Aveley and Eastbourne clashed in an exhilarating four-goal draw at Parkside on the season’s opening day.

From the whistle, the match was a thrilling spectacle. Chris Harris had an early strike which was well blocked on its way towards goal. Debutant Prosper Keto’s dynamic run won a corner for Aveley. The resulting set-piece saw Ollie Peters unleash a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.

Despite Aveley’s initial dominance, Eastbourne Borough seized the lead through their new acquisition, Terrell Egbri. The former Southend winger deftly capitalised on a rebound from Charlie Turner’s save, sending the ball into the net with precision.

Aveley had several opportunities in the first half, including a spectacular overhead kick from Matty Johnson, which was brilliantly thwarted by the Sports goalkeeper.

The hosts equalised just two minutes into the second half with Jayden Robinson’s thunderous strike from the edge of the penalty area, which rocketed into the top left corner, leaving the keeper with no chance.

The match remained fiercely contested, with both teams creating chances at either end. Gipson executed a remarkable last-man tackle to prevent Darren McQueen from scoring.

Yet, Eastbourne took the lead soonafter. With only five minutes remaining, Eastmond’s challenge in front of the Aveley dugout led to a long ball that Kai Corbett expertly finished, seemingly clinching victory for the Sports.

However, Aveley’s resilience shone through. In the dying moments, with just two minutes left, they levelled the score to share the spoils at Parkside. A precise cross to the back post found Chris Harris’ effort was saved it landed to Toby Aromolaran who calmly slotted the ball home from close range, ensuring a dramatic conclusion to the match.