Cole Dasilva scores direct from corner to earn Bishop’s Stortford 1-0 home win over Barwell in Southern League Premier Central

Cole Dasilva scored direct from a corner to earn Bishop’s Stortford a 1-0 home win over Barwell in the Pitching In Southern League, Premier Central on Saturday (November 23).

The Blues, who have won three league games in a row, sit 11th in the top half of the table, three points outside the play-offs and six above the drop zone.

Steve Castle’s side also kept their first clean sheet for 15 matches in all competitions.

Stortford are back in league action this Saturday (November 30) when they travel to sixth-placed Stratford Town.

Rashawn Scott made a bright start for the Blues and almost teed up James Collins before shooting wide from a tight angle.

The hosts also went close when Luke Warner-Eley’s strike drifted wide and Oli Oluwatimilehin’s rising shot from long range narrowly missed the top corner.

The Leicestershire-based visitors’ best first-half opportunities came towards the end of the period as Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton was denied by Blues captain Jake Thompson’s last-ditch block before Dean Master curled a free kick over the bar.

Stortford broke the deadlock six minutes after the interval when, shortly after Scott had seen an effort saved after a fine run, Dasilva beat goalkeeper William Highland with a wicked inswinging corner.

Highland then produced a great low save to tip the ball up and over the bar from Ryan Charles’ turn and shot.

Experienced Stortford defender Mark Haines was called upon to make two blocks to thwart Barwell substitute Riley Moloney.

The 16th-placed away side also went close when Brady Hickey’s long-range shot deflected off Oluwatimilehin and grazed the outside of the post and Leroy Lita headed over from inside the six-yard box.

The Blues also survived in added time as Anthony Church and Thompson both made great goal-line blocks.

And there was still time for Brad Russell to go close to doubling Stortford’s lead at the death as his shot was brilliantly saved by Highland.

Blues: Krasniqi, Dasilva, Warner-Eley, Oluwatimilehin, Thompson, Haines, Collins, Russell, Virciglio (Church 61), Charles (Evans 61), Scott (booked 65). Not used: Moutawafiq, Akinbulumo, Amu.

Barwell: Highland (booked 90+4), Fridye-Harper, Pepe-Ngoma, McManus (booked 90), Master (Moloney 61), Lita, Skeen-Hamilton, Hickey (Arthur 82), Hill, Rowe-Turner, Osbourne (Brown-Hill 58). Not used: Rogers, Ahmada.

Attendance: 332.