Saturday 24, October 2020 is when Eastbourne Town hosted their next league match against Alfold as they took on the Surrey based team at The Saffrons on a very cold, overcast and windy day. Eastbourne are currently 4th in the league with Alfold being 10th as we enter this fixture. Eastbourne Town enter this game in fine form after coming out of an impressive three match win streak which will surely make them confident.
However, the last time these two teams met, Alfold walked away with a 3-1 win against Eastbourne Town. Will it be a similar result today? Or will we see a different result? Oliver Jeffery will be taking you through the action as it happens.
Starting lineups
Lets have a look at both teams to see how they match up.
Kick off
And we’re off…
4′ Only a few minutes into the game and Eastbourne were off to a great start as Tom Vickers slotted a beautifully waited pass through Alfold’s defence as he played Nathan Crabb into space with just the keeper to beat. Alfold’s keeper however, Luis Correia, managed to parry away the shot and avoids Alfold conceding an early goal.
7′ Although, the visitors quickly reminded us that they are still a force to be reckoned with as quick passing from outside the box and the spread of play across the pitch set up Kelvin Lucas who shot and missed to the left, just wide of the goal.
8′ Dan Bolwell played the ball to Crabb who shot off of his left foot, with his shot being saved as it rebounded back into the box after Correia makes yet another impressive early save. The ball then fell to Zac Attwood who followed up with a strike in front of goal, but Correia denies Eastbourne Town for a second time with a pair of firm saves.
10′ Dan Hull gathered the ball from the middle of the pitch and passed to Attwood, who played it to Matt Astle down the right wing. Astle then crosses the ball back to Attwood who just missed his shot to the right of the goal. Eastbourne seem to be getting plenty of promising chances so far. Can they make these chances count though?
Dan Hull performing a sliding tackle on Sam Leaton
15′ Bolwell is then caught out in his own half after giving away a sloppy pass to Ash Mutongerwa as he played a through ball to Sam Leaton who then took the ball close to goal and shot. The ball slipped past Eastbourne Town’s keeper, Chris Winterton, and looked as if it was about to trickle into the net. However, Hull is on hand to sprint back and makes a fine sliding block off of the line as Eastbourne do well to escape and not concede. As it happens, there were no follow up players in the box to convert the closest chance in the game yet.
29′ Mutongerwa continues to make himself a nuisance as he dispossessed Eastbourne and drove down the left of the pitch whilst managing to turn onto his right foot sharply. Although, he happened to stumbled and fell on top of the ball. The Eastbourne defence’s attempt to dislodge the ball at his feet ended up in them conceding a free kick. Conor Wilford stepped up to take it just a metre outside of the box but his attempt ended up just going over the crossbar.
31′ Alfold’s Jordan Mase showed worrying signs of being injured whilst uttering to his manger, Andi Reeson, that “it feels like we’re down to 10 men”. The first substitution of the game was then made as Mase came off for Tiago Andrade. With a third of the game gone, Eastbourne seemed to be keeping possession well, but Alfold showed that they’re dangerous when playing long balls up to their strikers.
Matt Astle passes the ball to spread play away from Sam Leaton
39′ Vickers slotted through yet another ball to Attwood who found himself one on one with Correia, but the keeper managed to save yet another Eastbourne attack. Moments later, Vickers played yet another perfect ball to Crabb who was denied yet again by Correia as he kept his team in the game. Eastbourne creating plenty of chances but they can’t seem to beat Alfold’s superb goalkeeper, who shows great form in the first half despite it being just his second game for Alfold.
41′ The most heart stopping moment of the game so far came when Jamie Chilsworth crossed the ball from the left corner of the pitch. The cross deflected awkwardly against Hull as it headed towards the top right corner of the net. Winterton however, produced the most dramatic of saves as he tipped the ball over the bar, at full stretch, to put the ball out for a corner. Eastbourne’s keeper also showing us that he too can also produce amazing world class saves.
45′ After an Alfold corner, the ball was then cleared away by Bolwell as the referee blew for half time. It ended 0-0 at the break with very little dividing the two teams as they enter the changing room. Both keepers doing immensely well to save various shots, as well as both team’s strikers being able to create plenty of goal scoring chances.
