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Whyteleafe slumped to defeat against the Division's basement club for the second successive Saturday, this time Eastbourne Town, who were without a win in six league starts coming into this game.
Manager Stuart Massey chose to keep an unchanged side after an impressive 0-2 midweek victory at Dulwich Hamlet with plenty of width and two fast forwards in Paul Scott and Leon McDowall.
After a dour opening quarter hour, the visitors took the lead on 15 minutes when forward Chris Dicker was left unmarked in the Leafe area to latch on to a cross from the right and fire an emphatic volley home past keeper Rob O'Hara.
Moments later at the other end Lee Sidwell made a fine forward run and squared the ball on the edge of the box to Jordan Wilson, who hit a ferocious strike, brilliantly tipped over by keeper Russell Tanner.
Dicker almost doubled the lead three minutes later when much travelled Liam Baitup controlled a through pass on the edge of the area and laid the ball back, but this time Dicker fired wide of the post. Just after the half hour Dicker was again given space to respond first to a soft defensive header, curling the ball inches wide of O'Hara's upright.
On 34 minutes opportunity knocked for the hosts when Paul Scott burst into the Town area and was pulled back by defender Peter Featherstone when poised to shoot. The red card was shown and a penalty awarded, however young winger Sam Butler spurned his chance, firing the spot-kick wide of the post.
Butler almost made amends shortly before the break when Scott made a fine run down the right wing, cut back and delivered a perfect cross to the far post, Butler heading only narrowly wide.
Whyteleafe started the second half strongest as 10 man Eastbourne dug in to retain their lead. On 50 minutes Wilson lifted a pass high into the area and Scott's header hit the post, bouncing back and cleared by Town's stoic defence.
On the hour Butler hit a rasping drive from 20 yards that fizzed inches over the crossbar and three minutes later a Danny Oakins header from a Butler corner was pushed over his bar by Tanner, enjoying a fine afternoon between the sticks. Centre-back Fred Fleming headed the resultant corner just over the bar once again in an increasingly crowded area.
Leafe kept pressing for an equaliser and in time added on Oakins wasted the final opportunity, latching on to a high through ball on the edge of the area, but firing well wide of the advancing Tanner and an empty net.
Three much needed points rewarded a brave and determined Eastbourne display, leaving Manager Massey to ponder his Jekyll and Hyde team and the looming visit to the new basement club Chipstead in two weeks time after an FA Trophy weekend.
Whyteleafe: O'Hara, Aldous, Hammond, Fleming, Coleman R, Sidwell (Goodchild 60), Wilson, McDowall (Dimmock 80), Scott (Ikolodo 78), Oakins, Butler. Sub not used: Hancock.