Eastbourne Borough Under 18s booked their place in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Youth Cup after a comprehensive 6-1 win over Eastbourne Town.

The Sports controlled possession in the opening stages at The Saffrons but couldn’t quite make the final ball count in very windy conditions on the Sussex coast.

However, on 15 minutes they went in front. A quickly taken free-kick was played out to Zack Tarrant on the left hand side, and after gliding past one defender he cut inside before firing a low drive beyond the keeper and into the far corner.

Borough remained on the front foot – with Harry Burgess skipping down the left before his ball in found Tarik Kadric, but his drive from the edge of the area was held by the Town keeper.

The hosts threatened to draw level as the half wore on, with a home forward breaking through, but a tame finish was easy for Toby Whiteside to save before the Borough keeper was alert to turn a free-kick away from danger.

But the young Sports ended the half looking to double their lead – Tarrant having a shot beaten away by the keeper after good work from Archie Grant, before Grant himself went close – having a header cleared off the line as he met a corner from the left.

However, Town drew level within two minutes of the restart when the ball was worked across to the right and a home winger fired past Whiteside from a tight angle.

Despite that, Borough were quick to rediscover their attacking threat – and went back in front on 53 minutes. A hanging ball forwards from substitute Theo Coombs set Sam Sharma clear, and he slotted past the keeper.

Just four minutes later, it was 3-1. Burgess did well down the left-hand side before playing the ball in and it eventually broke to Dash Callen-Dickens on the right, who fired a low drive across the keeper and into the far corner.

Ollie Kennedy then got in on the act, rising highest to head home Mardy Ovenden’s corner from the right-hand side to extend Borough’s lead further, before the hosts were reduced to ten men after a needless challenge on keeper Toby Whiteside.

And The Sports made their numerical advantage count late on – Town failed to clear a corner and the ball dropped to Callen-Dickens who lashed home to make it five on 84 minutes, before Borough added a sixth in stoppage time.

Substitute Michael Ivakhnik did well on the left and his low ball found Sharma in space, who slotted home his second to seal a big win for Borough.