fixtures and results | home page
Whyteleafe surrendered a two goal lead on a wet and greasy pitch at Eastbourne and remain in search of their first point of the new campaign.
The hosts started the brightest, the sweet left foot of Gary Brockwell twice testing Leafe keeper Rob Tolfrey from distance in the driving rain. It was Whyteleafe, however, who took the lead when debutante Riccardo Williams crossed from the right, Cedric Kabongo bravely stole the ball from advancing keeper Russell Tanner and Sean Rivers slid the ball home on 17 minutes.
The visitors dominated the rest of the half with Williams twice heading on target and a 30th minute Kabongo cross bundled away by a flustered Town defence. Minutes later Michael Riley made a fine run and cross down the right leaving Rivers a close range volley but sadly it went high and wide. It was Williams who made it two-nil on 37 minutes with a magnificent finish from 20 yards into the top corner.
Tolfrey was twice more tested by Brockwell from distance, but handled well in the challenging conditions, giving Leafe a comfortable lead at the break.
Eastbourne emerged with fresh purpose for the second forty-five with Steve McNamara hacking the ball off the Leafe line on 50 minutes and Tolfrey making a fine double save on the hour. The dangerous Brockwell fired home from the edge of the box on 63 minutes and shortly after provided a low cross into the box that saw McNamara heavily challenging a Town forward - and fortunate not to concede a penalty.
Eastbourne dominated now and it was Danny Simmonds who grabbed the equaliser on 70 minutes from a free kick, completing the Leafe misery with another four minutes later tapping home in a crowded box. The visitors offered no new offensive action from this point, only a Tolfrey save and a brave Riley block preventing further misery for manager Stuart Massey.
Whyteleafe: Tolfrey, Riley, Hudson, Reeve, McNamara, Castrechino, Smith, Goodchild, Rivers, Williams (Lapierre), Kabongo (Barry). Other sub: King.
fixtures and reports | home page