Eastbourne Borough continued their preparation for the new season with a 2-1 win at Dulwich Hamlet in their penultimate pre-season test.
Pemi Aderoju scored both goals in the first half for Matt Gray’s side, whilst Danny Mills had halved Borough’s advantage before the break.
With one more pre-season outing before the start of the National League South season on August 9th, the Sports will be looking to carry this momentum into Saturday’s home game with Hashtag United.
The Sports started the game enjoying more of the ball, but it was Dulwich who had the first opportunities.
Jamie Searle made a good save with his left foot to deny former Borough player Luke Wanadio, before the winger picked out the run of Nyren Clunis, but his glancing header went just over after ten minutes.
Debutant Jesurun Uchegbulam then did well on the right and played a low ball to Victor Akinwale, but his drive was well blocked.
Uchegbulam was then provider as The Sports broke the deadlock moments later. The winger, who joined from Oldham last week, was the recipient of a cross at the far post and kept the ball alive to find Aderoju, who made no mistake from six yards.
After scoring his first goal since joining on loan from Peterborough, the forward then doubled his and Borough’s tally just three minutes later.
Victor Akinwale flicked Freddie Carter’s ball forwards into the path of Aderoju, who drove at the defence before his low shot from inside the area picked out the far bottom corner.
However, Dulwich halved the deficit when Mills rose well to meet Jordan Wynter’s cross and sent a header back across Searle and into the net.
Borough’s two goal lead was almost restored on the half hour mark, when Jayden Davis’ ball into the box found Tayt Trusty, but his header back across goal looking for Akinwale was scrambled away by the home defence.
There was a further good chance early in the second half, as Harvey Lintott played the ball down the right to Akinwale – and the winger beat a defender before cutting across but he fired his effort just over at the near post.
Searle then did well to deny Mills a second – saving well after the striker met Sol Baugh’s ball in from the right – before Trusty went close at the other end, forcing Toby Bull into a smart save low to the keeper’s right.
As the half wore on both teams made changes to give everyone minutes, and it was Searle again who produced a side save to keep Borough in front with 12 minutes to go. Baugh go the ball in from the left and Amadou Kassarate’s downward header was well kept out by The Sports stopper.
