Bowers & Pitsea 3-1 Mildenhall Town

(Knight 22, Vyse 49, Leahy 61: Debenham 40)

From the Len Salmon Stadium

Isthmian North

BOWERS & Pitsea secured their place in the play-offs as a David Knight inspired display saw off Mildenhall Town.

Knight scored and claimed two assists as Bowers ran out 3-1 winners to ensure Bowers will finish in the Isthmian North play-offs as a minimum.

Mildenhall came racing out the traps and were the better side in the opening 15 minutes.

Some excellent defending from Lewis Manor blocked a strike past the far post before Calum Chafer was forced into the first save of the afternoon.

A curling strike from Jacob Brown looked to be finding the far corner until the stopper, making his 50th appearance for the club, dived to his left to push the shot to safety.

Bowers had been totally outplayed for 20 minutes but they were to take the lead.

Midway through the half Knight picked up a fortuitous deflection and broke into the penalty area, firing a fierce drive past Jake Hallett.

Bowers improved after that, with Knight and Manor the main threats in forward areas.

It was again against the run of play that the goal came. Andrew Ofoshu played a right wing cross towards the near post and Thomas Debenham struck powerfully and high beyond Chafer.

Bowers needed a response and it came four minutes into the second half. A right wing free-kick from Knight found the head of Vyse and his header dropped inside the far corner via the post.

Two became three after Mildenhall capitulated from a corner. Knight’s delivery was tapped across the face of the goal and Callum Leahy was on target from on the goal-line.

Ben Sartain and Fahad Nyanja hit the crossbar as the game edged towards its conclusion but it was comfortable in the end.

Bowers & Pitsea: Chafer, Boswell, Thomas, Stokes, Easterford, Leahy, Pinto (Dicks 60), Sartain, Knight (Salmon 85), Manor, Vyse (Nyanja 67)