Brentwood Town fell to their second straight defeat as they remain fourth after they lost 3-1 at home to Barkingside at the Brentwood Arena.
Calvin Poku’s brace has kept Barkingside’s survival hopes alive, as they now close the gap to one point off safety with two games remaining.
Sherwin Stanley took the lead with a first half header, Barkingside equalised in the second half from a Lee Weemes close range shot. The away side took the lead shortly after through Poku and claimed the three points in injury time with his second.
Brentwood had the first real chance 16 minutes in, as a loose ball was flicked back into the box and defender Ryan O’Rawe kept onside, took it round the keeper but just over ran the ball as he missed an empty net.
Barkingside showed their attacking intent from a set piece as Reece Trantor lashed the flick on across goal but was hooked away by captain Martyn Stokes.
‘The Blues’ had a glorious chance just after the half hour mark as Sam Bantick played in Tom Richardson down the right for a foot race between him and Chris Clark, which he won and was taken out by Clark on the edge of the box. The referee decided he was not the last man with Richardson running wide and avoided the sending off with just a yellow.
Brentwood broke the stalemate eight minutes before the break as Jack Gardner’s free-kick came back to him, he clipped the ball back into the box for the unmarked Stanley to guide passed Clark, to lead.
Barkingside had a great opportunity to level on the stroke of half-time as Lee Weemes broke through on goal from a poor headed clearance but his hesitancy cost him, as Bowles smothered it.
The home side with a great chance to double their lead as Shad Ngandu helped on the ball over the defence for Bantick through on goal but his volley went wide.
Brentwood missed opportunity to extend their lead, as Stokes attempted dink of the keeper was saved by Clark, cost Brentwood. As Barkingside went straight down the other end and capitalised on the counter as Poku on the edge of the box squared it to Weemes to tuck home.
Barkingside took advantage of the open game and converted their opportunities, as Poku was alert to a defence lapse in concentration to tuck it passed Bowles into the bottom corner.
The away side grabbed a third in injury time as substitute Jason Fontaine burst on goal from a defensive error, to fire the ball across goal to be tucked in by Poku for his brace and will keep the visitors survival hopes alive.
Brentwood Town Lineup: Ollie Bowles, Jack Gardner, Louis Baucutt (73), Martyn Stokes ©, Ryan O’Rawe (77), James Love, Sam Bantick, Danny Dafter (81), Sherwin Stanley, Tom Richardson, Shad Ngandu
Substitutes: Christian Mbulu (77), Jason Dobbs (81), Daryl Robson, Andrew Freeman (73), Robbie Rees
Barkingside Lineup: Chris Clark, Josh Akapka, Jonathan Adebayo, Dan Cossington ©, Matt Frew, Matt Waldron, Gregg Akpele (73), Liam Burgess, Reece Trantor (90), Calvin Poku, Lee Weemes (71)
Substitutes: Aundre Spencer (90), Lewis Francis, Jason Fontaine (73), Fahad Nyanja (71), Tim Pitman
Attendance: 85
