Eastbourne Borough 4 v 0 Roffey

Tuesday 5th November 2019
Sussex Senior Cup Round Two
Priory Lane, Eastbourne
Admission: £6.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 212

Having not been to a midweek game for a while, I decided I wanted to this week, with a selection of local Sussex Senior Cup ties to choose from this evening. With this being Bonfire Night, I chose a tie that had the potential to produce some fireworks, a real David versus Goliath affair, with four steps in the football pyramid separating the two clubs.

Eastbourne Borough are in the middle of a turbulent time, with a severe (apparently short-term) cash flow issue provoking the club to appeal for financial help from fans and sponsors, as well as having to release manager Lee Bradbury and some of their "star" players. And it is looking like they have got a fight on their hands to avoid relegation from the National League South, currently in 19th place in the 22 team division and only three points clear of the relegation zone. They would be overwhelming favourites this evening though, against opponents who are in their first ever season in senior football, plying their trade four steps below Eastbourne Borough in the football pyramid, in the Southern Combination League Division One. In their ten league games so far this season, Roffey have won two and drawn one of their ten league games, and in the previous round of this competition, Roffey dispatched Billingshurst 8-0. Tonight would be Eastbourne Borough's first game in this season's tournament.

The 12 page programme for this fixture was a much shortened version of their regular publications for league fixtures, but was perfectly adequate, in full colour and printed in full colour, and contained pretty much everything needed to preview the game.

On a chilly evening, although the final score did give a fair reflection of the gulf in quality between the two teams, it far from told the whole story, as the underdogs gave a terrific account of themselves throughout. Eastbourne Borough dominated the first half, but Roffey were well organised and defended well with men behind the ball, quite happy to let Eastbourne have the ball in midfield but setting up solidly around the edge of their area. And although Eastbourne spent most of the half on the attack, with plenty of shots, the vast majority of those shots were off target, although a header did hit the woodwork on 5 minutes. But to Roffey's enormous credit, the scoreline remained goalless at the interval, and then even managed to have a shot target following a quick break.

The deadline was broken soon after the break when on 48 minutes a free kick was curled in from the right wing by Michael West, and Charlie Walker headed the ball over the keeper and into the net. As might be expected, that did open the floodgates somewhat, as Eastbourne were now able to get more shots on target. A minute later, they saw a header cleared off the line, and on 52 minutes they doubled their lead, Nicky Wheeler going on a mazy dribble from the right wing to the edge of the area, before drilling the ball low inside the keeper's near post. And the game was put beyond all doubt on 64 minutes when Eastbourne scored their third, Wheeler again showing some good skill to take his time before chipping the ball from the edge of the area against the underside of the bar, bouncing over the line. And the hosts scored their fourth on 72 minutes when the Roffey keeper could only parry a powerful shot by Wheeler, leaving Walker with a simple header into the net. Although both Walker and Wheeler had chances to complete their hat-tricks, the scoreline remained 4-0 at the final whistle, and so it was Eastbourne Borough who progressed to the next round. It was an evening where everyone seemed like a winner though, with Roffey giving a terrific account of themselves, far from disgraced, and played their part in an entertaining game to watch, as well as no doubt enjoying their visit to a National League club.