Stevenage Borough sent a clear message to league leaders Oxford United with a devastating six-goal mauling of Eastbourne Borough at Priory Lane on Tuesday evening. The rout, which included a second-half hat-trick from substitute Mitchell Cole brought them within a point of the leaders.

 

There was no sign of the rout to come when Mark Roberts gave them the lead shortly before the interval, but the relentless pressure eventually paid dividends as they ran in five second half goals to earn the three points.

 

There were two changes to the starting 11 with the injured Ronnie Henry and Lee Boylan were replaced by Peter Vincenti and Yemi Odubade. There was no Tim Sills either, absent through illness.

 

The first chance came to Borough in the tenth minute when Vincenti race through the right channel chasing a flick from Beardsley, but Danny Knowles raced from his line to block his shot. Stevenage continued to hold sway and the next chance went to Bridges, who headed just wide from a cross by Odubade.

 

Borough had a scare ten minutes before the interval when Jamie Taylor swung a cross in from the left that deceived Day and crashed off the top of the bar.

 

Borough took the lead five minutes before the interval with a freekick straight off the training ground. With Eastbourne expecting a direct shot, Byrom slide the ball wide of the wall to the onrushing Laird who squared for Roberts to slide home from six yards.

 

Borough doubled their advantage two minutes into the second period when Bridges rose at the far post to head a freekick from Byrom back across the goal and into the corner of the net.

 

It was three 20 minutes from time when Knowles and his defenders got themselves in a jam. The goalkeeper came out of his box to clear a through ball from substitute Stacy Long, there was some confusion with his defence, Beardsley blocked his clearance and recovered quickest to sweep the loose ball home from 20 yards.

 

It got worse for the home side ten minutes from time when Beardsley chased a long through ball and was hauled down by Darren Baker just inside the area. The referee had no choice but to point to the penalty spot and show the defender a red card. Substitute Mitchell Cole made no mistake from the spot, firing high to the goalkeeper’s right.  Eddie Odhiambo almost made it five with his first touch after coming on as a substitute, racing into the box to get on the end of a cross from Beardsley, he scuffed his effort from close range.

 

But it was soon to be five as Cole swept home from close range for his second to convert a delightful cross from Odhiambo. Cole grabbed his hat-trick moments later, racing clear onto a Long through ball to clinically slot the ball past Knowles.

 

STEVENAGE BOROUGH (4-4-2) C Day – J Ashton, M Albrighton, M Roberts, S Laird – P Vincenti (Sub: S Long, 63), D Bridges, M Bostwick, J Byrom (Sub: E Odhiambo, 83) – C Beardsley, Y Odubade (Sub: M Cole, 71). Substitutes not used: A Bayes, D Maamria. Booked: