Following a ‘red eye’ flight, the match started cautiously with an exchange of short corner goals, with Peter Taylor putting Jersey ahead, followed by a debatable equaliser by the south coast opposition.
Upping the pace and ball speed Jersey took control of the game with tight, passing play, scoring through Conrad Evans, ‘roofing’ a rebound from a short corner strike, Nick Taylor tapping in following an intricate one-two with Richard Ward and a début goal whipped in by Julian Gale.
Comfortably in control at the break Jersey charitably let Eastbourne back in to the match conceding two soft goals shortly after the resumption.
Showing the pedigree of a good side, Jersey shrugged off some poor play re-establishing a comfortable lead through goals from Rob Hurry, scored with pace and vision, and a cunning short corner strike by skipper Paul Masterton through between the goalies’ pads.
While the game grew testy, it was put out of reach of the tiring home side with Peter Taylor calmly netting a penalty stroke, after Mark Bailey’s short corner pole-axed a defender on the line.
Bailey followed with a short corner on his own, complimented by final goals from Richard Ward and Gale again.
A true ‘curate’s egg’ of a game, good in parts but certainly too good for Eastbourne and good enough to see Jersey through to the last 16 where they face Bath away.
Jersey: Paul Duckworth, Paul Milton, Jan Collins, Jonathan Morley-Kirk, Richard Ward, Conrad Evans, Paul Masterton, Peter Taylor, Mark Bailey, Rob Hurry, Julian Gale, Nick Taylor.
