Eastbourne Borough FC
Osborne (90)

Booked:
Kerr, Walker

Booked:
Osborne, Pullan

Borough returned from the long trek to Cumbria empty handed following a disappointing display at Barrow.
After the heady heights of the televised victory over Stevenage Borough the previous week-end…it had been hoped that Borough would take their commitment into the game at Holder Street, but it was not to be.
Marc Pullan came in for Darren Baker….and loanee Lyle Taylor for Allan Tait , with Neil Jenkins returning after suspension.
But hopes dipped as early as the third minute when Barrow’s Carlos Logan sent in a corner from the right. Jason Walker headed towards goal, but the ball was beaten away and David Brown’s headed effort was deemed to have crossed the line, despite the desperate efforts from Lee Hook to retrieve the ball.
Loan again caused problems for the visitors when he whipped in a cross from the left that came back off the corner of the bar.
Borough’s attack was blunted by a stubborn ‘Bluebirds’ defemce…..and on 31 minutes Borough conceded a second goal…due again to poor defending at a corner.
Mark Boyd’s cross was partially cleared, but only to Logan who fired in a tremendous shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner of the net.
Before the end of the half, Logan had again struck the woodwork….whilst Borough’s attempts on goal were ineffective and caused no difficulty.
The second half saw an improved effort from Eastbourne, although…despite considerable possession….chances were few and far between. There was little inspiration from mid-field and any penetration up front was lack-lustre.
In the final minutes, defender Karl Osborne lifted hopes with a thunderous shot from the edge of the area to reduce the arrears and set up a possible fight-back, but almost immediately the ball was gifted to Matt Henney who ran through and shot past the advancing Hook. A miserable end to a disappointing performance.
Manager Garry Wilson commented, “We had plenty of possession, but could not turn it into goals. We defended very poorly at set-pieces and that is not acceptable.”


Words - Mike Spooner