Eastbourne saw off Windsor 3:0 in the FA Cup's 2nd Round Qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The result gives the hosts a step further in the competition while extending their recent winning momentum. Windsor's visitors' form has been patchy, and this defeat adds to a run of heavy losses over the years.
Eastbourne have been finding ways to put points on the board of late. They beat Whitehawk 4:2 in their previous outing, and followed that with a 2:1 victory over Cheltenham. To be fair, they have lost as well — a 2:4 defeat to Tonbridge Angels and a 0:3 loss to Boreham Wood — but the three-goal margin here shows they can close out games.
Windsor's last match saw them thrash Holmesdale 5:1, which might suggest they were in scoring form. By then, however, they had already suffered a 0:2 defeat to Southall. Their record stretches back further with losses to Royal Wootton Bassett Town and a draw, then a 2:3 loss to Tavistock Rovers. The gap between results is noticeable.
What stands out is not just the scoreline but the pattern. Eastbourne pulled together enough to keep a clean sheet and move on. Windsor struggled to contain them, and the visitors have not always travelled to make up the numbers in previous seasons. The old head settled them down, perhaps, after a season of mixed results.
The victory leaves Eastbourne in the next stage while Windsor face more work. Three goals without reply is a statement, even if the competition remains early. The hosts can raise the tempo when they need to, and this performance suggests they are ready for whatever comes next.
