Cundy header enough to see resolute City edge past The Sports

A first half header from Robbie Cundy was just enough to secure a first home league win since early September for the Romans against Eastbourne Borough this afternoon. The visitors can consider themselves somewhat unfortunate to be returning to Sussex empty-handed but they couldn’t find a way past a resolute City defence despite enjoying the better of the second half. Neither side had really been able to impose themselves on the game during a low-key first half with set-pieces looking the most likely to break the deadlock at both ends of the pitch. One great run from Michee Efete ended with a scuffed shot from Ross Stearn failing to trouble Smith in the Borough goal but on 36 minutes what turned out to the winning goal arrived from a corner. Adam Mann swung the ball over where Cundy’s header seemed to take an age to loop toward goal before dropping just under the crossbar. This heralded a strong end to the half for City as Frankie Artus headed another cross wide with Sean Rigg better placed behind him and keeper Smith just beating Mann to a long ball pass forward. The second half saw Eastbourne press City back as the hosts struggled to keep possession. Chances were few and far between though and midway through the half a quick throw-in by City saw Efete get a shot in that Smith did well to block on his near post. In the end it was almost a mix-up in the City defence that gifted Eastbourne a equaliser only for Ryan Clarke to superbly block Gardiner’s point blank effort. This was the last real scare for City and they saw the rest of the game out with few alarms.