Bowers & Pitsea 7 Brightlingsea Regent 0

Isthmian League Premier, Tuesday 18th February 2020

Lewis Manor netted a hat-trick and Quentin Monville starred with a brace as Bowers & Pitsea crushed bottom side Brightlingsea Regent at The Len Salmon Stadium in their Isthmian League Premier contest.

The hosts sat 14^th in the division whilst a win for the visitors could of seen them leap out of the bottom three on goal difference, and it was the hosts who had the first dangerous attack when Monville flew down the right and sent a ball into the area which a defender missed but Manor could not anticipate this and the ball went behind him.

Bowers though didn’t have to wait long for the breakthrough after Ben Sartain curled a delightful effort beyond the reach of visiting keeper Charlie Turner, and moments later Bowers doubled their lead when after a Brad Warner effort had been saved by Turner, Monville headed the rebound into the net, and you felt it was going to be a long night for the struggling Regent.

Bowers were all over their opponents and should of made it three when a brilliant cross found Manor at the back post, but he could only head wide as it looked like he was surprised the ball had reached him, and then Monville got into the visitors box but was forced wide and his cutback just invaded all coming in.

The hosts then went close again as Manor rose to head a corner at goal, but his effort glanced off the bar and behind, and the visitors then managed their first shot of the contest on the half hour mark, although it didn’t trouble Callum Chafer in the Bowers net as Jake Gould’s effort was well wide of the target.

Bowers though did add a third eleven minutes before the break when Monville got in down the right and he fizzed a ball across goal for Manor to tap home right on the goal line, and then it was four just before the break as a lovely cross from Warner, who had put in some very decent balls in the half, found Callum Leahy at the back post and he volleyed home.

It had been a pounding from the home side and the visitors looked all at sea and totally out of their depth, and Bowers went into the break knowing the points were pretty much already theirs.

Half Time Bowers & Pitsea 4 Brightlingsea Regent 0

So how would contest pan out in the second period?  Would Bowers continue to look for goals to improve their goal difference, or would they ease up in the second period perhaps?  Or would Regent dig in and improve to try and ease the embarrassment so far?

Well, we soon had our answer as Bowers attacked through the dangerous Monville whose effort was deflected and required Turner to make a smart stop, and then Monville skipped past a sliding challenge to burst free down the right, but his ball in failed to find Manor and saw a defender clear out for a corner.

From that corner through, taken by Warner, Manor rose to power home his second of the game and Bowers fifth nine minutes after the break, and although Regent burst forward and saw Jake Clowsley fire wide of the hosts goal, that was pretty much the only other shot Regent were to have in the contest.

The hosts duly made it six just past the hour mark when guess who, yes that’s right, Monville, was played in and he rounded Turner before slotting into the far corner, and this turned out to be his final contribution of the match after he was taken off to save his legs for future games I assume. 

The visitors were no doubt happy to have seen the back of him after a brilliant display which had tormented the visitors from minute one.  The hosts had also made some other changes to freshen things up, and whilst they were adapting Regent did fizz a decent ball into the hosts box, but Chafer claimed a rare touch of the ball to thwart that attack.

With twenty minutes remaining though Manor headed home totally unmarked to complete his hat-trick and add a seventh for the hosts, it really was oh so easy for the striker who had no one anywhere near him.  You started to feel that Bowers could go on and make this a very embarrassing night for Regent if it already wasn’t by now.

The hosts then won a free-kick in a dangerous position but Warner went for glory and hit his effort way off target, and then one of the substitutes Tyrone Baker used his pace to get in on goal, but his effort was saved by Turner before a follow up effort almost looped over the keeper but he managed to save this too.

Baker then got in again before cutting inside onto his left foot, but the effort was put wide of the far post, the hosts could honestly have had double figures in this one.

They had to settle for seven though, but it was a brilliant night for them and a very poor one for the visitors who were well and truly dismantled here.  The win for Bowers sees them rise two places to 12^th whilst Brightlingsea remain bottom and three points from safety with their goal difference taking a hammering in this one.

Full Time Bowers & Pitsea 7 Brightlingsea Regent 0