‘We march onwards’ – Eastbourne Borough owner Simon Leslie enjoying the ride despite setbacks

Eastbourne Borough in action at Hendon | Picture: Lydia Redman

It’s never dull at Eastbourne Borough – as the past eight days prove.

Those eight days have seen the Sports slide out of the FA Trophy, then battle for a “winning draw” at a sodden Dover Athletic, and appoint a head of recruitment who has worked with Albion, Liverpool and Manchester United.

High and lows? Well, the highs are not yet high enough, but Mark Beard certainly coaxed the best from his injury-plagued squad on Tuesday night, taking a deserved point in a 1-1 draw and showing huge commitment. Three days earlier, a threadbare Borough had looked second-best at Southern League Hendon, losing to two second-half goals.

Hendon v Borough in Lydia and Nick Redman’s pictures.

Action from Borough's draw with Dover | Picture: Nick Redman

Dover v Borough in the Redmans’ pictures.

Beard’s surreal list of current casualties – with literally a whole “alternative team” of thirteen injured players side-lined – meant that the Sports travelled to North London with only young goalkeeper Fin Holter and half-fit defender Michael Olarewaju on the bench.

Borough actually had the better of the first half – including a missed penalty – but they ran out of steam against a buoyant home side and conceded two goals to exit the Trophy and, in that infamous euphemism, concentrate on the league.

But with four or five players easing back to fitness, Beard was able to name a more recognisable eleven at Dover. In awful conditions at the Kent side’s Crabble ground, high above the town, the Sports took the lead before half-time through Zak Emmerson, and they should really have had more goals to show for a fluent, front-foot performance.

But this was no night for showcase football, and the home side equalised just after the break. By the end of the ninety minutes, the exhausted combatants of both clubs settled for a draw.