‘That performance was too fluffy and too nice’ – Murray reflects on two dropped Eastbourne Borough points

Adam Murray’s Borough had to settle for a point in their season opener last Saturday, taking the lead against Chesham United before their energetic visitors turned up the heat to equalise just four minutes from time. What went wrong?

Well, to snatch one last Olympics metaphor: if this had been a slip at the starting blocks of the 100 metres, the Sports would have waved goodbye to medals. But in a 5000-metre steeplechase, the entire field is no more than a few seconds in front.

Murray, not a man for volcanic explosions, was nonetheless rumbling ominously beneath the surface as he drew breath after a 1-1 draw at the ReachTV Stadium – the freshly sponsored Priory Lane.

“We need to realise that you sometimes have to be horrible to win football matches! That performance was too fluffy and too nice! Credit to Chesham, but they are used to winning, they know how to grind points out, and they did that to us today.

“We knew Chesham would sit in and wait for us to make a mistake. We didn’t execute our game plan, but I know these boys are more than good enough to do that – and will do in the future.

“I don’t say our performances were bad, but they were not strong enough – I’ve seen this a hundred times in my career, it was a typical first game of the season. It’s been seven weeks of pre-season and we’re going to win the league by 100 points, and so on! Now it’s the real war and (metaphorical) fists are flying and we see what everyone’s about.”

The fixtures computer has handed the Sports a tricky start to a season of which so much is expected. Freshly promoted clubs arrive with momentum and eagerness – which can occasionally evaporate by mid-autumn, but not by the middle of August. Chesham United had romped to the Southern League title, and had actually strengthened their squad cannily during the summer.

And tomorrow (Saturday) the Sports must head to Essex to face Hornchurch – the club who parallelled Chesham’s title achievement, topping the Isthmian Premier in 2023-24. The Urchins’ playing squad is full of experienced names – not least legendary striker Femi Akinwande, who has terrorised defences for virtually decades, although now his powerful figure is more often introduced off the bench.

Daryl McMahon, the most cultured midfielder of his generation, is Hornchurch manager, and his assistants Steve Gritt and Jamie Southon have long-standing Sussex and Albion connections.

Murray will be unabashed. He’ll have a game plan, and although a point on the board is always welcome, Borough will be planning for all three. Ironically, in a full-time squad which should have lots of options, the manager will need to fashion an eleven without at least four key players.

Midfield creator Jack Clarke is closing in on full fitness, and striker George Alexander’s ankle is still under treatment. Club captain Brad Barry serves out the second of his three-match suspension, while lightning winger Yahya Bamba rounds off his two-game ban – but is sure to return when the Sports head to Farnborough next Tuesday night.

That latter visit to Spencer Day’s ever-dangerous Farnborough will present another, quite physical test. If manager Murray can steer the boys undefeated around the motorways and through these two chicanes of footballing traffic cones, then the road ahead gets clearer.