BOWERS & Pitsea romped to a 12th consecutive win in the Essex Senior league after thrashing Stansted 6-1.
Bowers were in superb form, with braces apiece from Jamie Salmon, Lewis Manor and Rob Whitnell sending them into fifth in the league, and earning them lavish praise from the Stansted manager Paul Attfield.
Attfield took to Twitter to say “Will admit Bowers & Pitsea are at a completely different level to anyone else we have played this season. Team would challenge a league higher!”
And they started well, with Ross Adams rattling the Stansted crossbar with a header in the first half.
But Rob Small didn’t have long to wait for his side to take the lead, with Salmon sprinting through and chipping the goalkeeper after 10 minutes.
Stansted equalised against the run of play with a fine free-kick although Bowers re-took the lead straight from kick-off, with Whitnell smashing a fine effort from the edge of the penalty area.
It was 3-1 on the stroke of half-time after Manor headed home Alfie Hilton’s centre and Bowers added three further strikes in the second period.
Whitnell was denied his second by a fine block, although the striker had the composure to find Salmon who slotted home at the far post.
Salmon returned the favour soon after when he fed Manor to grab his second of the night and Whitnell converted a penalty late on after Tom Hine was brought down.
Bowers host Barking on Saturday, who sit joint top of the division.
Elsewhere, Hullbridge Sports won back to back matches thanks to a solitary goal from Charlie Little.
Eton Manor were undone by Little’s strike just after the half hour mark, after they had seen an earlier effort cleared off the goal line.
Manor, who were struggling near the bottom of the division, were denied by Hullbridge goalkeeper Crawford Plenderleith and, despite some late pressure, Sports held out for the points.
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