Scott’s short-corner double keeps Khalsa on the title trail

Ben Scott is set up for one of his two short-corner strikes against Barford Tigers. Picture: Jass Lall

Barford were first to threaten, but a brave challenge from Aaron Nagra forced the forward to rush his shot and enabled keeper Elliot Rider to make the save.

Khalsa slowly worked their way into the game and Ben Scott’s short-corner effort was tipped around the post, while the Tigers keeper was quickly off his line to thwart a slick move involving Sav Lall and Mandeep Sandhar.

After the break, Khalsa played a more open game and were rewarded when aggressive pressing from Gurminder Ghattaura, Jas Singh and David Harris forced the Barford defence to turn the ball over and allowed the hosts to win a penalty corner.

Scott stepped up and, with pinpoint accuracy, put the ball into the bottom corner to give Khalsa the lead.

Scott then doubled the home side’s advantage, again slotting home a short corner after Stuart Gooderham was impeded.

Two Barford short corners were repelled by the combined efforts of Rider and Jay Nagra before a swift counter involving Lall, Harris and Amritpal Atwal saw Atwal spurn a simple tap-in with a heavy touch.

Atwal was again guilty of a glaring miss after Harris had committed the keeper.

However, Khalsa made the game safe in the closing stages.

Jo Colantonio burst down the left wing and released Harris on goal, only for the Barford keeper to bring him down and concede a penalty stroke.

Ghattaura kept his cool, roofing the ball into the corner to seal the three points.