Despite squandering a two goal half-time lead and having a last minute winner chalked off for a foul on the goalkeeper, City will probably reflect on this result as a point gained as they maintained their ten point advantage over fellow play-off contenders Eastbourne following a tense and closely contested 2-2 draw at Milton Road.

With injuries still limiting Gary Roberts’ selection options he named the same starting line-up that returned from Dorchester with a 0-0 draw at the weekend, teenage striker Michael Gash continuing to partner Dave Sadler in an attack still deprived of both Robbie Simpson and Jon Stevenson.

A recent run of good results has seen Borough climb to sixth in the table. On Saturday they scored a crucial 2-0 victory at Basingstoke courtesy of an Ollie Rowland double. Garry Wilson making one change, Danny Chapman, available again after suspension returning at the expense of on-loan Phil Warner in the back four.

The rousing musical accompaniment provided by both sets of supporters masked the tension of the occasion in what City expected to be their sternest test on home soil since the turn of the year.

However, any early nerves were dispelled with less than three minutes on the clock. After a low key opening to the game the quick thinking Matt Robinson played a through ball from the left back position into the path of Dave Sadler who had made an intelligent run across the Borough back line. With the visiting defence caught napping, City’s top scorer collected the ball and raced towards goal through the inside left channel before curling a lofted drive around the advancing Lee Hook, who, despite doing well to get a hand on the shot could not prevent it from nestling in the back of the net.

This was a dream start for the hosts and a visibly jolted Eastbourne took time to recover and gain any sort of foothold on proceedings. With fifteen minutes on the clock City came close to grabbing a second, Craig Pope’s low centre somehow found it’s way to an unmarked Sadler on the near post but the alert Hook did just enough to cause the former Hinckley hit man to put his effort across the face of the six yard box.

Ben Austin appeared to offer Borough their best attacking outlet. The former Eastbourne Town player doing well to get around Matt Robinson wide on the right before firing in a low cross which Darren Smith skied when well placed some ten yards from goal.

Austin was again the instigator when a good spell of pressure resulted in Lee Chaffey conceding a corner which Smith delivered forcing Matt Langston into a last ditch block to protect City’s lead.

With thirty five minutes played City almost benefited from the set piece routine which was the undoing of Crawley both home and away. Dave Sadler was felled in centre filed and Craig Pope sent the resultant free kick arrowing towards Matt Langston, the Lilywhites’ skipper out-jumped Lee Hook and seemed destined to have netted with a flicked header until Stuart Tuck made a great recovery and hooked the ball off the line.

Just as it seemed that City had done enough to go in at the interval 1-0 ahead they received the massive boost of a second goal with the 45 minutes as good as up. A controlled passing move involving Matt Robinson, Michael Gash and Dave Sadler resulted in a corner on the City right. Matt Robinson’s near post delivery seemed to unsettle Hook who had one eye on the Lilywhites advancing central defenders and as the keeper failed to collect Lee Chaffey rose to send a glancing header into the far corner of the net.

Despite a less than convincing half City found themselves with a very healthy two goal lead.

However, the break in play seemed to come at completely the wrong time for the hosts as Borough tore into them after the interval. Penned into their own half City were grateful to see Loui Fazakerley’s head flash narrowly wide of the post as he launched himself at Yemi Oudabe’s cross.

As it transpired this was just a foretaste of what was to come, within a minute of that near miss Eastbourne had halved the deficit. City carelessly conceded possession in the inside left position which allowed Borough to free speed merchant Oudabe wide on the visitors’ right. Lee Summerscales appeared to give up the chase in the expectation that Matt Langston would step out from the centre of defence to deal with the danger. The result was that both players stopped short allowing the Yeovil loanee to burst into the space between them and fire across Duncan Roberts from the edge of the box and into the far corner of the net, thus becoming the first player to score a league goal against the Lilywhites since Tom Beech’s strike for St Albans on New Year’s Day.

Worse was to follow however as with the half a mere twelve minutes old Eastbourne had turned the game on its head by netting for a second time. City again gave the ball away cheaply in midfield allowing Darren Baker to release Oudabe once more, this time he had drifted in from wide on the right losing Matt Langston in the process and with sublime skill took the ball down and volleyed high and wide of a stranded Duncan Roberts. At this stage there appeared only one team who could go on to win the game.

City managed to consolidate to a certain extent and continued to pose a threat from dead ball situations. A foul on Carl Williams gave Matt Robinson another free kick opportunity wide on the right, he again picked out Matt Langston who saw his powerful downward header hacked to safety by the outstretched boot of Stuart Tuck.

The loss through injury of Darren Smith did little to halt Eastbourne’s forward momentum however and following his goal saving intervention at one end Tuck went forward for a left sided corner at the other and angled a header across the face of goal. City could only partially clear and as the ball was played back in from the right Tuck went full length to power a header wide of Roberts only for the giant ‘keeper to plunge to his left and pull off the kind of wonder save that he now seems to be able to produce in almost every game.

Despite being under the cosh for more than twenty minutes City then carved out an opportunity that could have seen them regain the lead. Matt Robinson played the ball into the feet of Josh Simpson, who, from the edge of the box, set up Dave Sadler with a deft lay-off. In search of his seventeenth goal of the season the City marksman produced a neat turn to gain a yard on Danny Chapman but with his left foot, placed his drive too close to Lee Hook who dropped gratefully onto the ball.

Gary Roberts then made a double change in order to deny Eastbourne space on the right flank which had proved to be the launch pad for their revival after the break. Lee Summerscales and Michael Gash made way for Brady Stone and Dale Binns respectively. Stone slotted in alongside Matt Langston allowing Lee Chaffey to move to the left with Dale Binns in front of him, Matt Robinson moving inside to partner Dave Sadler.

Oudabe still looked like the most likely match winner however and with just over a quarter of an hour remaining he dragged Matt Langston out the left of the City box before turning back inside and firing narrowly wide.

Strengthening the left side effectively quelled the Eastbourne threat however, with Lee Chaffey delivering a man of the match display for the hosts and Binns’ pace keeping Darren Baker fully occupied the game tightened up considerably.

With City’s punishing recent schedule taking its’ toll on tired legs Richard Scott was introduced for Rob Miller as the Lilywhites consolidated their position. There was to be one final scare however when Oudabe battled his way through the challenges of both Langston and Stone only to be thwarted by the alert Duncan Roberts who was off his line smartly to block with his legs.

Just when it seemed both sides had settled for a share of the spoils there was almost a final twist in the tale. A good combination between Josh Simpson and Carl Williams won City an injury time corner on their right. Matt Robinson again chose to go near post with his delivery, Lee Hook was again unnerved by the physical presence of Matt Langston and spilled the ball allowing the City skipper to scramble home from close range. The celebrations were cut short by a flagging assistant referee who spotted an infringement on the ‘keeper. Despite City protestations referee Mr Henry backed the decision and blew for time moments later.

Although second best for much of the second half a visibly tired City side battled gamely for a point against their in-form visitors. Gary Roberts will hope that the energy levels of those on duty can be recharged ahead of Saturday because with his small, injury-hit squad stretched to the limit, he will almost certainly have to rely on the same players to try and extend an impressive eleven match unbeaten run.