It was a day of celebration for Barking. Not only did they make impressive progress in the cup, it was a special game for Steve Willis, who joined the ‘100 Club’ after making a century of appearances for the East London Side.

The defender’s first match for the Blues came almost nine years ago in November 2008, during a loan spell at the club, and Willis will have been pleased to reach his personal landmark in such style. He returned to Mayesbrook Park in 2014 and helped the East London side to their best-ever finish of third in the Essex Senior League and winning the Gordon Brasted trophy, the Blues’ first honour since 1997.

Thumped

Trying to make progress in the competition this season, it took the hosts 40 minutes to find any real traction. Delgado broke free of sloppy Sporting defending and fired a shot over the bar.

Just moments later, Delgado found himself in the box again, as Max Watters flicked the ball into the box to find the head of Delgado, who thumped it past the keeper and into the net making it 1-0 to the home side just before the break.

Watters started the second half as he ended the first, showing just why he had been called up to the England Schoolboy squad. With a twist and a turn Watters found himself one-on-one with a scrambling Bengal keeper, who threw himself at the teenager’s feet, only for Watters to flick it past him and place the ball into the net.

Chaos

The game had settled down and the Blues were content with holding the ball with some free-flowing passing.

The Blues won a corner in the 71st minute and, in what can only be described as chaos in the six yard box, Delgado had found himself with a yard of space to fumble the ball over the line and put the hosts three goals to the good.

It was, in truth, a one-sided affair. The Blues move on to the quarter-finals and will take on the winner of the tie between Burnham Ramblers and Wadham Lodge.