Brentwood recorded their fifth successive league victory with a hard-earned win on the ground of the reigning league champions on Saturday.

They scored the only goal as early as the second minute when Jason Fairweather back headed a cross from Darren Hitchcock to Dave Stittle who hit a fierce shot into the net.

But before this Bowers had had three good chances to open the scoring and only some poor finishing and the excellence of Dave Pether in the Blues' goal kept them out.

Brentwood then settled down and it became an even game on a bumpy surface with far fewer chances than in those hectic opening minutes.

The second half saw Brentwood gradually take control of the game and their lead was rarely threatened with Bowers restricted to some long range shooting which Pether was more than capable of dealing with.

The mobility of Wayne Gannon was constantly causing the home defence problems and both he and Stittle had chances to put Brentwood ahead.

This result maintains Brentwood in fifth position in the Schweppes Essex Senior League with five games to play.

Their midweek game at Woodford Town on March 28 was postponed after it was discovered that the pitch at Clapton had been double booked and this game has now been rearranged for Tuesday, April 25.

Brentwood: Pether, Felstead, Simpkins, Brewington, Garneys, Taylor, Fairweather, Mead, Gannon, Stittle, and Hitchcock.

Brentwood Reserves recorded a 2-0 home win over Tilbury Reserves in the Essex & Herts Border Combination, Sam Bonham and Kristian Agyei-dua the Brentwood goalscorers.

Forthcoming fixtures: (Saturday) Schweppes Essex Senior League: Eton Manor v Brentwood (kick-off 3 pm at Barkingside FC). Essex & Herts Border Combination Division One East: Burnham Ramblers Reserves v Brentwood Reserves (3 pm). Mid-Essex League Division Two: Brentwood III v St Margarets (2.15 pm). Mid Essex Veterans League Division One: Burnham Ramblers Reserves v Brentwood Veterans (2.15 pm).

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