So I made the long journey south to the ‘Sunshine Coast’ and Eastbourne, East Sussex, for an Emirates FA Cup Third Qualifying Round tie between Eastbourne Borough and Hadley.
Hosts Eastbourne ply their trade in the National League South, Step Two of the non league system, whilst Hadley compete in the Spartan South Midlands Premier, three steps below their opponents and have come through four rounds to get this far whilst the hosts squeezed pastRyman Premier side Metropolitan Police after entering the competition in the last round.
Both sides came into this one off the back of home defeats so were looking to respond to that although Eastbourne started this one huge favourites as they were three levels above their opponents. Hadley though had knocked out Step Three side King’s Langley in the last round so were not to be underestimated.
The first few minutes yielded very little and the first moment came after eight minutes when hosts striker Elliott Romain forced Hadley keeper Charlie Mann to brilliantly tip over an effort from around twenty yards out and soon after the hosts slipped in behind the visiting backline but Gavin McCallum could only slice his effort wide.
The visitors tried to respond to this early pressure and struck their first effort on target on eleven minutes but it was a weak one from Zane Gangadeen and easy for keeper Lewis Carey. Moments later the hosts really should of settled any early match nerves with an early goal as a cross to the back post saw the unmarked McCallum hit his effort at keeper Mann rather than the corner of the net and allowed the keeper to make the save.
There was a worrying moment for Hadley keeper Mann on 17 minutes when a cross from hosts full back Craig Stone almost slipped through the keepers grasp but he managed to recover and claim the ball but as the game hit the midway point of the half the visitors were doing very well against their higher league opponents.
The hosts won a free kick in a decent area on the half hour mark but saw Josh Hare‘s drive go well wide and two minutes after this hosts winger McCallum saw two efforts from inside the area blocked by a resolute defence. Hadley openings were rare but on 34 minutes a visiting corner saw Hesham Benmansour pull away from his marker but misjudge the flight of the ball and see it sail over his head when better positioning may have ended with different results.
The visitors had done very well to hold the hosts but so nearly went into the break a goal ahead when skipper Sam Lyon came in at the back post but hit his effort into the 3G surface and saw the ball go over the bar. It was a great chance for the underdogs to take a shock lead, however they still went in level at the half time whistle and were making life more than challenging for the National South hosts.
Half Time Eastbourne Borough 0 Hadley 0
The second half began in similar fashion to the first and the half was seven minutes old when the first chance came along, and it was the hosts who had the effort when Romain rolled his marker and fired a decent effort at goal but Mann got down well to save to his right. The hosts had the ball in the net just before the hour mark but Nathanial Pinney fouled Mann before McCallum stuck in the rebound, so it was an easy call for the referee.
The hosts main goal threat looked likely to come from tricky attacking winger McCallum, who was causing the visitors problems down the left, and on 66 minutes he drifted inside onto his right foot and fired a shot just wide of the far post and then five minutes later saw another good defensive block deny him a shot on target.
The visitors had barely threatened going forward at all in the second half, adopting a more ‘thy shall not pass’ motto as they continued to keep the hosts out. With twelve minutes remaining though the home side so nearly found the breakthrough when a cross saw Romain climb to head an effort against the bar and see the loose ball scrambled clear and breathe a huge sigh of relief.
The hosts continued to put pressure on the visitors backline and saw Shaun Cooper head a free kick well over as time was starting to run out for the hosts to find a breakthrough in this one and prevent a replay next week. As the game entered it’s first minute of five additional minutesCraig McAllister headed over a hosts corner as Hadley survived again.
The Spartan South Midlands side could taste a replay now but the hosts piled on the pressure in stoppage time but the visitors continued to hold firm and then hear the whistle for full time after more than six minutes of stoppage time and earn a second crack at their opponents on Wednesday evening at Potters Bar FC.
Eastbourne will be disappointed but they still have the chance to finish the job in four days time, however it won’t be easy against a tough Hadley outfit. The draw for the Fourth Qualifying Round takes place on Monday and they will both in it at least.
Full Time Eastbourne Borough 0 Hadley 0
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