Essex Senior League: Tower Hamlets 3 Barking 0

Barking and Dagenham Post: Barking boss Mick O'Shea. Pic by Terry GilbertBarking boss Mick O'Shea. Pic by Terry Gilbert (Image: Archant)

Tower Hamlets kept their title push on track while sending inconsistent Barking to defeat at Mile End Stadium last night.

Hamlets, held to a goalless draw by east London rivals Clapton in front of a crowd of 195 on Saturday, took the lead in the 21st minute through Joe Killingback.

And the home side quickly doubled their advantage as Luke With netted four minutes later.

Barking, beaten 2-1 at home by Sporting Bengal at the weekend after a 4-0 win over high-flying Enfield last midweek, could not find a response and conceded a third goal four minutes from time as Kane Wilson struck.

Victory took Hamlets to within three points of leaders Great Wakering, with a game in hand.

They could pull level at the top with victory at Greenhouse tomorrow, but have an inferior goal difference to Great Wakering.

Barking, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from their double derby defeat when they visit basement boys London Bari at the Old Spotted Dog on Thursday.

But manager Mick O’Shea will not let his players go into that fixture in a complacent frame of mind as improving Bari have taken four points from their last two matches.

Hamlets: Hatton, Ling, Gillard, Willis, Taylor, Brown, Killingback, Demetriou, Morgan, Hickford, With. Subs: Edwards, Brown, Abdisamad, Wilson.

Barking: Martinsen-Hickman, Baker, Barlow, Rix, McLeavy, O’Shea, Ola, O’Brien, Bush, Butler, Foster. Subs: Creed, Owusu, Staunton, Horvath.

*Clapton are due to welcome Basildon to the Old Spotted Dog tonight, while London APSA visit Enfield.

Sporting Bengal play host to Eton Manor tomorrow as the fixtures start to come thick and fast for all clubs, following a raft of postponements during the extremely wet winter months.