Joyless and unsavoury – Eastbourne Borough beaten by Welling on night to forget

For much of the game, Welling seemed to be redefining the policy of winning ugly. A physically tall and powerful side, they outmuscled Borough in some areas of the pitch, and they formed a grittily committed barricade to defend their single-goal lead for the last half-hour.

Previous matches at the Lane this season have been exciting and captivating, but this one was pretty joyless. It was soured by a sudden and unsavoury brawl on 35 minutes in the technical areas, and the ill-feeling persisted through the rest of the game. The Wings collected four yellow cards as well as a second-half red card for their manager Warren Feeney.

But if winning is everything, the Kent side will have driven home happy; and on this evidence, they will surely power their way to a top eight finish by the end of the season.

Bloor’s Borough were the more creative side and the more fluent, but their finishing let them down, and even when they did get sight of goal, visiting keeper Myles Roberts was flinging himself athletically at every ball.

The Wings won it with a scrappy goal on 58 minutes. A right-wing corner was nodded goalwards by Antony Papadopoulos and helped into the net by Stefan Payne, almost on the goal-line. The strike came at the climax of Welling’s best spell of the night – and it left the Sports with a mountain to climb against mountainous defenders.

Back to the start. A cool and drizzly evening greeted the relatively small crowd of 565 – just about half of this season’s previous average attendance. With the Union Jack fluttering at half-mast, a minute’s silence was immaculately observed by the teams and by 555 of those spectators – but regrettably undermined by a smattering of youngsters at the River End, whose chatter pierced the grey stillness. Clueless.

Early chances were relatively few. Lee Worgan saved a 30-yard free-kick, and at the other end Alex Wynter might have put Borough ahead from a Kai Innocent corner but slightly mistimed his header.

Then Payne was only marginally offside on a run through the middle as Welling went direct. Midway through the half a fluent ten-pass move and shot earned a left-wing corner from which Chris Whelpdale’s header was blocked.

The Sports were dictating play, and both Milly Scarlett and Brad Barry got in behind on the right flank with slick interpassing – surely the best way to open a cumbersome defence.

But then Barry was at the focal point of an ugly explosion of angry confrontation. He challenged Payne for a winnable ball on the halfway line, and as the Welling player crumpled, there was a seismic reaction from what appeared to be the entire Wings technical area.

Video footage may need some close scrutiny by higher authority, but watching live, it wasn’t pretty. Barry copped a yellow card for the original challenge, and referee Matt Norton spoke with both captains. Beyond that, judgement must be reserved.

We reached half-time goalless, although on balance the Sports had enjoyed more of the ball and more promising openings.

The second half took up much the same script, but Welling, after a good spell of several minutes’ pressure, claimed a 58th minute lead. From a right-wing corner, Papadopoulos directed his header towards the unguarded back post, where Stefan Payne nudged it over the line.

Bloor had already introduced Simo Mbonkwe for the injured Chris Whelpdale, and he now called up Shiloh Remy for some wing wizardry. Borough tried everything, and in fairness there was no shortage of either effort or invention. But the finishing wasn’t great.

Jake Hutchinson struck one effort wide and newly signed Sam Omperon almost equalized with his first touch. But in a crowded penalty area, with Wings keeper flinging himself left, right and centre, the Sports just could not get a clear sighting of the target.

And so it finished. Welling ran down the clock as much as they dared, and manager Warren Feeney was red-carded for preventing Borough from claiming the ball from his dugout – another distasteful moment in a classless victory which will be remembered, if at all, for only the wrong reasons.

Borough: Worgan; Barry, Wynter (Omperon 85), Dickenson, Innocent; Hammond, Vaughan; Scarlett (Remy 66), Whelpdale (Mbonkwi 45), Gravata; Hutchinson.

Unused subs: Perez, Seymour

Referee: Matt Norton Att: 565

Borough MoM: Leone Gravata

This match report is the personal view of reporter Kevin Anderson