Hemel Hempstead Town 2 Eastbourne Borough 5
Vanarama National League South – Saturday 2nd November 2024
Written by: Allan Mitchell
It's been a tough few weeks for Bobby Wilkinson’s Tudors who were comprehensively beaten by one of the Title favourites, Eastbourne Borough at the Focus Arena.
The visitors have big ambitions and after a disappointing season last time out when the club decided to go full-time, they have hit the ground running and this game was always going to be a big test, especially with the Tudors recent run of results that have seen them slip off the top spot.
Borough really came out of the traps quickly and took the lead in the very first minute. Hemel conceded a corner with the first attack of the game, it was played short to Odusanya who fired in a shot that Craig King saved with his legs, the ball looped up and back to Odusanya who just laid it across to George Alexander who had a simple tap in from six yards out.
Hemel regrouped and started to get their own passing game going after this early setback and a good run by Barzey down the left saw him race down the line before crossing to Ricardo German who tried a first time volley that went high and wide.
The Tudors equalised on 18 minutes when another good passing movement split the Eastbourne defence, George Williams got to the byline before crossing to the back post where German was waiting and he headed the ball back across the keeper to score.
Photo credit: Club Photographer Jemma Sear / @_photosbyjem
Williams was causing a few problems now and another of his crosses had to be headed from under his own bar by ex-Tudor Moussa Diarra. Borough keeper Joe Wright then made a superb one handed save to stop a Barzey volley from close range and another cross from Kyle Ajayi had to be cleared from under the bar as the home side started to get on top.
Hemel took the lead just before the interval when a corner was dropped into the six yard box and with the tall Eastbourne defence looking at sixes and sevens, little Joe Iaciofano was allowed far too much room and he looped his header into the top corner.
Photo credit: Club Photographer Jemma Sear / @_photosbyjem
After an excellent first half performance nobody in the ground saw what was coming in the second period. It started badly when, it the first minute, the ball was played down the left, it looked like it was going to run out of play but Yahaya Bamba didn’t give up the chase and managed to retrieve it before pulling it across to Brayden Johnson who had a simple tap in to level the scores.
The visitors had clearly been given a half time talking to as they really went through the gears and Hemel just couldn’t get out of their own half. On 54 minutes it was 3-2. A quick throw in was fed into the box and some quick passing saw the ball arrive at the feet of Freddie Carter, his first shot was blocked but it dropped kindly for him and he smashed home the rebound.
Borough made it 4-2 just three minutes later when Hemel lost the ball on the half way line and Kyle Ajayi was left on his own with four players heading towards goal, Brayden Johnson kept his cool as he raced towards Craig King before sliding a pass to Alexander who had the easy task of slotting it home.
Hemel huffed and puffed with Wilkinson making several changes but they never really looked like getting back into the game as Eastbourne controlled things whilst looked dangerous on the counter.
They added a fifth in the 85th minute when a quick break down the left saw the ball fed into Alexander who turned his marker with ease before driving it past the helpless King into the bottom corner to complete his Hatrick..
Photo credit: Club Photographer Jemma Sear / @_photosbyjem
There was a chance for Hemel in injury time when Dan Roberts saw his header cleared off the line but it was all too little too late and Eastbourne celebrated with their supporters after an excellent second half display that saw them go top of the league whilst The Tudors have to go away and reflect on just what happened after half time.
Attendance: 930
Mitch's Man of the Match: Joe Iaciofano.
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