WITHAM Town returned to winning ways in the most emphatic way possible when they demolished Sporting Bengal United 6-0, writes JIM PURTILL.

After a first half in which they failed to make their superiority count, Witham ran riot in the second period, scoring five times in 38 minutes to rout their beleaguered visitors, in the Pitching In Isthmian League division north clash.

Sporting Bengal were promoted last season and will spend this campaign in a relegation battle.

They have shown signs of recent improvement but despite some attacking promise they were put to the sword, in the final quarter of the match.

The visitors should have taken the lead in the third minute when a cross from the right presented Joe Gregory with a free header in front of goal and he failed to hit the target.

(Image: NIGEL HAKES)

Kamani McFarlane opened the scoring for Witham in the 11th minute with a fierce shot from outside the penalty area, on the left.

He was Witham’s danger man and he combined well with Deese Kasinga-Madia, as the hosts looked likely to add to their score.

McFarlane made three dangerous runs on the left. with the final one ending with a shot parried by goalkeeper Sidi Haidara and Kasinga-Madia just failing to score the rebound.

Witham’s passing game contrasted with Sporting Bengal’s more direct style, resulting in the visitors frequently wasting possession, although they occasionally looked dangerous on the break.

Witham should have increased their lead but the frequency and quality of their attacks decreased after the first half hour.

(Image: NIGEL HAKES)

They were almost made to pay for their profligacy when a 42nd-minute free-kick from the visitors narrowly cleared the crossbar.

After a scrappy start to the second half, Witham’s one-goal lead looked fragile and the outcome was far from certain.

That changed though after defender Anton Matthews finished like a striker to score Witham’s second goal, in the 55th minute.

Haidara had shown a tendency throughout the match to leave his goal unguarded and it cost his side dear in the 60th minute.

He needlessly ran to the right edge of the penalty area to tackle Kasinga-Madia but was beaten to the ball and a cross into the unguarded goalmouth was headed home by Liam Whipps.

The contest was effectively over and Witham turned the screw; big gaps appeared in the visitors’ defence and the hosts pressed forward.

McFarlane was unchallenged when he ran from his own half and put the ball just wide and the Sporting Bengal defence was demoralised by the constant pressure of Witham’s attacking play.

Sure enough, Samson Adelaja scored Witham’s fourth goal in the 75th minute, following Andrew Sesay’s headed pass.

And Haidara's mis-kick eight minutes later allowed Adelaja to put the ball into an empty net, for Witham’s fifth.

Isaac Skubich rounded off the win with a free-kick into the top corner of the net, in the fifth minute of added time.

After a dip in form Witham needed a win and this performance and result will boost confidence ahead of their visit Redbridge on Saturday.