United will play Rushden and Diamonds in the Play-Offs after a 1-0 final game defeat at Eastbourne which preserved the home side's status for another season. Oxford old boy Simon Weatherstone's dramatic late penalty decided the match and sparked great scenes of joy among the home fans which The U's will want to see replicated by their own supporters on Bank Holiday Monday

United made changes to allow everyone to get sharp ahead of those play-offs, with Ryan Clarke, Chris Hargreaves, Anthony Tonkin, John Grant and Jamie Cook all returning to the starting line up under the watchful eye of Mickey Lewis and Andy Melville while Chris Wilder served a one match touchline ban.

The home side, unlike United hoping to stay in the division, had more to play for and you could sense the desparation at kick off as a bumper crowd saw Borough push forward and Matt Crabb flash the first effort of the afternoon wide of Clarke's right hand post after five minutes. United almost added to those nerves on eight minutes when Cook sidefooted at the keeper from the edge of the area after a neat set-up from the effervescent Deering, playing just behind the front two of Grant and Cook.

Grant's link up play was allowing Deering to join the action and resulted in a couple of half chances inside the first twenty minutes but the heat went out of the game despite the brilliant sunshine; the first corner of the match took 41 minutes to arrive and neither keeper was tested in the opening 45 minutes.The nearest we came was a curler from former United youngster Simon Weatherstone who curled a right footed effort narrowly wide of the left hand post in injury time but honours even was probably fair at the interval.

Eastbourne upped the tempo after the interval with results elsewhere conspiring against them and leaving them in the relegation places. Crabb inexplicably wafted a leisurely leg at the ball when clean through on 47 then Rooney (Luke not the other one) smashed a superb 25 yard shot off the underside of the bar with Clarke beaten.

United responded and started to push more men forward and both Cook and Grant showed great commitment up front to keep running despite the heat, creating plenty of tension for the home fans as the game got more and more stretched. Grant squandered a great chance on 80 as he missed his kick after racing clear after a missed header from the centre half, but then swivelled and hit a superb shot which was tipped over by keeper Nessling at full stretch after Hargreaves had kept the move alive. That save was to prove crucial.

Unbelievable tension for the home side, which should be something United can learn from, and in then end that tension led to the vital moment on 84 minutes. Sub Joe Benjamin was a long way from goal when he let fly with a speculative effort which Clarke would probably have been able to throw his hat on and stop. Unfortunately Creighton, with his back to the ball, was struck under the upper arm as the ball went past him and the linesman flagged immediately for a penalty. Up stepped Weatherstone and Eastbourne were 1-0 up and safe.

The home fans celebrated a famous win and escape. For United the tension was nothing compared to what is to come...

 Att: 2,634

Report by Chris Williams

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