Two dropped points show Eastbourne Borough are not at full pace yet
Up and running – but still working up towards full pace. Eastbourne Borough had to settle for a point on the opening day, with a 1-1 draw against visitors Chesham United.
Priory Lane has never seen a busier summer: renovations, new signage, activity on and off the pitch. Daily training for Adam Murray’s large squad of professionals. But there is only so much pre-season that anyone can take, and – as the two teams emerged to a booming We Will Rock You - Matchday One of the new season had finally arrived.
Opponents Chesham United arrived with equal eagerness, at the (freshly named) ReachTV Stadium, off the back of a 90-point title-winning season in the Southern League. And the Generals seamlessly took up where they had left off, strong, organised and swift on the counter.
Ironically, Murray’s options were slightly limited by injuries and suspensions, but he still fielded an exciting-looking side, with striker Alfie Pavey taking the armband. The Sports, losing the toss, found themselves playing towards the River End with a brisk wind at their backs. And later, of course, that stiff wind would be in Borough’s faces during demanding final phase of the match.
Huge throw-ins, respectively from Borough’s Isaac Pitblado and Chesham’s Jack Cawley, were potential lethal weapons at either end, and the visitors’ goal seemed under constant early threat.
But just past the half-hour, a blow for the home side: Michael Klass, who has been – in every sense – central to Borough’s shape and movement, was crocked in midfield, hobbling off to be replaced by Siya Ligendza.
The substitute striker would actually play a useful hour, but they did not quite recapture the Klass perpetual-motion-effect!
As the second half opened, that pesky Priory Lane wind actually failed to deter the Borough front runners, who carved several openings through the Chesham defence. On 55 minutes Pavey found the net from a lovely right-wing cross, but the Lino’s Flag of Doom denied him. But just two minutes later, as if in indignation, an identical move brought a swishing Dan Quick cross, a perfect knockdown from Alfie and a triumphant close range finish from Jayden Davis for 1-0.
It was Borough’s best spell of the afternoon – but that was actually as good as it got. Credit to the Chesham battlers, who kept their heads, kept it simple, and made sure the match was played out in Borough’s half.
After two or three close calls, and with the clock showing 86 minutes, a Chesham corner was only half-cleared, and substitute Nathan Minhas forced his header through a tumble of bodies and into the net for 1-1.
Minhas might indeed have grabbed all three points in stoppage time, racing on to a smart quick throw in, but he lobbed his effort too high. A Chesham victory would have been an impertinence, but their point was well earned.
Two points dropped for the Sports? Well yes, but the journey has only begun, and nobody promised a freewheeling downhill ride. “But we as a group will learn so much from today,” commented the Gaffer, “and we’ll be so much better from the lessons we’ve learned.”