Eastbourne Borough Women secured a place in the semi-final of the Eastbourne FA Chairman’s Cup after a victory against Bexhill United.

A dominant first and second half saw Billy Wood’s side at Priory Lane showcase their prowess on the pitch, securing a spot in the semi-finals against Eastbourne Town, as they scored 4 goals over Bexhill United, who play in a league above.

Borough started on the front foot and went close early on. Becky Simmons created numerous scoring opportunities, keeping the Bexhill defence on high alert, with her solo effort down the wing, narrowly avoiding the target.

However, Borough’s persistence paid off in the 12th minute when Kellie Larkin capitalised on a well-directed pass from Simmons, unleashing a powerful strike from outside the box that found the back of the net, giving Borough the lead.

Despite Bexhill’s attempts to claw their way back into the game, Borough maintained their dominance, creating several opportunities. Abbie Tucker surged down the wing, delivering a precise cross to Simmons in the box, but Bexhill’s keeper managed to deflect her shot wide with her fingertips.

Undeterred by the deficit and after many counterattacks from Borough as both Tucker and Simmons narrowly missed the target, Bexhill had their first opportunity having a strike outside of the box that went wide of the right post. As the second half commenced, Borough continued to press forward as Charlotte Gurr had a shot but missed just wide of the left post.

In the 52nd minute, a free kick from Bexhill saw the ball into keeper Sophia Moule hands. A second opportunity closely followed but the ball didn’t have enough power as it went into the keeper’s hands again, denying Bexhill an equaliser.

However, it was Megan Griffiths who further extended Borough’s lead as Erin Todd turned over possession, blocking the ball and passing through a crowded area to Simmons who kicked the ball just in front of Griffiths, striking the ball from inside of the box.

As the match drew to a close, Borough sealed their victory with two more goals from Charlotte Gurr as she struck both balls from outside of the box and over the keeper’s head.

Despite a late surge from Bexhill in the dying moments of the game, Borough’s defence held firm, withstanding the pressure and denying their opponents any chance of a comeback.

At full-time, Borough’s cohesive team performance and clinical finishing proved too much for Bexhill to handle, securing an impressive victory. Borough looks forward to face rivals Eastbourne Town in the semi-finals as they strive to win the Eastbourne FA Chairman’s Cup.

Report: Maisie Gibbs