Saturday 9th April
PITCHING IN ISTHMIAN NORTH
HULLBRIDGE SPORTS 1 – 4 BRENTWOOD TOWN
Brentwood consolidated their position in the play-off position with a comfortable win at Hullbridge on Saturday. Three first half goals set them on their way and there is now six-point gap between fourth-placed Brentwood and the three clubs who are just outside the play-off places.
Both goalkeepers were tested in the opening five minutes with Harry Girling dealing comfortably with a shot from ex-Brentwood forward Tony Stokes and home keeper Lewis Greene doing likewise with Jai Reason’s effort.
The visitors took the lead in the nineteenth minute when Rob Harvey headed in from Jake Gould’s deep cross from the left. The second goal came on the half hour when Reason worked an opening with Harvey and Reason’s shot from a tight angle was not held by Greene and Matt Cripps tapped in from close range.
Reason made it 3-0 seven minutes before half time with a powerful left foot drive into the top corner and Tom Richardson was denied by a save by Greene before the interval.
Ashley Nzala put Brentwood into an even more commanding position after 53 minutes after a quick break ended with Nzala finding the bottom corner of the goal.
After already using their three substitutes, Brentwood had to play the last twenty minutes with ten men after full back James Love had to come off injured.
Hullbridge reduced the arrears in the 80th minute when the impressive George Smith found the top corner with a fine strike and deep into stoppage time a header from Stokes hit the post, but Brentwood were still comfortable winners.
Brentwood Town: Girling, Love, Gould, Humphrey, Cripps, Reason, Harvey (Craddock 61), Hogan (Ogunleye 61), Richardson (Wright 65), Kendall, Nzala.
