Pacesetters Barton Rovers beat managerless Potters Bar Town to increase their lead at the top

Top-of-the-table Barton Rovers triumphed 2-1 at Potters Bar Town on Saturday to stretch their lead at the top of the Calor Southern League Division One Central table to four points.

Two goals in three minutes from Luke Knight (72) and Bilal Hassan (74) proved too much for Tobi Akinjirran’s late consolation.

Boss Dan Kennoy said: “We knew today’s game was a big opportunity to put a bit of pressure on the other teams at the top of the league.

“It turned out even better with both Slough and Royston losing. It gives those teams with games in hand on us no option other than to win those games now.”

Rovers’ league campaign continues to go from strength-to-strength having only tasted defeat twice in their 14 league games so far, once at home and once on the road.

League new boys Potters Bar went into the game managerless following the departure of Adam Lee early last week.

Barton battled against the wind in a scrappy first half with chances few and far between.

The Scholars continued to frustrate Rovers, until forwards Jermaine Hall and Bobby Dance started to have more of an effect in the final third after the break.

George Kamurasi somehow denied Hall with an excellent double save to keep his team in it, before Kennoy threw on an extra forward in the form of Hassan on the hour mark.

A quick counter forced Kyle Forster into a good save, before Rovers deservedly took the lead through recent signing Knight on 72 minutes, when he thundered home a loose ball from 22 yards.

Hassan looked to have wrapped the game up for the Blues two minutes later when he tucked home the rebound after Kamurasi had spilled his initial fierce shot.

Bar pulled a goal back late on through Akinjirran to make for an edgy finish, but Barton prevailed.

Barton host AFC Kempston Rovers in the quarter-finals of the North Beds Charity Cup tonight (Tuesday) and entertain near neighbours and promotion rivals Dunstable Town at Sharpenhoe Road in a Bedfordshire derby in the league on Saturday.

Kennoy added: “It sets up next Saturday’s game against Dunstable nicely, in what I’m sure will be a great game even for the neutral.”

Attendance: 56.