Eastbourne Borough cruised to a convincing 3-0 victory against Little Common in the Sussex Transport Senior Cup, with a dominant performance showcasing both the depth and talent of their squad. A number of changes were made to the starting XI, with several youngsters given the opportunity to shine.
Borough started on the front foot and could have taken an early lead. In the 3rd minute, Klass won the ball high up the pitch and set up Johnson, whose shot forced a save from Robertshaw. Bamba was quick to follow up but was denied by a quick recovery from the Little Common keeper.
The early pressure continued as Ligendza and Johnson combined well, with Johnson’s powerful effort in the 11th minute being well saved. Moments later, Klass saw his shot deflected wide following more creative build-up play.
Despite the chances, it wasn’t until the 19th minute that Borough broke the deadlock. Johnson, Klass, and Bamba combined in a slick passing move that ended with Johnson setting up Alexander, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
The goals kept coming, and in the 34th minute, Klass played a clever free kick into the path of Alexander, who took a first-time shot that found the bottom corner for his second of the night. Just a minute later, Pitblado delivered a precise cross from the left, and Alexander completed his hat-trick by kneeing the ball in.
At half-time, Ballard-McBride, Harley, Sesay, and Vukoje replaced Barry, Alexander, Bird, and Klass as Borough looked to rotate and give minutes to their squad.
Borough continued to dominate, with Ballard-McBride creating chances. In the 54th minute, he set up Vukoje, whose shot was deflected and comfortably saved by Robertshaw. Bamba also came close with a powerful shot that narrowly missed the far post.
Debutant Sharma was introduced in the 62nd minute, replacing Bamba, and Borough’s relentless pressure showed no signs of easing. Ligendza and Gibson were constant threats, with Gibson’s skillful dribbles and Ligendza’s impressive pace causing problems for the Little Common defense.
In the 73rd minute, Ligendza’s cross found Gibson, who set up Harley, but the defender managed to block the effort, sending it out for a corner. Ligendza nearly produced a moment of magic in the 77th minute, nutmegging one defender and dribbling past another before attempting a chip that narrowly went over the bar.
Despite the comfortable lead, Borough kept pressing, with Harley intercepting high up the pitch and firing a shot that just missed the far post. Ballard-McBride continued to impress down the right, setting up Gibson again, but his shot drifted wide.
Holter, largely untested, was called into action in the 82nd minute, comfortably saving a long-distance shot. Vukoje’s energy was relentless, winning the ball back through a high press and keeping the pressure on.
Borough’s dominance was evident throughout, and despite numerous chances to extend the lead further, they settled for a 3-0 victory. Alexander’s hat-trick was the highlight of the night, and the young players showed promise as they progressed to the next round of the Sussex Transport Senior Cup.
