Barking get better of Sporting Bengal
PUBLISHED: 08:28 16 April 2017 | UPDATED: 08:28 16 April 2017
Barking's James Peagram fires goalwards (pic Terry Gilbert)
Archant
Barking 2 Sporting Bengal 1
Essex Senior League champions Barking closed in on a century of points with a slender win over their east London rivals at Mayesbrook Park.
Crowned a week earlier after a 5-0 win at bottom club Burnham, they were made to work hard by Imrul Gazi’s Bengal, but goals from leading scorer James Peagram and Joe Pearman proved enough to take Blues to 97 points.
Yaya Embalo replied from close range for the visitors, but it was only a consolation as Peagram took his tally for the campaign to 45 – and 72 in total for the club – and Pearman became the fourth Barking player to hit the 20-goal mark this term, along with Petrit Elbi (21) and Omari Delgado (20).
And Barking, who are eight points clear of second-placed Clapton at the top of the table, will hope to bring up 100 points when they visit Southend Manor on April 22, before closing the season at home against Stansted a week later.
A second successive defeat for Bengal leaves them in 19th place with only a trip to Hullbridge to come on the last day of the season.
Neighbours Tower Hamlets, meanwhile, fell to a ninth straight defeat as they were edged out 3-2 by Enfield, for whom Khadean Campbell (2) and Alex Salmon netted.
Ade Abayomi’s young side are sitting in 20th place and end their season with a trip to Mayesbrook Park to take on West Essex next weekend.
Barking: Hatton, Wackers-Kyriacou, Tarbard, Taylor, Rix, O’Brien, Oshin, Watters, Peagram, Pearman, Elbi.
