Fourth-place Eastbourne Town take on tenth-place Alfold FC in a bid to regain their title challenge of last season before the season was voided due to Covid-19
Eastbourne Town could go as high as third today with a win over their opposition. The two sides played once during last season and Eastbourne Town were victories 3-1. I’m sure Pier Pressure would be calling for more of the same for todays game.
Here are the lineups for todays exciting fixture:
Zac Attwood leads the line for the blue and yellows, he was in impressive form last season netting 14 goals (15th highest in the league) before the season was voided.
Alfold on the other hand are without two of their top sorceress this season as Devon Fender and Sam Lemon are neither in the starting line-up nor the subs. One man They will look to goals for is Kelvin Lucas who has already netted 7 goals this season
Eastbourne Town could go as high as third to day with a win over their opposition while Alfold could jump three places to seventh with a win
The warmups are finished, the players are on the field. Kick-off is imminent.
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KICK-OFF
1′ We are underway as Alfold kick-off at a windy afternoon at the Saffrons
5′ CLOSE ONE!
Alfold have the first chance of the game as Kelvin Lucas cuts in and tries to curl one past the Townies goalie. It flies just wide
6′ HOW DID THEY NOT SCORE? WHAT A SAVE
Seconds after our first chance of the game Eastbourne Town thunder down the other end of the pitch. Nathan Crabb find himself in the box and tries to slide one under the Alfold Keeper who’s save falls to Zac Attwood who cant convert the rebound. What a double save from Luis Correia.
10′ The Alfold players are claiming for a penalty here but the ref’s having none of it. Lucas one again causing problems for Eastbourne Towns defence appeared to be blocked off by Dan Hull but not enough in it for a penalty.
13′ A barrage of Alfold attacks thwarted by Hull once again. Lucas comes close with a driven effort at the Eastbourne goal but Hull blasts it clear. I know Klopp is looking for a replacement for Van Dijk, could he have found him here on the South Coast?
19′ Alfold are really knocking on the door here. Jamie Chilsworth swings a sumptuous ball into Sam Leaton who was agonisingly close to getting on the end of it. Can Eastbourne survive another Alfold attack?
26′ JUST OVER
Hull and Ashley Mutongerwa get into a game of footsie on the floor and the ref controversially gives a free-kick to Alfold. Luckily Chilsworth lobs it just over because Eastbourne would have been fuming had that gone in.
28′ Substitution for Alfold, looks to be due to an injury rather than a tactical change. Jordon Mase makes way for Tiago Andrade.
32′ Muntongerwa and Sam Leaton combine with a lovely one-two inside the Eastbourne box and keeper Chris Winterton gets down quickly to push it wide for a corner. Lovely play from the Alford duo. Still no breakthrough.
35′ WHAT AN OPPERTUNITY
If the strikes had their shooting boots on this would be one hell of a score line. Attwood finds himself one-on-one with the Alfold keeper, anywhere but straight at him and the score is one nil. Not the first chance hes missed today either.
39′ I know we want a goal guys but we don’t need to be scoring in our nets. Hull heroically throughs himself in the way of Chilsworths driven cross and the blocked ball almost curls past his own keeper.
45′ The ref blows for half-time
TALKING POINTS
Its been a decent half from both sides, with a sprinkle of quality this could be a real thriller of a game.
Its surprising we haven’t seen some more clinical finishing considering Eastbourne are the third highest scoring team in the league and Alfold are the fifth highest scoring team in the league.
Here’s hoping for more goals as the ref is about to get us underway for the second half.
45′ SECOND HALF
Eastbourne Town get us underway for the final time. No telling how this one is going to go
51′ Ouch! that ones gotta hurt. Alfolds Connor Wilford gets absolutely clattered in the middle of the pitch. The ref seems to have lost his cards, surely that deserved a yellow.
53′ I think he’s found his cards. The Alfold staff are absolutely furious to see Andrade booked after Wilford was taken out moments ago with no punishment.
59′ Its been a quiet start to the half but Eastbourne have shown their first bit of attacking quality as George Taggart cleverly slips in Attwood who’s goal-bound shot is blocked by Kieron Joseph.
64′ Its that time in a match where you look to your bench to make an impact on the game but with Lemons and Fender out of the squad you really wonder where the goals are going to come from today. will we get a breakthrough?
68 HEROIC DEFENDING
Sam Leaton almost looks to have broken the deadlock if not for a brilliant goal line clearance from Sam Cole. Surely we are only minutes away from a goal now?
71′ Eastbourne make their first change of the match
75′ Eastbourne Town look out of ideas at the moment. Their tiki-taka football is quickly turning into hopeful lobs up the field which surely wont trouble the Alfolf defenders. They are desperate for some quality.
80′ UNBELIEVABLE SAVE!
I cannot believe we are still goalless. Taggart with a flash of brilliance twisting and turning in the box, finally unleashing his shot, the ball destined for the bottom corner but somehow Correia is equal to it. Wilford screams at his keeper with joy and rightfully so. Definite man of the match contender.
85′ Another chance for Eastbourne goes begging as Cole fizzes in a ball towards Matt Rodriges-Barbosa who just cant get a hold of it and it cannons off his body for a goal kick.
88′ GOOOAAAAAL
Eastbourne Town break the deadlock finally. Substitute McDonald runs in behind and slides the ball into the one and only Zac Attwood who slips it onto his right foot and coolly converts the chance into the bottom corner. Attwood must be relieved to get his goal after missing a few chances.
The Saffrons is buzzing. Could this be a dramatic later Winner for the Town?
90+2′ Alfold have a late chance here, possible the last kick of the game as Eastbourne give away a silly free-kick. The keeper is up for this one, we have seen his heroics at one end of the pitch but can he produce them at the other end with a goal.
90+2 FULL TIME
Its a poor corner for the Fold. The referee blows for full time, Attwood last minute goal was enough to clinch the three points.
Alfold clearly not happy with the officials performance today
Its all smiles for the opposition however, what a win for the Town.
Eastbourne Town move to third after that exciting winner from Attwood. That’s all from me, hope you enjoyed the game.
