Match Report: Eastbourne Borough
George Elokobi made three changes from the team that lost to Slough Town at the weekend. Jamie Yila came in for his full debut, with Riley Court and David Sesay returning to the starting lineup. David Agbontohoma, TJ Bramble and Muhammadu Faal dropped to the bench.
The Stones took the lead with just four minutes played. Eastbourne lost possession and Deon Moore found John Gilbert who played it into Leo Hamblin and he squeezed the ball under Woody Williamson for his first goal for the club.
Yila was looking bright early on. He managed to work his way past two Eastbourne players and stay on his feet before putting a low ball in which Williamson got away.
With 32 minutes gone, Nathan Harness came out of his area to try and head the ball clear. He was beaten to it by George Alexander who quicky got a shot away and it went wide.
Then with the game deep in first stoppage time, Harness once again came along way from his box. This time, he got something on the ball as Maxwell Mullins went for goal. The ball broke into the path of Adam May and his effort took a deflection off Harness, who had returned to his area, and hit the base of the left post.
Within three minutes of the restart, Eastbourne had levelled. The Sports broke quickly and Adam May passed to Maxwell Mullins. Mullins drew a decent save from Harness but the Maidstone keeper could do nothing to stop George Alexander from slotting home the rebound.
Maidstone then had a decent chance to regain the lead. Deon Moore put in a low ball from the right which was met by Jephte Tanga but he was denied by a good save from Williamson.
Williamson soon made another excellent save, as this time he denied substitute Riley Court from a free-kick close to the edge of the box. Then with 61 minutes played, George Fowler sent a deep cross towards substitute Muhammadu Faal who might have got a touch as Williamson claimed the ball.
As the game moved towards its later stages, the home side started to up the tempo. Isaac Pitblado’s ball in came to Archy Taylor and his shot struck the post. But Eastbourne made sure of the victory with two goals inside three minutes. The first came with seven minutes remaining when Taylor’s low pass was turned on and fired in by Alexander.
Not long after this, Taylor Foran’s attempted clearance went up into the air and back towards his own goal. Harness came racing from his goal once more leaving substitute Kai Corbett with the simple task of knocking the ball past the Maidstone keeper and sending the ball into an empty net.
With 90 minutes on the clock, the Stones came close to pulling a goal back. Gilbert’s overhead kick struck the cross bar but this was to be last time that Maidstone threatened as they lost for the second game in a row.
Eastbourne Borough: George Alexander 48, 83, Kai Corbett 86
Maidstone United: Leo Hamblin 4
Eastbourne Borough: 31. Woody Williamson, 3. Isaac Pitblado, 4. Lachlan Byrd (2. Dan Quick 64), 7. Archy Taylor, 9. George Alexander (11. Josh Anifowose 90+1), 12. Adam May, 14. Will Armitage, 15. Craig Eastmond (20. Arthur Grout 64), 23. Tayt Trusty, 26. Matthew Burgess (6. Kai Corbett 76), 27. Maxwell Mullins (10. Gold Omotayo, 76). Subs not used: 1. Jamie Searle, 22. Harvey Lintott.
Maidstone United: 1. Nathan Harness, 2. David Sesay, 3. Leo Hamblin, 5. George Fowler, 7. Jephte Tanga (19. Ruben Carvalho 82), 8. Sam Corne (6. TJ Bramble 72), 9. Deon Moore (23. Hamzad Kargbo 72), 10. John Gilbert, 11. Jamie Yila (22. Muhammadu Faal 57), 17. Riley Court, 24. Taylor Foran. Subs not used: 13. Lenny Holden, 15. David Agbontohoma.