Gaffer Garry deserves top award

Lovett scored his first goal in Blue Square premier as Grays joined Stevenage, Lewes, Northwich and Forest Green in failing to take any points off Borough this year.

The win keeps Borough on course for a place in the top half of the table in their debut season in non-league’s top flight.

That is an amazing achievement considering Borough were among the favourites to go straight back down in August.

Danny Brown had used the Cambridge United matchday programme to push Wilson’s case for recognition when the awards are dished out and Lovett has backed that view up.

The midfielder said: “When you look at the job Garry and Nick (Greenwood, assistant manager) have done it is remarkable really.

“We are one of only six part-time clubs in the division and with the resources we have got we shouldn’t be able to compete with the big boys.

“But we have surprised everyone I think with how well we have done. Nobody would have expected us to stay up so comfortably and even be pushing for a place in the top half.

“At the start of the season we looked at the fixture list and wondered where we were going to get out points from but now we think we can beat anybody.

“That shows how well we have adapted this season and a lot of credit for that must go to Garry and Nick because they have had to adapt and prove themselves too.”

Borough’s success this season was highlighted by the fact they secured their safety nine games ago while Grays are still desperately in need of points to avoid the drop.

The visitors are full-time and have the likes of former Crystal Palace midfielder Tommy Black and ex-Ipswich defender Fabian Wilnis in their ranks.

They were made to look second best in the opening quarter of an hour, though, as Borough took the game by the scruff of the neck.

The visitors were not helped when goalkeeper Stuart Arnold went down clutching his knee after just five minutes and had to be replaced by Rob Beckwith.

Beckwith was then at fault for the opening goal as he was slow off his line as Jack Jeffery burst through and, although he made the block, the ball fell kindly for Lovett to slot into the empty net.

Borough lost their way after that and the bold introduction of Black after just 26 minutes proved pivotal.

Andy Pugh had already headed against the bar from a Jamie Taylor cross but there was no reprieve just before the interval as the former Horsham striker picked out Black at the far post to nod home.

Borough regained the lead five minutes after the break when referee Andrew Sainsbury adjudged Wilnis had shoved Allan Tait in the back inside the area to the disgust of the Grays players.

Paul Armstrong was relieved to convert his second penalty in three days after Beckwith had touched his effort on to the inside of a post.

Sainsbury then turned down a stronger appeal for a penalty when Wilnis sent Tait flying in the area and that almost proved costly as Borough struggled to kill off the game.

Matt Crabb and Jack Jeffery both wasted good chances while Tait was denied by a reflex save from Beckwith.

Grays kept pushing forward in search of an equaliser but their task was made harder with ten minutes to go when Pugh was shown a straight red card for an ugly challenge on Matt Crabb.

Wilson said: “We were terrific for the first 20 minutes and got the goal but for some unknown reason we went flat after that.

“We have had an enormous amount of games recently and that takes its toll but we still want to finish the season strongly and the lads have kept going well.”

Eastbourne: Jordan 5, Austin 7, Baker 7, Pullan 8, Jenkins 7, Lovett 7, Brown 8, Armstrong 6 (Smart, 90), M Crabb 6 (Harding, 90), Tait 6 (N Crabb, 78), Jeffery 6. Subs not used: Mingle, Wormull .

Booked: Lovett, Brown.

Grays: Arnold (Beckwith, 8), Long (Slabber, 72), Stuart, Wilnis, Beavan, Hudson-Odoi (Black, 26), Thurgood, Cogan, Welsh, Taylor, Pugh. Subs not used: Jones, Davis.

Booked: Thurgood.

Sent off: Pugh.

Referee: Andrew Sainsbury (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 1,305.

Man-of-the-match: Danny Brown.