Blackpool tie is history - but Eastbourne pass their Ebbsfleet test

Goalless until the last 20 minutes, the game burst alight with a controversial Ebbsfleet opener, Alfie Egan breaking away to score following an apparent midfield foul. But within three minutes the Sports were level through an opportunist Dean Cox strike.

Even with much less at stake than in the high-profile FA Cup tie, the game was keenly – often fiercely – contested and on the balance of play, the final score was about right.

The Fleet, newly relegated from the National League, have reshaped impressively under German manager Dennis Kutrieb, and their strong and experienced line-up included former Sports Mike West and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, with goalkeeper Tom Hadler on the bench – kept out by another previous Borough loanee, Jordan Holmes.

Eastbourne Borough delighted at Blackpool gesture.

Danny Bloor’s line-up saw just one change from the Blackpool game, Charley Kendall starting up front while Cox took a brief breather on the bench.

In a bright opening, there were glimpses of goal at either end, with Kendall correctly ruled offside as he netted from a deflected Charlie Walker shot, and then Franco Ravizzoli keeping out a low shot from Bobby-Joe Taylor. It was the first of several excellent saves by the Borough keeper, who has been in commanding form this season.

Then the play settled into a pattern, Ebbsfleet enjoying slightly more of the possession but Borough working hard to keep their passing game at bay. Franco did well to deny first Rakish Bingham and then skipper Lee Martin, while at the other end Mitch Dickenson’s header was just off target from a corner.

Boro v Blackpool picture special.

Meanwhile Danny Bloor was forced into an early substitution, Chris Whelpdale lasting just 17 minutes with his nagging muscle injury. His replacement Joel Rollinson brought a lively injection of pace in his best game yet.

But the contest itself was still a phoney war, with both sides probing but making few inroads. Spoiling fouls were persistently breaking up the game, and referee Alex Blake already had his hands quite full. A goalless first half left us all hoping for better action after the break.

A rare windless night at the Lane had seen early-evening fog rolling in over the North Stand and threatening to settle like some great ghostly duvet. For those old enough to recall 1950s B-movies, we just needed Michael Rennie to step down and declare this to be The Day The Match Stood Still. But it cleared to just a wispy mist, replaced by half-time with a curtain of drizzle, glistening in the floodlights.

Charley Kendall sliced wide from a promising position, but then for a few minutes neither goal was seriously threatened – but then Adam Mekki shimmied infield and released an arrow of a shot from the right, arching just inside the far post – until Ravizzoli stretched to pull off the save of the night, if not of the season, with his fingertips. Fabulous stuff.

Still the teams probed for an opening, and prodded at each other’s tempers, until the deadlock was suddenly and dramatically broken on 76 minutes. For a free-kick ten yards inside the Fleet half, both Borough centre-backs were sent forward, but the set-piece broke down and the ball came back to James Ferry, who seemed to be ambushed from behind by Jack Paxman.

But referee Blake, who was now awarding his decisions on a rota basis, gave Paxman the benefit, and in an instant, five Fleet players were flooding forward against three home defenders. Paxman switched the ball to Egan, who drilled in an excellent finish past Franco’s left hand.

The Borough dial of emotions raced up through disbelief to incandescence. With their energies channelled to righting the evident injustice, they powered back into the attack – and in no time at all they were level. Cox’s free kick was fetched by Joel Rollinson and clipped back into a chaotic penalty area, where Greg Luer smartly set up Cox for a looping but lethal strike that spun into the net off the back post.

It was the least that the Sports deserved. Amid the celebrations, coach Ben Austin offered Mr Blake his candid opinion on the refereeing decisions that had gone before. Mr Blake flourished an instant red card, and the former Borough skipper was despatched from the dug-out.

It can be a tough gig, refereeing. It calls for instant decisions, fine judgement on all the 60-40 moments of a combative game, and astute management of the players. If one of those players has a poor game, he either hides or he is subbed off. If the man (or woman) in black has a poor game, there is nowhere to hide.

Thankfully, the final minutes were a bit less volatile, although the Fleet did cop three more yellow cards as they resorted to any means of preventing an Eastbourne winner. After five added minutes, Alex Blake finally called time on a match which had its moments. Just a single point, then, towards Borough’s total – which sees them in a promising seventh place in the National South table. And without two cruel decisions, against Chelmsford and now Ebbsfleet, the Sports would be second, with a game in hand on leaders Dartford.

There had been admirable showings all over the pitch. At the back, Steve James was sound and Mitch Dickenson dominant, while both full-backs were excellent: James Vaughan intelligent, economical, creative and Kai Innocent growing in stature with every game. James Hammond and James Ferry – the latter twice handed the armband to see out the last two games – are forging a great partnership.

The front players complement each other well, Charlie Walker the ebullient leader and Greg Luer the silent assassin, while Kendall is learning fast. With a fit-again Whelpdale close to a proper return, and that man Cox capable of winning any game, Danny and Sergio must be pleased with the progress.

Borough: Ravizzoli; Vaughan, James, Dickenson, Innocent; Hammond, Ferry; Luer, Kendall (Blackmore 90), Walker (Cox 73), Whelpdale (Rollinson 17).

Unused subs: Glover, Folarin.

Referee: Alex Blake