A 2-2 draw with Weston-Super-Mare left them with half their squad on the long term injury list and two key players facing suspensions.

Scott Ramsay and Allan Tait were on crutches after the game with damaged ankle ligaments while defensive rock Mark Pullan aggravated a groin injury.

All three were substituted in the first half with Weston leading 1-0 at half-time.

Boro fought back superbly after the interval to lead 2-1, but their problems were compounded when Ben Austin and top scorer Andy Atkin received their marching orders to leave the hosts finishing the game with nine men.

The spoiling Weston team ended with no fewer than seven yellow cards.

But it was Borough who suffered numerically and their misery was completed with the news that Lewes had won 3-1 at Cambridge City to take over at the top of Blue Square South, a point ahead of Garry Wilson's men with a game in hand.

Borough had already lost Ramsay (after five minutes) and Pullan (15) when lowly Weston snatched the lead on 18 minutes.

A route one ball saw burly striker Wilfried Domoraud outpace Ballard on the left and fire a superb angled shot into the far corner of the net.

Things looked black when Tait was stretchered off on 44 minutes, but Borough, down to their bare 11 players, upped a gear.

They threw everything at Weston in the remaining six minutes of injury time and Austin's header from Matt Crabb's corner produced an amazing save by keeper Kevin Sawyer, on loan from Gloucester, who was making his debut for the visitors.

Borough continued to surge forward in the second half with Atkin's header from Ballard's long throw coming off the post.

The keeper was in action again as he performed wonders to keep out a Matt Crabb free-kick after Adam Wilde had been brought down on the edge of the area.

Then it was the turn of Austin to hit the bar with a fine header from a Crabb corner.

Weston's Ashan Holgate became the second player to be stretchered off in the 69th minute which meant that both sides had used all their subs.

Still Borough persevered with some excellent football and they were rewarded when Pat Harding turned the ball back from the right for Paul Armstrong to fire into the corner of the net.

Five minutes later it seemed Garry Wilson's men had triumphed magnificently over adversity when Ballard's header from Crabb's corner was partially saved by the keeper and Harding made it 2-1.

But things continued to go wrong for Borough.
In the 86th minute, Austin received his second yellow card after holding onto the ball after a foul had been given.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Domoraud, another loan player from Yeovil Town, reduced the 813 spectators to silence when he netted the Weston equaliser from close range.

But there was still time for even more drama. Atkin clashed with Weston's Ian Herring and his departure left Borough reduced to nine men.

After nine minutes of additional time, the home team were left to reflect on a game in which they had played all the football, ended the match with nine men and were left with a devastating injury list which has shattered their hopes of winning the Blue Square South title.

In addition to the three players substituted, Matt Smart was also limping painfully at the end.

Already ruled out with long term injuries are Nathan Crabb and Robbie Kember, while Neil Jenkins was down with flu.

Manager Wilson's immediate task is to find 11 fit men to face Crawley in the semi-final of the Sussex Senior Cup on Tuesday night.

But the biggest problem is fielding a team capable of maintaining the challenge for Blue Square premier football next season in the remaining five games of the season.

At least there was some good news from Eastbourne Town who won 3-2 at Chipstead which should ensure them of Ryman League Division One South football next season.

A much weakened Eastbourne United AFC team lost their last home game 3-1 to Chichester.

Hailsham's home game with Whitehawk was postponed due to a waterlogged Beaconsfield pitch.

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