Haringey Borough 5–4 Bowers & Pitsea

(Durojaiye 7’, Gabriel 12’, Macdonald 31’, 53’, Benjamin 82’: Warner 27’, 87’ Manor 72’, Stokes 90’)

From Coles Park

Ryman North

BOWERS & Pitsea’s play-off hopes are all but over after they lost a nine-goal thriller to Ryman North play-off rivals Haringey Borough.

Haringey won 5-4, with Bowers launching a comeback too late after some poor defending had cost them on more than one occasion.

It was a huge game in the race for the play-offs, and it was Haringey that made the early running.

Less than 10 minutes were on the clock when they took the lead. As has been the way in recent weeks, a defensive lapse in concentration saw Bowers fall behind.

A weak back pass was picked up by Scott Olu Durojaiye and he sprinted through and powered beyond the dive of Martyn Guest.

And five minutes later it got worse. Ralston Gabriel was gifted far too much room and he struck into the corner.

Guest tipped a shot around the post as the pressure continued to grow but a moment of magic brought Bowers back into it.

Brad Warner picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled a delightful strike into the top corner.

But, on the half hour, Haringey restored their two goal lead. Anthony Macdonald took advantage of slack marking to power into the net.

Bowers had been second best and that continued after the break.

Macdonald scored from close range, with only Guest’s heroics stopping a fifth goal finding the net, with Bowers gifted a lifeline with 20 minutes remaining.

Lewis Manor’s strike appeared to be a comfortable one but Will Viner let the ball roll through his legs and over the line.

Chris Benjamin made it 5-2 with seven minutes remaining to end the clash, with Warner’s late free-kick too little too late.

Martyn Stokes scored a fourth for Bowers in an extraordinary game but they couldn’t get another.

Bowers & Pitsea: Guest, Clark, Cross, Stokes, Wilson, Salmon, Manor, Leahy, Knight, Warner, Russell (Hilton 46’)