United moved further clear at the top of the table with a comprehensive win over Eastbourne this afternoon. All four strikers hit the target, the defence kept a clean sheet and the midfield were great. If Carlsberg did home performances...

Zipping the ball around with tempo United started well with Adam Murray at the heart of just about every move and the front three of Constable, Green and Cook all willing runners.

Eastbourne looked solid and organised and had the best two chances of the irst fifteen minutes with Simons Weatherstone and Johnson both wasting great positions when they got clear sights of goal, but those misses were costly and from then on United started to hit their stride and dominate play.  Murray's superb free kick from near the left touchline on 21 was heading in until Michael Jordan tipped it over, Constable barrelled through and saw a shot deflected wide, and then on 25 came the breakthrough.

Jamie Cook provided that bit of class you need to unlock a defence with a reverse pass for the overlapping Damian Batt. He reached the goalline and cut the ball back and Green thrashed the ball home at the near post at the second attempt.

Three minutes later and it was start the car time. The ebulilent Bulman chipped the killer ball through this time and as soon as the ground realised that it was Constable in behind the defence and clear on goal the air of expectation turned to inevitability.  Constable turned and with the detached air of a professional hit man drilled the ball into the left hand corner of the net to make it 2-0. Eight for Constable for the season, five for Green and plenty more to come.

Green and Constable were the names on the scoresheet but it was the other striker, Cook, causing problems with his tricks and movement. One move on 41 saw Murray spray the ball forward and Cook twist a defender inside out before teeing the ball up for Constable, only for his shot to be blocked by Ben Austin. Cook was sure to score and on 45 it was 3-0 as Constable got to the deadball line and set up Sandwith for a deep, swinging cross. Cook, all alone, headed the ball up and over the keeper and it was 3-0 at the break and job just about done.

The one outstanding question was whether United could make it six clean sheets in a row and that became the focus of the second half as United visibly eased up before the finishing line.

It took a fine save from Clarke to deny Weatherstone early in the second half, then a great clearance from Foster and a block on the line from Simon Clist to deny Borough three times inside the first twenty minutes. Credit to the visitors who kept going and created more clear chances and on 72 it took another good block from Clarke to deny Matt Crabb from eight yards. Crabb then smashed a shot against the outside of the post on 76 and United's defence had been given a real test, perhaps unexpected at half-time.

That relaxation will have annoyed Chris Wilder but truth be told the first half had been excellent and the second was all about seeing things through. United did so, and might have made it four as Adam Chapman saw a close range effort saved on 82. No matter. On 87 Jack Midson sealed a fine win with the perfect end as he waltzed past two tired looking challenges and cracked the ball home for his first goal for the club (it won't be his last).

Professional and comprehensive. On to the next game...

Att: 5,688

Away: 66

Report by Chris Williams

Hear the key men and see Highights in Yellow Player

See it all in Gallery