Croydon Athletic produced a commanding, clinical performance on the road at The Saffrons, brushing aside Eastbourne Town with a resolute 3–0 victory.
The tone was set in a fiery opening spell that saw Cian Mccarthy pick up an early booking in the 7th minute. Croydon quickly settled into their rhythm, dictating the tempo across midfield through skipper Luke Dreher. The breakthrough arrived on 18 minutes when Josh Williams seized his moment, finishing smartly past Christopher Colin Winterton to silence the 292-strong home crowd.
Unforeseen first-half knocks tested the Rams’ depth, forcing early reshuffles as Luke O’Neill stepped in for David Boateng on the half-hour mark, followed shortly by Kadell Daniel replacing Noah Watson. Undeterred by the disruptions, Croydon doubled their advantage right before the interval. In the 40th minute, Jadan Raymond found space behind the Eastbourne backline and drove home a decisive strike to give the visitors a commanding 2–0 lead at the break.
The hosts pushed for a lifeline in the second period, but Amadou Tangara remained untroubled behind an organised defensive unit. With an hour gone, Jordan Johnson-Palmer was introduced to inject fresh energy into the attack. Seven minutes later, Brandon Pierrick delivered the knockout blow: bursting through in the 67th minute, he slotted past Winterton to seal all three points in emphatic style.
A triple substitution in the 73rd minute saw David Bremang and James Dunne enter the fray to help comfortably navigate the closing stages, ensuring a thoroughly deserved clean sheet on the south coast.
Eastbourne Town: Winterton, L. Greig (Hover 67’), Jack, H. Greig, Walker, Duah, Ruda (Walsh 60’), Summerbell (Plummer 73’), Capon (Hopkinson 73’), Rogers, Coleman (Powell-Downey 74’).
Croydon Athletic: Tangara, Watson (Daniel 39’), Raymond (Johnson-Palmer 60’), Dsane (Bremang 73’), Pierrick, Taylor, Dreher (C) (Dunne 73’), Williams, Mccarthy, Wynter, Boateng (O’Neill 30’).
Goals: Williams (18’), Raymond (40’), Pierrick (67’)
Cautions: Mccarthy (7’)
