What a difference three weeks makes.

Eastbourne Borough looked ready to throw in the towel when they lost at home to Crawley on New Year’s Day but not any more.

In the space of seven days Garry Wilson’s men have proved they have the stomach for a relegation scrap.

They followed up two good results at the Abbey Stadium with another battling point on the road, drawing 1-1 at Tamworth on Saturday, and could quite easily have taken all three.

It is too early to say Borough have turned the corner. After all they have still only won once in the league since September.

But the evidence of the last three games suggests there is genuine reason for hope.

Borough played some decent football at times but the most encouraging sign was the spirit they showed to come from behind against a team who had not conceded a goal in their last five games.

That spirit has been missing at times this but was there in abundance at the Lamb Ground, although it did go too far at the end with both teams likely to be reported following a 22-man melee.

Wilson said: “It was a decent point away from home and the lads showed a lot of commitment to come from behind.

“We are definitely getting there. I think we have been getting back to the way we know we are capable of playing in the last couple of months.

“I was really pleased with the attitude of the whole team. They rolled their sleeves up and even in the last few minutes were putting the effort in to break up the pitch.

“It was a good old fashioned game of non-league football. I certainly enjoyed it and I think the players did too.

“It was just a shame that it spilled over a bit at the end because it was a great game of football.”

Borough have yet to win a game this season after falling behind so the omens were not good when they conceded after just six minutes.

The visitors had ample opportunity to clear Tom Shaw’s corner but failed to do so and Iyseden Christie made them pay by stabbing home from close range.

Knowles was convinced Christie had fouled him as he tried to gather Neil Jenkins’ skied attempt at a clearance but referee Darren Handley saw nothing wrong.

Tamworth had not conceded since losing 1-0 to Crawley on December 5 so it looked like Borough already had a mountain to climb. It could have been worse if Knowles had not made partial amends for his earlier error by pushing a fierce 25-yard strike from Shaw around a post.

Borough gradually got on top as the game progressed though and it was no less than they deserved when Ben Austin equalised seven minutes before the interval.

Gary Elphick’s header from a Matt Crabb corner hit a defender on the line and Austin made any appeals for handball irrelevant as he lashed home the loose ball off the underside of the bar.

Borough’s position this season is largely a result of too many draws but they cannot be accused of settling for a point as both teams went for a winner in the second half.

Knowles blocked a volley from Michael Wylde at close range while Jenkins and Matt Crabb both cleared off the line while at the other end Austin had a goalbound header nodded away and Liam Enver-Marum saw a shot deflected into the side netting.

Then came the ugly scenes at the end which were sparked when Knowles was the victim of a heavy challenge. It was handbags stuff and could not take the gloss off another promising display from Borough.

Austin said: “I think we would have settled for a point before the game but on balance we could have won it.

“We felt Danny was fouled for their goal and that set us back a bit but we responded well.

“We were on top when I scored and you could sense the goal was coming. It was one of those which could have flown over the stands but fortunately for me I caught it well.

“That’s four for the season for me now which is my best return for a couple of seasons.

“I don’t score as many goals as I used to but it gets harder the higher up the leagues you go.”

Meanwhile, Wilson has confirmed that winger Dan Smith, who made his first appearance for six games as a late substitute, could be poised for a move to a Blue Square south club.

Tamworth: Fankem, Tait, Smith, Briscoe, Wylde, MacKenzie (Blackwood, 58), Shaw, Pritchard, Wright (Murdock, 58), Christie, Sheridan. Subs not used: Lyttle, Langdon, Lake-Gaskin.

Booked: Smith, Tait, Wylde Eastbourne: Knowles, Austin, Pullan, Elphick, Jenkins, Taylor (Smart, 78), Armstrong, Johnson, M Crabb, N Crabb (Smith, 86), Enver-Marum. Subs not used: Jordan, Baker, Weatherstone.

Booked: Austin.