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Post by Jim "Convertedeagle" Stewart on Aug 30, 2014 19:27:54 GMT
After the red card after only 7 or 8 minutes this was going to be a battle against 11 men.... the task was made harder buy a very raw and inexperienced referee who simply was way out of his depth here and seemed to only know how to penalise an away team with more than a few baffling decisions throughout the 90 minutes, sad,why unassisted by a just as incompetent linesman on the dig out side. Quite how TW managed not to blow his stack and get sent from the dig out I have no idea....
Credit once again to the whole team ethos and spirit that shone like a beacon and each and every man jack of them threw themselves on the line for the team...
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Post by kevinanderson on Aug 30, 2014 20:03:27 GMT
This just a quick summary report (a few lines hastily knocked out for the Argus, since you ask). Fuller details will be on the club website in due course.
Eastbourne Borough remain top of Conference South, and undefeated, after a battling ten-man performance at Maidenhead United.
Borough defender Marvin Hamilton was shown a straight red for denying a scoring opportunity when he brought down home striker Adrian Clifton on the very edge of the penalty area. The contact seemed to be outside the 18 yard line but a spot kick was awarded - and spectacularly saved by Eastbourne keeper Lewis Carey, diving low to his right to deny Danny Green.
A reshaped Borough refused to go into their shell, manager Tommy Widdrington choosing to keep two strikers upfield, and the visitors had their fair share of a first half in which Green hit the Eastbourne post with a curling cross-shot, before Richard Pacquette was inches from putting the Sports ahead, his fine header superbly saved by home keeper Elvijs Putnins.
In the second half Borough had plenty of pressure to soak up, but they kept their resilience and indeed came back strongly in the closing stages.
Ratcheting up a corner count of eight corners to Maidenhead's three, the Sports looked, if anything, the likelier side to claim all three points, and in a breathless finish Sam Beale's sublime stoppage-time free-kick cannoned back off the Maidenhead crossbar. A point gained, rather than two points lost, and - just as valuable - a testament to the spirit and commitment of Widdrington's squad.
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Post by davidb on Aug 30, 2014 22:50:30 GMT
I saw Maidenhead lose 0-3 at home to FC United of Manchester in pre-season, but they hit the woodwork three times in the first half so the scoreline flattered the visitors. In fact Maidenhead looked a decent side going forward that day, so I didn't think this would be an easy match. To come away with a point after being reduced to ten men so early on, is a very good result and says a lot for the spirit in the Sports dressing room. Still top!
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Post by sideline on Aug 30, 2014 23:17:40 GMT
Great organisation and determination to get that point to day. Free Entry good! Quote of the day from a MUFC supporter "I want my money back" LOL
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Post by kevinanderson on Aug 31, 2014 8:15:40 GMT
Disappointing that home reporter Dan gives the game a miserly two stars for entertainment, in the NLP. Red card, penalty save, woodwork struck at both ends, lots of goalmouth action, committed teams, absorbing tactical battle (which Borough won even if they didn't win the match), result in doubt until literally the fourth minute of stoppage time. Not sure what you have to do to earn three or four stars.....
(In fairness to a fellow hack, I've read some of Dan's longer reports online and they are excellent. Perhaps it's the curse of the tight NLP deadlines and word limits, which as I have said elsewhere, tend to reduce the reports to a set of match facts.)
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Post by maz on Aug 31, 2014 8:21:14 GMT
Perhaps the two stars Kevin was refering to Maidenhead's performance. I would have given Boro a 5 star.
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Post by wha on Aug 31, 2014 8:36:00 GMT
Well I wasn't there but I would rather take what Kevin, Neil, and other posters have said on our forum.Sounds to me that this performance has shown us what our team are all about.Happy days which is more than we can say for our friends down the 27,think there forum imploded yesterday.
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