The Adobe Women’s FA Cup trail continues for Eastbourne Borough Women, who chalked up a 4-1 victory in a joyous whole-team performance against visiting Tooting Bec at The ReachTV Stadium on Sunday.
This was a seriously impressive whole-team performance by Chris Day’s team. They were organised, eager, committed – and they showed that crucial quality in teamwork, the ability to look two passes ahead instead of one.
In bright and slightly blustery conditions, the ReachTV Stadium played host to a crowd well into three figures, with home supporters launching a sort of cheeky mass trespass to occupy the directors’ (relatively) posh seats at the back of the main stand. On a Sunday afternoon, nobody minded.
Before kick-off, both clubs and their supporters joined in a minute’s silence to mark the poignant news of the death of Matt Beard – brother of our former manager Mark, and a pivotal figure in the development of Girls’ and Women’s Football. Our whole club sends sincerest sympathy to Mark in particular.
The decisive moments in this game would begin straight after half-time, but the first forty-five minutes had been pretty even. The South London visitors, cheered on by travelling families and friends, certainly held their own and were quick to cover and tackle, but their forward threats were only intermittent. Borough, meanwhile, created several scoring chances:
16 mins: Kelly Larkin floated a dangerous ball into the box, and Lola Dulake controlled it well but struck her shot narrowly across goal. 21 mins: Dulake turns provider with an excellent low ball across the goalmouth, fired on target by Phoebe Cram but brilliantly blocked by a Tooting defender on the line.
37 mins: roles are reversed as a Larkin strike is just wide of the post after a great assist from Gurr. 45+ mins: this time Dulake is the provider as Gurr meets her cross with a goalbound header, but visiting keeper Ella Cronshaw denies her with a marvellous save.n goal. Kelly Larkin floated a long ball
Still all to play for, then, as we entered the second half – but Sports manager Chris Day was about to play his aces. Into the fray came the experienced Nicole Baitup and Rebecca Simmons, together with Abbie Tucker and Molly Hill. And with this clutch of substitutes came an instant sweep of attacking pace, energy – and crucially, the off-the-ball movement which would now pull Tooting apart.
56 mins: Borough break at pace on the counter. Tucker slides Simmons in on the right, she drills a lethal cross in from the goal-line, and Beth Creese slams it into the roof of the net for 1-0.
61 mins: riding the momentum, Borough now look unstoppable. Gurr meets a cross from the left to draw a brave save from keeper Cronshaw, but Gurr reacts to hammer in the rebound to double the lead.
78 mins: after a slightly calmer phase, Molly Hill brings down a cross and slightly miscues, but a Tooting defender nets the bouncing ball in attempting to clear: 3-0.
85 mins: Hill rounds off the scoring as she rises to meet a corner: 4-0.
Did we say completes the scoring? Actually not quite. The brave Tooting side had never for a moment lost their spirit or their willingness to press forward, and with the last meaningful kick of the match, a Tooting midfielder launched an absolute missile of a strike from forty yards – curling high and over home keeper Sophie Moule, who raised brief concern as she crashed backwards into the goalpost, but bravely – if gingerly – completed the game.
A rousing afternoon, then, for Day’s impressive side: energetic, organised, racing up the learning curve as they continue their undefeated 2025-26 season.
Oh, and after the final whistle, a happy post-match moment. “Miss Larkin” – who is a popular local schoolteacher, was assailed by a posse of her young students, eager for a group selfie! House points all round, for Chris Day’s squad – and the FA Cup adventure continues.
Report by Kevin Anderson & Eli Clive
