Borough need a cutting edge

An injury-ravaged Borough side failed to find the net for the fourth time in seven games as they went down to two second half goals at a windy Raymond McEnhill Stadium.

Solitary winning goals from Matt Smart and Nathan Crabb against Wrexham and Kettering respectively during that barren run have gone some way to masking Borough’s lack of cutting edge in recent weeks.

Those strikes ensured Borough achieved their goal of securing their Blue Square premier status for a second season but any hopes of surpassing all expectations and finishing in the top half of the table will disappear unless they can get back on track in front of goal.

Boss Garry Wilson is desperate to prevent the campaign fizzling out after seeing his side slip to 14th.

He said: “Our goal at the start of the season was to stay up but it would be a major disappointment after the year we’ve had to end up finishing 19th.

“That would give a misleading look to what we have achieved this year and we are determined it is not going to happen.

“Obviously it is more difficult to motivate the players now we are safe but that is what we have got to do because the season isn’t over yet and we want to finish as high as possible.

“I don’t think it’s a problem really because there were a lot of disappointed faces in the dressing room on Saturday and that shows the players are still desperate to do well.”

Injuries to top scorer Andy Atkin, Nathan Crabb, Matt Crabb and Matt Smart did not help Borough’s cause on Saturday.

Any team would struggle if they were missing four players who between them have contributed 21 out of 48 league goals this season.

When you add the fact that loan players who are no longer at the club account for another nine goals it highlights what Borough were up against on Saturday.

Statistics can be misleading but the lack of firepower was clear to see as they failed to register a single shot on target despite some neat build up play.

Allan Tait’s performance probably summed up Borough’s day.

The striker was impressive on his return to the starting line-up for the first time since November but wasted the best chance of the match.

Tait looked odds-on to score when he was sent clear by Simon Wormull’s clever pass but delayed his shot too long when an early finish would have given James Bittner little chance in the Salisbury goal.

If that had gone in three minutes after the interval Borough would have been hot favourites to win with the help of a strong wind at their backs in the second half.

Instead they fell behind from a rare moment of quality in a game otherwise ruined by the blustery conditions.

Sean Clohessy swung over an inviting cross from the right and Brian Dutton powered a header past Lee Hook from close range.

Borough never threatened to find an equaliser and gifted Salisbury a second near the end when substitute Jacob Mingle’s poor pass put Darren Baker under pressure and Charles Ademeno raced clear to seal a sixth win in ten games for the in-form Whites.

Wilson added: “The game hinged on a couple of key incidents. Allan Tait had a great chance and then they scored a really good goal.

“I thought Allan’s all round performance was superb and if he had taken his chance he would have been man of the match.

“The problem is he is not confident in front of goal but I am sure if he gets one then more will come.”

Wilson must be hoping the same goes for his team as a whole with four games in the next eight days, starting against Crawley tomorrow.

The good news is that Matt Crabb should be fit while Nathan Crabb and Matt Smart could also play some part, although Sam Gargan is a doubt after limping off midway through the first half.

Salisbury: Bittner, Clohessy, Ruddick, Brough, Pearce, Bass (Davies, 84), Herring, Dutton, Clarke, Webb (Ademeno, 63), Griffin. Subs not used: Cox, Martin, Porter.

Booked: Ruddick.

Eastbourne: Hook, Austin, Baker, Pullan, Jenkins, Lovett (Jeffery, 78), Brown, Armstrong, Harding (Mingle, 84), Gargan (Wormull, 29), Tait. Subs not used: Jordan, M Crabb.