they will ponder?

When you’re winning, the terrace wisdom is all good fun. Hit a losing streak, or a barren scoring patch, and it turns to frustration and even to anger. For Borough supporters – both old comrades and newer converts to non-league – there is genuine disquiet at Matt Gray’s long-ball game.

The Gaffer loves long balls, flying wingers, lethal crosses. He has said so, and he has used those tactics to good effect at previous clubs. But so far this season, the style has brought little success and few goals.

At worst, it is one-dimensional and relatively simple for opponents to deal with. And as a spectator sport, it really does not match the alternative pass-and-move style that plays through midfield, turns opponents, unpicks locks.

The paying punters might still be convinced, if Borough can rattle up some four-goal victories, but meanwhile the patience is wearing thin. Owner Simon Leslie and his CEO Alan Williams shut the door on the world for a while after Saturday’s 0-0 against Salisbury, no doubt pondering their next strategic move.

Meanwhile Gray – an utterly decent and honest manager – faced the media. “Very frustrated. In the first half we faced a quite strong wind but we created a couple of good chances, and we went in at half-time pleased. We came out expecting to impose ourselves, but we didn’t really do that in the first 15-20 minutes. Then we got stronger and in the last 20 to 25 minutes we created four golden chances.

“It’s not for the want of creating. The problem clearly is at the top end of the pitch and we have to take our chances. We finished the game with three strikers up front.

“These are still early days and we’ve had to rebuild a squad, from just eight players left from last season. It’s not for want of trying – I can’t tell you how hard I’ve been working this week to get another top striker in. But we didn’t get it over the line. We have spent all week on the training pitch, on attacking play. We just need to turn those chances into goals!”

Supporters, though, are speaking pretty much with one voice. Whether Old Guard or Pink Army, they are not enjoying this season’s ride.