Eastbourne Borough Under 18s showed great character to fight back and earn a point in their penultimate game of the season.

The young Sports were 2-0 down at Whitehawk, but came from behind to draw despite being reduced to ten men for all of the second half.

Shooting up the slope at The Enclosed Ground in the first half, the Sports were made to pay for errors and found themselves two goals down after half an hour.

However, there was cause for optimism when Lincoln Shearing drove forwards and played the ball through to Jacob Hill, and his shot found its way into the bottom corner from just inside the area.

But Borough’s efforts weren’t helped when they were reduced to ten men just before half-time when Tyler Wood was shown a second yellow card by referee Jamie Wells.

Despite being a man down, the Sports looked to cause the hosts problems after the break, using the slope to their advantage.

With the squad down to the bare bones, Jonny Barnes-Galloway – usually a goalkeeper – came on up front and it proved to be a stroke of genius.

After just five minutes of coming on, the makeshift forward drew Borough level with a powerful low effort that proved too much for the Hawks keeper.

Barnes-Galloway went close to getting a second goal to put the Sports in front, but fired just over before Toby Whiteside made a great save to deny the Hawks from regaining the lead.

Shearing and then Jake Prodger then had shots saved by the home keeper as the game opened up towards the end, but neither team could find a winner.

The Sports are scheduled to conclude their Isthmian Youth League South campaign on Monday when they travel to Burgess Hill Town.