Bowers & Pitsea 4-0 Barking

(Manor 5', 65', Easterford 45', Dicks 51')

From the Len Salmon Stadium

Isthmian North

BOWERS & Pitsea maintained their position in the Isthmian North automatic promotion places as they claimed a comfortable win over play-off chasing Barking.

Lewis Manor opened and completed the scoring for Rob Small's side, while John Easterford and Jamie Dicks were also on target.

Bowers raced into the lead with just five minutes on the clock.

David Knight saw his shot saved after linking up with Fahad Nyanja, but Manor was on hand to turn the rebound home.

Bowers had the ball in the net again just a minute later, but the goal was ruled out as Knight's cross was deemed to have gone out of play.

Nyanja was the next player to be frustrated by the linesman, as he scored on 11 minutes only to be ruled offside.

Barking beat Callum Chafer just past the half hour mark, but Kiernan Hughes-Mason's effort was disallowed as the attacker was offside.

The hosts doubled their advantage just before the break as Easterford rose highest to power home a Dicks corner.

Bowers notched their third of the game six minutes after the restart as Dicks found the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area.

That proved to be Dicks' last contribution as he was replaced by Callum Leahy, who has returned to the club after five weeks on the books of Aveley.

Manor completed his brace as he smashed past Barking goalkeeper Ollie Bowles after receiving a Martyn Stokes flick-on and Bowers remain five points off top spot.

Bowers & Pitsea: Chafer, Boswell, Thomas, M. Stokes, Easterford, Dicks (Leahy 54'), Salmon, Sartain, Knight (Ashman 76'), Manor (T. Stokes 66'), Nyanja