ST ALBANS City’s painful slide into the backwaters of non-league football was hastened on Saturday by Eastbourne Borough as the south coast promotion hopefuls strengthened their bid for a place in the Blue Square Premier with a 4-0 drubbing of Steve Castle’s side at a chilly Priory Lane.
But the outcome looked likely to be so different as the clock ticked towards half time and the match still goalless. With a strong cold wind to their backs for the second period there was an almost outrageous possibility of City causing an upset against a side beaten only twice so far this season in Blue Square South, but not for the first time this season the Saints abysmal lack of discipline cost them any hope of collecting even a single point.
Midfielder James Quilter, who earlier almost scored a freak own goal, challenged for a high ball on the halfway line but was shown a red card after needlessly jabbing an elbow in the face of Borough’s man of the match James Pullan. Referee Ian Crouch had no alternative but to dismiss the City player.
City showed one change from the XI that started against Newport County with James Fisher coming in for his debut after signing the previous day from Northwood, Fisher, who gave a solid display throughout, replaced Jomo Faal-Thomas who is believed to be signing for Wealdstone.
The blustery conditions and piecing low sunset, along with a bobbly pitch, made for difficult conditions but also the monotonous use of the long ball, particularly by the visitors, ensured that this match would not be one to savour.
Eastbourne, befitting a side enjoying an outstanding season, settled the better of the two teams with strikers Scott Ramsay and Andy Atkin proving a real handful, and Pat Harding a was a constant threat wide on the Borough right.
Inside two minutes the out of sorts Paul Hakim gifted possession to Neil Jenkins whose deep cross was collected by Ramsay and driven low into the goalmouth where City scrambled it away for a corner. Four minutes later Ben Martin looked to have shrugged off Atkin only to play a risky back pass to Nick Eyre. The keepers attempted clearance thudded into Atkin but fortunately for City the ball was cleared.
Eyre was soon called upon to make saves from Jenkins and a Matt Crabb free kick but the home side, following an excellent piece of approach work, squandered a clear opportunity with Atkin heading wide after the twice being involved in the build up.
A minute later a cross by Ramsay just eluded Atkin with Eyre moving to his left to gather the ball before it could bounce inside his upright. Persisting with long high balls into the wind, City struggled to make any headway with their first threat coming on the half hour as Ryan Frater and Hakim almost sent Lee Clarke clear only for a defender to intervene and knock the ball against the City skippers legs and out for a goal kick.
Hakim won City’s first corner on 38 minutes but this came to nothing. A cross from the Borough left on 40 minutes by Matt Crabb ought to have been cleared by Quilter but the former Spurs youngster, standing some 12 yards from goal, miscued the ball high and towards his own goal. As the sphere dropped, Eyre tipped it onto the crossbar and then scrambled across his line to grab the falling ball on the goalline in front of Cousins.
That reprieve should have ensured City seeing out the half safely but just over two minutes into added to Quilter made a bigger impression and received the Saints seventh red card of the season. During the second half Clarke amassed his 12th booking of the campaign.
Eastbourne, having beaten Dorchester and Bognor 4-0 and 3-0 in their two previous games, had the ball in the net on 49 minutes through Paul Armstrong but he was called back for offside. But the Borough captain only had to wait until the 55th minute before celebrating his eighth goal of the season as he bundled over the line Ramsay’s knock down from Matt Crabb’s left footed free kick.
A goal down and with confidence draining away City were like a wounded animal with no escape, and Eastbourne were merciless. On the hour the East Sussex side doubled their advantage with the best goal of the game.
Atkin held off Frater and touched the ball onto Ramsay who quickly swept it out to Matt Crabb on the left. Quickly the winger crossed towards the centre of the visitor’s penalty area where the advancing Ramsay sent a fine diving header to Eyre’s left for his 10th league goal of the season.
Two minutes later and Eastbourne received an unexpected helping hand when a Luke Thurlbourne clearance crashed into referee Crouch and rebounded into the penalty area where Eyre had move smartly and bravely to deny Atkin a clear opportunity.
Eyre remained busy and possibly regretted not wearing a cap in the bright sunlight as he flapped poorly at a cross but was back to his competent best when cleanly saving Harding’s firm drive from 30 yards. Midway through the half Hakim produced the Saints only on target shot of the entire match and for a while afterwards the game appeared to be petering out tamely.
Sadly for City it proved not to be the case as Eastbourne turned up the heat with two further strikes in the final ten minutes. On 83 minutes Atkin, Borough’s leading marksman this season, sent a low cross into the heart of the City defence for substitute Nathan Crabb to stab the ball home from close range.
The crestfallen Saints, now without a goal in four successive matches – their worst run for ten years – received a final hammer blow in the 89th minute when Armstrong cut the ball back to Matt Crabb who went down in the box when challenged by Dean Cracknell with Mr Crouch pointing to the spot. Armstrong completed the formalities with the ball going inside Eyre’s right hand post as the keeper headed in the opposite direction.
Deep into added time only good work by Eyre denied Armstrong his hat trick and saved the Saints from conceding their 60th league goal of the season in just 29 matches.
Report by Dave Tavener |
