Report
A goal apiece from Billy Read and Billy Cove gave Leyton Pennant a vital win on Saturday and brought their productive partnership up to 50 goals this season.
But it was the Lilywhites’ no-nonsense defending that restricted Barton Rovers to a handful of chances and allowed the strike force of Read, Cove and Adrian Allen to do the damage at the other end.
On the half-hour mark, Pennant took the lead with a goal that was very much route one. Goalkeeper Shaun O’Neill’s kick cleared the last Barton defender and Read clipped the ball with the outside of his right foot, looping it over the stranded keeper and into the empty net.
Barton’s only real period of pressure came early in the second half and, despite the tricky conditions, O’Neill was able to deal comfortably with everything that was thrown at him. He got down well to smother a long-range effort and followed that up by grabbing the ball at the feet of an advancing attacker.
Pennant had to wait until the 71st minute to secure the points, Cove picking up a loose ball, advancing to the edge of the area and firing home an unstoppable shot.
Lilywhites manager Lyndon Lynch said: “In our last two home games, we didn’t do well at all and we seem to do well only when we’re playing away. I’m thinking of hiring a coach to pick our players up from Walthamstow Central and take them to Wadham Lodge for home games too.
“It was good to see Read back in action again too. He and Cove have done well this season but I have to remind them that I hit 50 on my own in one season for Bishop’s Stortford as a player.”