Honours even on Danny Bloor’s return to Eastbourne Borough – the perfect outcome to the perfect storm?

If this was the perfect storm, it reached the perfect outcome. A high-paced, exciting contest swayed back and forth and end to end. The lead changed hands twice. And even in the added minutes, with two last-gasp corners at each end, either side might have claimed the three points. But neither deserved to go away empty-handed, and the final whistle saw respect and handshakes all round.

Eastbourne Borough v Welling United in pictures by Lydia and Nick Redman.

A 1500-plus crowd greeted Danny with warm applause as the former boss marched to the away dugout: a very slightly surreal little glimpse from the past. And these non-leaguers – a generally wise and wizened breed – who have joined Simon Leslie’s exciting new journey, will have been wise enough to recall that maxim that, in non-league, you always have rivals, but you never have enemies.

Welling had arrived with a number of Bloor’s former personnel in the squad and in the technical area. James Vaughan took the armband and anchored the midfield confidently, while Jack Burchell made some key interventions before being replaced late in the game by last season’s Eastbourne skipper, Mitch Dickenson.

Mark Beard’s admirable, thorough planning and match preparation has been undermined recently by injuries. This time, Alex Finney returned to take the captain’s armband, but Brad Barry was still missing, together with at least three others. Ben Dudzinski handed over the goalkeeping gloves to his talented young colleague Harrison Foulkes, who stepped up well.

And within fifteen minutes, Borough lost Leon Gravata, who has been arguably the team’s most dangerous attacker this season. The young wide player limped off to be replaced by an eager, lightning-quick DeCarrey Sheriff – and the home side spent much of the first half on the front foot.

But the visitors – who in past seasons have sometimes chosen clumping football over the beautiful game – were also catching the eye with swift transition and startling pace up front. With a stiff breeze at their back, Welling were playing a high and flat back line, and they almost took a fifth-minute lead when Tristan Abrahams curled a 30-yarder that clipped the crossbar. Then Antony Papadopoulos struck high, wide and less than handsome when well placed.

In between, the Sports were refused a big penalty shout when Sam Beard looked to be sent sprawling. And, with a masterful Jack Paxman purring through the gears in midfield, the home side started to take a real grip. Jay Beckford’s turn and shot was only inches wide, and then Yaser Kasim smartly grabbed possession in the Wings penalty area but bisected all the angles with the shot – or was it a pass?

Finney and the dependable Archie Procter were getting the measure of target man Abrahams – but they were suddenly scrambling when Jephte Tanga burst through three successive challenges and laid off to Abrahams, who stumbled at the key moment.

Pace, invention, chances – but we were approaching half-time with no breakthrough. A scorching 25-yard free-kick by Papadopoulos drew a fabulous full-stretch save from Foulkes – and then at the other end Welling shot themselves in the foot. A trip-come-shove on Sam Beard drew a penalty decision – on the soft side but correct – from referee Isaac Searle, and Sheriff coolly sent keeper Ben Winterbottom the wrong way from the spot. And off to the dressing rooms for tea and words of managerial wisdom.

The contest re-commenced with a Beard free-kick, just wide of the left post, and Wings responded with a couple of smartly taken corners. At 1-0, this game was still absolutely on edge, and a six-minute phase midway through the second half tipped it in the visitors’ favour.

First, Tanga grabbed a 66th-minute equaliser, snapping up a deflected defensive block from ten yards. Then Abrahams gave Welling the lead, hooking into the net from a couple of yards after Odusanya had headed a left-wing corner back into a jostling goalmouth.

It had been a crucial phase of the game. The visitors had certainly threatened in the first half, principally through their electric breakaway pace. But now Welling were also dominating midfield – and the Sports needed to adjust, re-shape and re-energise.

And Beard’s men did not disappoint the Priory Lane crowd. They pressed higher and turned the screw tighter – and with just five minutes left, they were level. Shiloh Remy – who had actually had one of his quieter afternoons as he works back from injury to full sharpness – began the move and finished. A sweeping pass from Shiloh found Alfie Bridgman on the right, and the wide-man’s raking cross was only half cleared – for Remy, pounding forward, to snap a triumphant finish into the Welling net from twelve yards.

A Desmond, then - 2-2, and honours even. And how short memories can sometimes be. Where just twelve months ago, the Wings’ previous manager had been at the epicentre of a huge unsavoury touchline brawl, this visiting Gaffer and his new Borough counterpart could shake hands warmly and genuinely – after a cracking game of football which had laid a few ghosts. And, for ninety minutes at least, the football did the talking.