Eastbourne Borough were made to pay for a below-par performance as they suffered a 3-1 loss at Weymouth.
The scoreline proves harsh on the Sports, with the hosts adding a third with the final kick of the game as Borough committed men forwards in Dorset.
Fletcher Holman had halved the deficit after coming off the bench midway through the second half, but the visitors couldn’t find the equaliser before being caught on the break with the final play of the match.
Mark Beard made two changes from the 3-2 win at St. Albans City a fortnight ago, with Shiloh Remy returning from injury and Zak Emmerson starting following his hat-trick at Clarence Park.
Weymouth started on the front foot and nearly went in front after three minutes. Elliott Bolton’s corner spotted the run of Dan Roberts but his glancing header went just wide of the far corner.
But the Sports looked dangerous themselves going forward, and were only denied by the woodwork after seven minutes. Shiloh Remy’s corner picked out Michael Olarewaju, whose downward header beat Hugo Fisher but only to come back off the post, with no Borough player able to scramble home the loose ball from close range.
Half-chances continue to flow at both ends, with David Sesay doing well to block efforts from Billy Vigar and then Decarrey Sheriff before Tom Bearwish had a chance but Imran Uche produced a fine block inside the area.
However, the hosts had a great chance after 20 minutes. Olu Durojaiye lifted the ball in and picked out an unmarked Ezio Touray, but he could only head narrowly over when well placed.
Remy then saw his cross-come-shot dip goalwards, only to clip the top of the crossbar on its way over, before the hosts broke the deadlock.
The Sports switched off from a throw in down the left and Roberts was allowed to break clear, and he cut the ball across to Bearwish who slotted in from close range after 24 minutes.
Borough looked for a response, and had a great chance before the half hour mark. Sheriff’s ball forwards was flicked on by Emmerson into the path of Remy, but with just the keeper to beat he could only slot it agonisingly wide of the far corner.
The Sports then had a further opportunity to get back on level terms when the hosts failed to clear a throw in and Freddie Carter fizzed in a cross to Olarewaju at the far post, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
And Borough were made to pay for missed chances when they fell two goals behind five minutes before half time.
Ezio Touray was afforded room to turn on the edge of the box and he picked out the bottom corner.
Beard changed shape at the break, with Dan Quick coming on and reverting to a back four. And the defender almost made an impact at the other end when Remy’s corner picked him out, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
Holman came on as the clock ticked towards the hour mark, and the young forward made an instant impact.
The two substitutes combined as Quick lifted the ball in from the right, and Holman peeled off his marker and thumped his header back across goal and into the far corner.
Borough pushed forwards searching for the equaliser they deserved. Gravata floated a free-kick in from the right, but Olarewaju couldn’t trouble Fisher with his header before Carter then was also off target from a set piece.
Sheriff then released Holman, who took on the shot from 18 yards out and forced the Weymouth stopper into a fine save, before the Sports had one last chance in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Holman looked to turn provider as his cross picked out Sheriff at the near post, but under pressure he got too much on his glancing header and the ball went just over.
But there was still time for the hosts to seal the win. Having weathered the storm, Weymouth took advantage of Borough committing men forwards and a ball over the top set Roberts clear, and one on one with Ben Dudzinski he rounded the keeper and slotted in.
