Blues in seventh heaven

Bishop’s Stortford 3 Brightlingsea Regent 2
Blues kept their play-off hopes alive with a seventh straight win with a comfortable victory against Brightlingsea Regent, on Easter Monday.
Jamie Curetoon marked his 1000th senior game with a brace of goals in the first half before substitute Luke Callendar made it 3-0, and despite a late rally from the visitors Stortford made it eight games unbeaten.
The Blue Brazil now need a win at Carshalton Athletic on Saturday to wrap up a place in the play-offs.
Joint boss Steve Smith was delighted with the result: “It was another good performance I was worried after Saturday’s game because the players gave everything at Lewis and there were some tired boys
“But fair play to Colin the physio we had the lads in early and give them some rub downs and got them ready to go again . It’s another three points
“It was great for Curo to get two goals in his 1000th game in front of his family but he would be the first to admit it was the three points that mattered today but massive congratulations to him on what he has achieved so far .”
Blues started well, with Cureton unlucky not to open the scoring after good work from Ryan Charles, but the home fans only had to wait until the 12th to see their side get off the mark.
A perfect left wing cross from Ben Warman was met by Cureton at the back post as he vollied his side into the lead.
Within five minutes it was 2-0 with a virtually identical goal as Cambridge United youngster Warman sent another superb ball in for Cureton to blast home.
The hosts were in complete control, and Charles was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when he turned two defenders before shooting, only to see Jordan Bennett block on the line.
Regent came out of the dressing room looking stronger, but Charles again went close ten minutes after the break when his 25-yard effort flashed wide of the right hand post.
Charles was replaced by Callendar in the 64th minute and Isaac Nkosi came on for Ryan Henshaw, and it took only seven minutes for Callendar to put his side 3-0 up. Cureton turned provider when he did well to keep the ball in play and sent a looping cross into the six yard box where Callendar was on hand to get the final touch.
That three goal advantage lasted only four minutes as Blues’ keeper Arther Janata misjudgd the flight of the ball and clattered into Chiagozie Clarence Emeh. After Janata had been booked Emeh took the resulting penalty, and although the home keeper blocked the spot kick, Emeh reacted quickest to net the rebound.
Cureton left the action to a standing ovation from the 640 crowd, being replaced by Stanley Green.
It was the visitors who had the final word Josh Gould headed home in the fourth minuute of stoppage time, but Blues comfortably held on to go into Saturday’s final league game with a genuine shot at the play-offs.
Blues: A Janata, B Sampayo, S Ogie, J Thomas, S Robbins, R Henshaw (I Nkosi 68), B Worman, A Warman, J Cureton (S Green 85), R Charles (L Callendar 64), J Renee. Unused subs: A Mason, I Okwute.
Brightlingsea: J Bradbrook, M Gelashvili (J Yaxley 38), Jake Gould (P Boyland 81), J Bennett, Josh Gould, M Cripps, R Griggs, J Turner, B Hunt (H Morgan 70), C C Emeh, A Condon. Unused sub: A Shaikley.
Att: 640