Eastbourne Borough Under 18s got off to the dream start in their first match of the new Isthmian Youth League South season.

Sam Sharma scored twice as the young Sports thrashed Hastings United 6-1 at The ReachTV Stadium.

It was an even start at The ReachTV Stadium, with neither side really threatening. Hastings looked to play out from the back – and it was to be their downfall as The Sports broke the deadlock midway through the first half.

The visitors’ patient build-up play saw the ball played back to goalkeeper Dexter Brett, but Borough forward Matt Searle worked hard and put him under pressure before tackling him as he attempted to turn away and the ball went into the net.

The Sports doubled their advantage just before half-time. A long ball forwards was well controlled by Sam Sharma, who teed up Dash Callen-Dickens and the full back fired a shot low beyond the keeper from 20 yards out.

Mark Standen’s side then came out the traps flying at the start of the second half, and added a crucial third goal on 47 minutes. A neat through ball played Sharma through on goal, and one on one with the keeper he fired into the bottom corner.

Having had to have been patient in the first half, The Sports were in the ascendancy. Sharma added his second and Borough’s fourth on the hour mark – alive to a quick throw-in from the left hand side before cutting inside and slamming home.

Four soon turned to five, however – with probably the pick of the bunch. Jimmy Holman drove the ball forwards from the back, and after playing a neat give-and-go inside the Hastings area found himself through on goal, before showing composure to find the back of the net.

The goalscoring wasn’t finished there – and Borough made it 6-0 on 73 minutes. Tarik Kadric’s free-kick into the box picked out the unmarked Marshall Sefaah, who had time to nod past the keeper at the far post.

Hastings did grab a consolation late on, firing low into the bottom corner after keeping a free-kick into the Borough box alive, but it was The Sports who got off to the perfect start to the new season.

Whiteside, Callen-Dickens (Keeley 61), Burgess, Harris, Grant (Sefaah 67), Holman, Sharma (Purvis 67), Coleman-Standen (Ovenden 45), Searle (Foden 61), Kadric, Kennedy. Not Used: None.