Eastbourne 3-2 Eastleigh - McBean kicks off with a debut goal in defeat

EASTBOURNE BOROUGH v EASTLEIGH



TUESDAY 19th FEBRUARY 2008
Blue Square South

Match Report by Ray Murphy

Eastbourne Borough moved to the top of the Blue Square South table over their arch rivals Lewes with this odd goal in five victory over Eastleigh, which also saw Eastleigh slip just outside the play off positions with rivals Bishops Stortford also clinching a victory on the evening.

Manager Ian Baird made four changes from the previous disappointing performance at Sutton. Included in the strike force was loan signing from Sutton United Warren McBean replacing the injured Andy Forbes.

The evening could not have started worse for Eastleigh. Having had the better of the opening two minutes Eastleigh then watched a long kick from Eastbourne goalkeeper Lee Hook fall behind the Eastleigh defence. Warren Goodhind tried to put extra pressure on the ball with a header back to his own keeper David Wilkinson but the ball fell short. Scott Ramsay picked up the ball and saw his first attempt pushed out by Wilkinson but Ramsay recovered to fire home the loose ball and give the home side the lead.

The Eastleigh defence did not look their reassuringly solid look. Luke Byles’ stray pass along the back line on ten minutes arrived at the feet of the dangerous Pat Harding. Harding shot early and was denied by a block save by Wilkinson the ball coming back to Harding who then fired wide.

Eastleigh created a couple of openings, Jamie Brown fired a shot wide on quarter of an hour and three minutes later McBean capitalised on a mistake from Neil Jenkins, but Hook dived low to his left to smother the debutants shot.

Twenty-one minutes and Eastleigh were two goals behind. Harding’s cross from the right was met by a textbook header from Andy Atkin to double the Eastbourne lead. Five minutes later and it appeared that Eastleigh may be on the wrong end of a hiding. Jay Lovett’s free kick was headed back across the goal by Atkin allowing Ramsay to loop a header over Wilkinson for Eastbourne’s third goal.

With thirty-two minutes played Mark Marshall showed some of his electric pace on the right wing, before sending a cross into the box where McBean arrived at the near post to divert the ball past Hook for his first goal in an Eastleigh shirt.

Eastbourne had the better of the opening quarter of an hour of the second period, but from then on in it was all Eastleigh who ended the game highly unlucky not to have earnt a point. Four minutes into the second half, another poor back pass from Goodhind fell again invitingly for Ramsay but Wilkinson was quickly off his line to avert the danger. On the hour an excellent reflex save from Wilkinson stopped Harding from increasing the score.

Eastleigh reduced the scoreline on sixty-five minutes. Adam Everitt’s corner saw Peter Adeniyi flick the ball on for Luke Byles who shot home after having his original effort blocked.

Eastleigh had the better of the rest of the match without really forcing home keeper Hook into much action though coming close several times. As for Eastbourne Wilkinson produced a good stop from Wilkinson and then Matt Crabb got the better of Byles, but again Wilkinson came to the rescue.