Eastbourne Borough gave their survival chances a massive boost after an important win at struggling Dartford.

Yahya Bamba’s brace gave Adam Murray’s side a deserved 2-0 win at Princes Park.

Buoyed on by some great support in Kent, the three points move the Sports outside of the bottom four for the first time since November.

Borough made three changes to Good Friday’s line up, with Moussa Diarra and David Sesay returning to the starting line-up, whilst there was also a start for Finn Ballard McBride in the forward line.

Both teams had chances inside the opening ten minutes. Luke Coulson did well to find Brandon Barzey on the right, but his shot was well saved by the feet of Harrison Foulkes.

Bamba then showed a glimpse of what was to come when he burst down the left hand side before his deflected cross looped invitingly to Alfie Bendle, but he volleyed over.

And it was the Sports who struck first on 17 minutes. Sesay teed up Bendle who lifted the ball in from the right and goalkeeper Rhys Byrne misjudged it at his near post to allow Bamba to nip in at the far post and volley in from close range.

The Sports continue to press forwards, with Ballard McBride’s cross just having too much for Freddie Carter to get on the end of, before the hosts scrambled a corner clear with both Matt Green and Diarra waiting.

However, they were almost caught out on the half hour mark. A long ball forwards set Jordan Greenidge clear, who beat the onrushing Foulkes to it but his touch was too heavy and the ball rolled wide of the empty net.

Borough, though, should have doubled their lead before the break on two occasions. Sam Beard’s corner wasn’t dealt with by Byrne, and Diarra’s effort back across goal rolled virtually across the goal line, but without anyone on the end of it before the hosts cleared.

Green then flicked a ball through into the path of Bendle, who with just Byrne to beat saw his low drive hit the foot of the post and bounce away from goal.

Foulkes then had to be alert to tip Paul Rooney’s 25-yard volley around the top corner at full stretch before the break.

Borough started the second half on the front foot, and went close to making it 2-0 on 52 minutes. Jack Clarke lifted the ball in from the left and Ballard McBride did well to get across his marker and get a shot on goal, but despite being Byrne the ball came back off the post.

The Australian was then almost a provider when he teed up Bamba, but he shot wide of the far post before the Sports were almost pegged back.

Luke Allen broke down the left and cut the ball across to Coulson inside the area, and his low drive beat Foulkes but Beard got back on the line to block.

However, the Sports did eventually get the second goal their performance merited midway through the second period.

Green helped on a long ball forwards and Bamba used his blistering pace to get to it in front of Rooney before firing beyond Byrne and into the net via the inside of the post.

Sheriff replaced Bamba on 76 minutes, and almost had an instant impact but saw his low drive fizz just wide from outside the area.

To their credit, Dartford kept pressing forwards as they looked to get back into the game. Substitute Olly Box saw a curling effort come back off the bar, before a great last-ditch block from Diarra denied Rooney in stoppage time as Borough claimed their third clean sheet in the last six games – having only got two all season.