National League South
Priory Lane, Eastbourne
Admission: £13.00
Programme: £2.50
Attendance: 370
With prolonged heavy rain in the south-east falling over the past few days and this morning causing the majority of non league fixtures to be postponed today, particularly at Step 5 and 6, and indeed prevented my planned revisit to Hastings United last night, it was fortunate that I had arranged to take in this game some time ago to meet up with an old work colleague, as Priory Lane's plastic pitch meant that there was no doubt it would go ahead.
After a turbulent autumn, which saw the club in a short term financial crisis, provoking a call for financial help as well as having to let their manager and some of their better players go, Eastbourne Borough came into this game in 17th place in the 22 club Division, following five wins and seven draws from their 20 league games, but had lost their last two league games, 0-2 away at leaders Wealdstone and before that 0-5 at mid table Concord Rangers. Bath were in fifth place, the final play-off position, having won nine and drawn six of their 20 league games. When today's two clubs met in the reverse fixture in mid September, the match finished 2-2.
On a mild but gloomy afternoon, with rain and strong winds arriving just before half time and lingering for the rest of the afternoon, the first half was an even affair, with both sides restricted to half chances without threatening to open the scoring, until the 41st minute, when the hosts opened the scoring thanks to some pretty poor defending. Ian Gayle launched a long high ball from just outside his own penalty area, and after it bounced in the Bath half, defender Dan Ball hesitated in dealing with it, and with the keeper coming out to no man's land at the edge of his area, Greg Luer managed to poke the ball past the keeper and into the empty net. The visitors came close to restoring parity within a couple of minutes, but after the ball was dinked beyond the far post, Adam Mann saw his bundled shot from an angle and under pressure from a defender come back off the near post, and there was still time for Bath to out the ball in the net, following a free kick dinked into the box, headed sideways for Dan Bowry to nod the ball past the keeper's dive and into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
So, a narrow lead for Eastbourne at the break, and the second half was a much more entertaining affair, with both sides looking lively and creating chances, but just as it was looking like Eastbourne would hold on for a precious three points, Bath equalised on 88 minutes with an absolute worldie from Tom Smith who struck the ball first time on the volley from fully 35 yards, and it flew into the top right corner giving the keeper no chance. That was a crushing blow for the home side, but in the end they were to be denied even a point, as Bath got a winner two minutes into added on time, Joe Raynes crossing the ball in from the right wing and Alex Hartridge connected with a glancing header to divert the ball inside the far post and into the net, to send the visiting team and support into ecstacy. It was really harsh on Eastbourne, to go from seeing out the win just a couple of minutes from the end to ending with nothing, and a point probably would have been a fairer outcome from an even match.
Video highlights of this match can be viewed here
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