46′ Straight away Eastbourne passed quickly and managed to create enough space at the back of the Alfold defence, due to them playing a high line. Crabb ran after a good through ball, whilst showing great speed, but Correia came out to meet him and cleared the ball away to avoid any further danger. Eastbourne get the second half underway with a good start.
51′ Leaton is then tackled by Hull, the ball rolled into space as Wilford and Bolwell ran to try and gain possession. The two of them then collide, with Wilford coming out second best as he begins to hobble after the challenge. However, despite this, the referee awarded Eastbourne a free kick, much to the annoyance of the Alfold bench.
52′ BOOKED Ash Mutongerwa Moments later, Mutongerwa and Vickers battle for the ball by using their shoulders and Vickers gets dispossessed with what seemed to be a legitimate battle for the ball. Although, the referee awarded Eastbourne yet another free kick, as well as booking Mutongerwa, which enraged the players, bench and supporters of Alfold.
Zac Attwood goes up for a header against Jamie Chilsworth
55′ The game then seemed to get a little more scrappy as Andrade is then fouled. Wilford takes the free kick outside the box and whips the ball in high, but Winterton rose high to claim the cross whilst being amongst a lot of players.
60′ After a throw in by Astle to George Taggart, Taggart then swiftly back heeled the ball through to Attwood who shot into the corner of the goal. As it happened, Correia was out of position and didn’t read the play well enough to make a comfortable save. None the less he saved the shot again and put it out for a corner. Another critical chance missed by Eastbourne as the game entered the later stages.
71′ Another heart stopping moment occurred as Chilsworth managed to slot a perfectly powered pass to Lucas who took on the defender and crossed the ball into Sam Leaton. Leaton then took the ball around the left of the keeper and from a narrow angle, shot towards goal. However, for the second time in the game, Hull was on hand again to slide into the mouth of the goal and deflect the ball away from danger as Eastbourne cleared their lines.
73′ Eastbourne make two substitutions as Nathan Crabb and Tom Vickers make way for Matt Rodrigues-Barbosa and Tom McDonald.
75′ Mutongerwa gathers possession near the half way line and does very well to battle hard against two Eastbourne players as he then passed to Leaton who gave Lucas a great ball. Lucas then shot at Winterton but the keeper makes a comfortable save. The crisis is quickly avoided as there is yet again no follow up players to take the chance to score. The ball is then cleared away as we approach the last 15 minutes.
85′ Andrade is held back and awarded a free kick. Wilford then delivered yet another accurate free kick into the box as Leaton managed to connect his head with the ball. He was unfortunate however as the ball travels up into the air and Winterton is on hand again to claim the ball in the air.
89′ GOAL Zac Attwood Right at the dying depths of the game, Sam Scott snipes a flat driving pass to McDonald who Cruyff turned the defender and shifted the ball onto his left foot. He then passed to Attwood who then blasted his shot into the left side of the goal, this time Correia wasn’t able to react and save it. The net ripples and the crowd cheer immensely as the Eastbourne players start to celebrate their late winner.
The celebrations from the players after Zac Attwood’s last minute goal
90+1′ Out of the frustration amongst the Alfold team, Attwood is then fouled in the far right corner of the pitch. Scott takes his time in taking the free kick as he then passed it to Attwood, who dribbled it towards the corner flag to eat up the clock as it eventually went out for a corner. Cheeky tactics coming into play from Eastbourne to try and sit back on their lead.
90+2′ After a last minute free kick for Alfold gets cleared away, the referee blows his whistle and Eastbourne Town come away with a 1-0 win right at the end of the match. After the game however, amongst many complaints about the match, Alfold manager ‘Andi Reeson’ was shown a red card for continuing to give verbal abuse to the referee.
What ended as quite a scrappy win for Eastbourne will none the less mean a lot to them as they advance up to 3rd in the table with their win streak going to now four games in a row. However, Alfold will be disappointed with how the game ended as they move down to 13th after a match they could quite have easily won.
Eastbourne Town’s next game is in the FA Vase against Southall at Home. Can they continue to extend their winning run? Will they seize the game at the depths again?
