Bexhill United were battered into submission in a barrage of goals at Eastbourne United’s Oval ground on Saturday which saw the home side running out 8-3 winners in a game which at times was almost impossible to keep up with.
The opening ten minutes gave no indication of the rout that was to come as both teams looked lively enough as they sized each other up. On 12 minutes the floodgates opened with James Hull heading home easily from a Sam Scott corner to get the first of many for both him and his club.
On 17 minutes Rhyle Ovenden make it two and a couple of minutes later Hull got his second and pretty much killed the game with the easiest of tap-ins.
The travelling Pirates fans were given the smallest of windows of hope when Ryan Moir and Charlie Curran combined well to set up Jack Shonk halfway through the first half.
It gave Bexhill a bit of respite for the next 20 minutes until Hull notched his hat-trick just before the break and Koby Farrell made it 5-1 to Eastbourne before the ref blew for half-time.
Eastbourne clearly sensed there were more goals to be had against a shellshocked Bexhill defence and on 52 minutes James Hull made it four for him and six for his team. Every Eastbourne attack now looked like it would produce a goal and James Hull was making hay while the sun shines and on 70 minutes notched his fifth.
If there was any positives to take for Bexhill it was that they didn’t give up at the other end of the pitch despite the carnage around their own goal area.
On 75 minutes sub Will Saunders fed the ball out to Moir, who put in a great cross for Nathan Crabb to head home. Saunders then forced a good save from Alex Hobden and on 87 minutes he got his goal with a sharp finish.
Bexhill had pulled back a couple of goals to make it 7-3 but on 90 minutes Eastbourne gave it a final twist of the knife with Jorge Nones chalking up their eighth.
It was a ruthless exhibition of finishing by James Hull and Eastbourne United but for Bexhill it’s now a question of how the team to respond with Saturday’s home game against Lancing at the Polegrove a chance to get back on track.
