Essex Senior League: Imrul Gazi excited for Sporting Bengal United to face another top side in Southend Manor
Sporting Bengal United striker Oscar Almeida Mendes fires home his second goal against Redbridge (pic: Tim Edwards). - Credit: Archant
The east Londoners defeated Redbridge last weekend after drawing with FC Romania last month and are keen to back it up again on Saturday
A Sporting Bengal United player tries his luck from outside the area against Redbridge (pic: Tim Edwards). - Credit: Archant
Sporting Bengal United manager Imrul Gazi expects his players to give Southend Manor a good test this weekend and hopes it will be enough to claim a positive result.
The east Londoners travel to the Arena Stadium off the back of an impressive 2-0 win over local rivals Redbridge on Saturday.
Fourth from bottom Bengal will be underdogs for the game at Manor, who are currently fourth in the table having been second for large parts of the campaign.
Gazi said: “My players love these games. They relish going up against the bigger teams and we’ve struggled against the sides around us.
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“We have a settled squad now and every club in the top eight know they have been in a battle with us if we have played them recently. You ask the likes of FC Romania, Barking or Clapton and they will all say we have made it difficult.
“We have competed and hopefully we do the same this weekend at Southend Manor because yet again we will be underdogs.
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“But if I have my best squad out then I believe we can give them a game and hopefully we can get a positive result – that is the target.”
The previous meeting between the two clubs on December 3 saw Manor run out 4-0 winners at the Mile End Stadium.
Gazi has made several changes to his squad since then and it has resulted in an upturn in results.
Bengal will look to take another stride forward in their development this Saturday by trying to achieve a good result away to a strong team.
“Southend Manor are a top four side, so this weekend is going to be difficult,” said Gazi.
“We played them in December and lost 4-0, but we have a very different squad now compared to then.
“Only three or four of that team are still involved, so we have made a lot of changes since the turn of the year and it has been a learning curve for me.
“January was a case of out with the old and in with the new and it has worked and paid dividends.
“I can safely say this is my squad now where as before I was using players from years gone by and I think there legs were gone really.
“Once I released it was all about results and nothing else, things changed and I have been more pragmatic and it’s worked.”