Weymouth v Eastbourne Borough? It must beat painting a bedroom on a Saturday afternoon

With scheduled opponents Torquay in Cup action, there was no fixture for the Sports. But are football managers ever off duty? Ask Mark Beard. “Well actually, I spent a large part of the weekend painting my daughter’s bedroom! But we had already put in a really strong session last Friday, and after that, it was good to be able to give the players three days off, for some time with their families.

“We are gearing up for an extremely busy spell of games - eleven in 45 days, literally playing every Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday – so this is an important phase of the season. We are about a quarter of the season gone, and the league table hasn’t really shaken down – literally anyone can beat anyone.”

Beard, who always cuts a genial but focused figure, is steadily fashioning an effective, high-energy side who are finally turning purposeful play into chances – and chances into goals. Striker Zak Emmerson, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion, claimed a hat-trick last time out as the Sports came from behind to beat St Albans 3-2.

One of the purposes in Borough’s blank weekend was to ease some of the injured players back to fitness ahead of the trip to Weymouth and Tuesday’s home game with Dartford.

How did that work out? “Shiloh Remy is back to full fitness, so he will be in contention for a starting shirt at Weymouth. Brad Barry and Jack Clarke are getting closer all the time – and they are both really important players for us. Brad is our club captain of course, and Jack was arguably our best player in early season, so he will really give us a useful option in midfield.

“On the negative side, Alex Finney has an ACL injury. So we expect him to be missing until the New Year.”

Beard may also be sweating on the fitness of striker Callum Kealy – outstanding in the victory at St Albans City – who turned an ankle in training. But whatever line-up the Gaffer chooses, he expects the Sports to take the game to the Terras. “Yes, we will be looking to get on the front foot. We have looked carefully at Weymouth, and in particular we have studied their 2-0 defeat to Worthing. Our own playing style is very similar to Worthing’s and we believe we can set up to do the same.”

Beard will be hoping that the stormy weather of the last few days will abate, as his squad heads west for the Bob Lucas Stadium – which, like Borough’s own Priory Lane, is situated only a long throw-in from the coast. Chatting with your Herald reporter and CEO Alan Williams in midweek, the manager wondered aloud when he might expect a home game without the all too frequent gale blowing from end to end.

“Ah,” responded the CEO, “they obviously got it wrong when they first laid the pitch at the Lane! They should have turned it round by ninety degrees!” Oh, the buffeting crosswinds of non-League football…