Eastbourne Borough maintain unbeaten start with battling display

It was an absorbing contest with Borough’s overall performance lacking the intensity of that superb win over Welling. There were times when their defence looked fragile and both sides were guilty of giving the ball away too often.

Eastbourne Borough v Truro City - picture slideshow

Maybe it all seemed too easy before the start. Cash-strapped Truro arrived in Eastbournehaving conceded five goals in their opening two games and with manager Lee Hodges and his assistant Chris Todd having resigned in mid-week.

Home fans licked-their pre-match lips in glorious anticipation – but forgetting that the only certainty in football is its uncertainty- and when Truro took the lead in the 19th minute with a fine effort from the speedy Tyler Harvey, there was a sense of shock among disbelieving home fans. It was the first goal Borough had conceded in 139 minutes of play.

But the White Tigers’ lead lasted only four minutes, a perfect Dean Cox cross from the left being glanced home by the head of Charlie Walker.

Back came Truro and when Harry Ransom was harshly judged to have fouled Jon-Paul Pittman five minutes before the interval,, the same player got up and coolly converted the penalty.

Borough came out with all guns blazing in the second half and another splendid Cox cross was headed wide by Walker. Yemi Odubade came off the bench to add to the momentum and when Cox went down in the area there were loud shouts for a penalty that were ignored by ref Jack Packman.

David Martin headed wide from six yards, but it was Borough hearts that skipped a beat in the 75th minute when Ransom’s miscued header let Harvey through, but the Truro striker chose to pass when a shot from close range would have been the better option.

Borough kept plugging away and deservedly levelled in the 83rd minute when a superb lay-off from the always busy Lloyd Dawes - who had earlier hit the post - enabled Mike West to fire ferociously into the far corner of the net.

Keeper Mark Smith did well to punch away a wickedly curling effort from Jamie Richards, following a rare bad ball from Cox, but at the end of the day, a draw was a fair result as Borough found themselves a very respectable ninth place in the table.

Borough: Smith, Day, Gardiner, Ransom, Campbell, Cox, Torres (West 69), Wills, Hall (Martin 57), Dawes, Walker (Odubade 63). Unused subs: Pollard, Briggs.

Truro: Harvey, Thompson, Bignot, Palmer, Richards, Riley-Lowe, Smallcombe, Hartridge, Richards (Keats 70), Harvey (Rooney 80), Pittman (Lewington 70). Unused subs: Palfrey, Kopp.

Referee: Jack Packman.

MoM: Lloyd: Dawes: his speed and ball control a constant threat to the Truro defence.

Att: 512.