Eastbourne Borough lose 2-1 to Maidstone United in the dying minutes of the game
Eastbourne Borough’s dream of promotion to the top division of non-league football are over.
The Sports lost 2-1 at home to Maidstone in the semi-final in front of more than 3,400 at Priory Lane - with the visitors scoring in the 90th minute.
Borough were undefeated at home all season in the league but went the same way as Worthing in the play-offs – losing to a Maidstone side who were well off the title race but qualified for the knockouts by finishing seventh in the league.
They will now face Boreham Wood in the final in 2 weeks time, leaving Adam Murray’s Borough to fight it out with Worthing and Horsham in next season’s National South.
Priory Lane was at capacity for the game, which turned out to be a fairly even match with neither side able to break the deadlock in the first 30 minutes.
Yahaya Bamba and Jason Adigun both had attempts at goal blocked while Maidstone struck the Borough bar, albeit with an effort which would have possibly been chalked off for offside had it gone in.
Three minutes before the break, Maidstone took the lead through Jacob Berkeley-Agypong.
It was getting tense as the second half continued but that tension was lifted on 63 minutes when Alfie Pavey levelled for Eastbourne, beating two defenders before finishing clinically.
Eight minutes from time, Maidstone were reduced to ten men when Charlie Seaman was shown his second yellow card.
Despite that setback, the Stones broke Borough’s hearts when Aaron Blair restored their lead in the 90th minute. It was a very nervy and edgy 6 minutes of added-time, with Borough giving it everything they had to try and find a equaliser, but it wasn't to be.
It was such a cruel blow to end a fantastic season for Borough, who will be determined to go again next season!
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