Brentwood Town were beaten 3-2 by Eastbourne Borough at Priory Lane on Saturday, despite a spirited performance and a late fightback from the Blues.
Kai Corbett’s hat-trick proved decisive for the hosts, with Bradley Sach also finding the net for Brentwood before substitute Freddie Sears made his mark with his first goal in Brentwood colours.
Brentwood opened proceedings spiritedly and nearly found the net inside 10 minutes through Manny Harvest, whose close-range effort found the side netting after tidy link-up play with Benas Vaivada down the left flank.
A flurry of Blues chances followed, with a Charlee Adams free-kick initially denied by the Borough wall before being cleared, while Bradley Sach’s long-distance attempt fell inches wide of the left post.
The hosts then started to grow into the game following Liam Nash’s early exit through injury and the introduction of Max Sheafe, who slotted into a deeper midfield role. Both Darren McQueen and Kai Corbett came close on a few occasions without hitting the target.
However, just after the half-hour mark, Corbett gave the hosts the lead. Josh Rees picked up possession following a ricochet from his challenge with Charlee Adams and found Corbett, who took advantage of a further slip in the Brentwood defence before firing a strike from distance into the far corner.
Jesse Olukolu had a half-chance in first-half stoppage time when the winger found himself in behind the Eastbourne defence from Bradley Sach’s looped pass, but could only poke his effort wide.
Keith Rowland rang the changes at the break, with a triple substitution seeing Wyan Reid, Nat Mardell and Freddie Sears introduced.
The changes had an instant impact, with Sears playing a part in the equaliser less than five minutes after the restart. Good work from Max Hudson was followed by a low Sears effort which forced a save from Lewis Carey, with Sach on hand to tap home the rebound and grab his second goal of the campaign.
Eastbourne responded well, and threatened minutes later when McQueen teed up Sheafe on the edge of the box, but his effort fizzed just wide.
After another scare for the Blues, the hosts regained the advantage shortly before the hour mark. Corbett picked up Sheafe’s through ball before rifling a shot into the roof of the net.
It could have been more just minutes later, with Rees seeing an effort cleared off the line by Matt Cripps before Sheafe fired another long-range attempt low and wide.
Brentwood continued to push, with Sears and Mardell both testing Carey in the Eastbourne goal.
With the game entering the final 10 minutes and the Blues pushing for an equaliser, the hosts were awarded a penalty following a collision between McQueen and Aiden Prall.
Corbett stepped up from the spot and converted to complete his hat-trick and give Eastbourne a two-goal advantage.
That wasn’t the end of the story, however, as Brentwood made it a nervy finish just four minutes later.
Substitute Sears beat Carey to a long ball before calmly slotting home to net his first goal in Brentwood Town colours — a deserved reward for his strong impact after coming on at half-time.
The Blues had one final opportunity in added time following good link-up play between Hudson and Mardell. The latter’s cross found Sears, but Carey was on hand to deny Brentwood one final time before the full-time whistle.
The Blues return to league action next Saturday, 22 August, when Enfield Town visit The Arena, with kick-off at 3pm.
EASTBOURNE BOROUGH: Carey (GK), Hayden, Rees, Phillips, Corbett, Nash (Sheaf 24′), McQueen (Omotayo 87′), Oguntayo (Johnson 79′), Eastmond (C), Carter, Wilson (Bellamy 46′)
Sub not used: Drais
BRENTWOOD TOWN: Prall (GK), Read (Reid 46′), Cripps (C), Gibbs, Hudson, Freeman, Adams (Berry 72′), Harvest (Mardell 46′), Olukolu, Vaivada (Sears 46′), Sach
Sub not used: Davis
Written by Michaela Georgopolous
