Mile End Stadium boss calls on players to enjoy tonight’s match against the FA Vase semi-finalists

Sporting Bengal United boss Anwar Uddin has paid tribute to Essex Senior League rivals Bowers & Pitsea ahead of facing them this evening.

The east Londoners make the lengthy trip to the Len Salmon Stadium for their penultimate match of the season.

Bengal haven’t played for nine days, since the 1-0 loss at home to Ilford, but face a tough test tonight as they come up against a side that reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase and could well finish as champions.

Uddin said: “I take my hat off to the managerial team at Bowers. The achievement in the FA Vase was phenomenal. On top of that they have had to catch up with their league fixtures.

“They have actually had some incredible results considering they have had to play what seems like 50 times a week!

“It is another learning curve for us and to ask ourselves why are they doing so well and what are do we need to emulate to get to where they are?

“When you get to the point of the season where you can’t achieve anything in terms of promotion and you are in a comfortable position regarding safety it is all about learning and that’s what we’re doing.”

Bengal felt hard done by the last time they faced Bowers on October 14 when they suffered a 2-1 loss at the Mile End Stadium.

Uddin admits his side will enjoy the occasion tonight and hope to play their part in an exciting title race.

Bowers are currently third in the table, but have three games in hand on leaders Basildon United and trail them by just six points.

He added: “I thought when we played them before they were really lucky. They scored a goal which wasn’t given offside, but it definitely was. We had cameras filming and after watching it their forward was three-yards offside and that was late on.

“They were a class act, though, so we are going to enjoy facing them again. We are up against a team that reached the last four of the Vase. They could still finish as champions so we have nothing to lose.”