Bexhill Utd were battered into submission in a barrage of goals at Eastbourne Utd on Saturday afternoon, the home side running out 8-3 winners in a game which was almost impossible to keep up with.

The opening ten minutes gave no indication of the route that was about come as both sized each other up. On 12 minutes though 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.

Five minutes later Rhyle Ovenden made it 2-0 and just minutes later Hull got his second and pretty much killed off the game with the easiest of tap in’s.

The travelling Pirates fans were given the smallest of windows of hope when Ryan Moir and Charlie Curran combined to set up Jack Shonk mid-way through the first half which gave Bexhill a bit of respite for the next 20 minutes. However, just before the break Hull completed his hat-trick and Koby Farrel made it 5-1 to the home side before the referee blew for half time.

Utd sensed there were more goals for the taking against a shell-shocked Pirates defence and seven minutes into the half Hull added his fourth and a sixth for the home side.

Every Eastbourne attack now looked like it would produce a goal and Hull was making hay while the sun shines grabbing a fifth with 20 minutes left on the clock.

If there were 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 Moir’s cross was headed home by Nathan Crabb, Will Saunders then forced a good save from Alex Hobden before grabbing the Pirates third with three minutes left.

The visitors had a couple of opportunities to claw back more of the deficit but dead on 90 minutes Jorge Nones fired in the eighth of the afternoon.

It was a ruthless exhibition of finishing by Hull and Eastbourne Utd and for Bexhill it’s now a question of how the team respond with Saturday’s home game against Lancing at the Polegrove a chance to get back on track.

Courtesy of Geoff Morris.