WEEK 24 REVIEW: Round-up of all the league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON CUP

The Fenton Cup action continued on Saturday with third round action from Mark Hall, Premier Division East side Ongar Town taking on North East Lions for a place in the quarter-finals. It was a good day for the hosts as Scout Bown, Jack Walden, Mofi Tunde-Ojolowo, Fabio Lavres and Alfie Scarborough all netted in a 5-1 win, overcoming James Codling’s goal for Lions.

SENIOR DIVISION CUP

On Wednesday evening, the last remaining first round tie in the Senior Division Cup was finally taken to a conclusion as Kit Out London faced Aveley Under 23s once again at Noak Hill. Mihail Elenkov scored for the hosts but the young Millers were in fine form in front of goal as Kyle Brand scored twice, Finlay Shipp, Freddie Madle and Ziak Bakarr netting the others to win 5-1.

SENIOR DIVISION

The top-flight action got going on Friday night with a fixture at Coles Park, Rapid Chingford the visitors to Haringey Borough Under 23s. The sides started the night just two points apart but Borough cruised to a 5-2 win despite Rapid goals from Florin Porceanu and Zoltan Mihaly, a result which saw the hosts climb up into fourth spot.

On Saturday, it was win number seventeen for the league leaders, FC Baresi, who made the trip across to Ilford to take on Frenford Development at The Drive. Reon Murray-Whyte, Isima Iguisi and Kishawn James all netted for the hosts but Junior Appiah’s hat-trick in reply, Murat Karagul’s brace and singles from Erol Hassan and Noyan Tajbakhsh made it a 7-3 visitor’s win.

Over at Mayesbrook Park, it was a vital game between second placed Woodford East and third placed Chadwell Heath Spartans in the race at the top. The game saw a single goal separate the sides in the end, Billy Barr’s effort enough to win it 1-0 for the Peacocks who moved three points clear in second spot in the table.

After victory on Wednesday evening in the cup, Aveley Under 23s were back in league action in desperate need of three points to move clear of danger. They were taking on Bakers693 who are amongst that same battle but a 7-2 win for the Millers saw them walk away the happier. John Silva scored two, Finlay Shipp, Amari Kpodo, Airon Paul, Kyle Brand and Abdikarim Sheikh netting the others.

There was an exhilarating high-scoring draw at Parsloes Park where co-tenants, Kit Out London and Lymore Gardens, went head-to-head with an eighteen point gap between the sides. But there was little between them on the day as the game ended in a 4-4 draw. Adam Okorodudu struck two, Mykai Akinya and Kacper Bialek the others on the scoresheet for Kit Out.

Over at Hackney Marshes, an east London derby game saw Priory Park Rangers in home action with the visit of CSM London, another crucial game in the lower reaches of the table. CSM have been in some good form in recent weeks and they made that pay once again as Jaydon Charles scored twice and Ramiz Mahmood once in a 3-1 success.

In the game at Noak Hill, FC Petrocub were looking to improve their league position and bounce back from last weekend’s cup defeat, taking on a Walthamstow Reserves side sat six points ahead of them. That gap was clashed to just three points by full-time as the hosts, FC Petrocub, came out favourably from a 3-2 scoreline to move up into sixth place in the standings.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

In Premier Division East, there were three very similar scorelines, beginning at Fairlop Oak where Something From Nothing’s quest to stay in the second tier saw them at home against Waltham Abbey A, the hosts sitting four points behind the Abbots heading into the game. But goals from Louie Pegg and Alfie Bruno for the visitors saw them win 2-1 to take their wins tally to six.

Just a few metres away on an adjacent pitch, another Fairlop based side, Soul, were also in home action with bottom of the table Leyton City their visitors on the day. Another close game was settled by the odd goal on three, Soul the side to walk away 2-1 winners in this one to pick up a third league win and climb into seventh place.

Over in Loughton, there was a top half battle in the division’s remaining game where Unitey and Dagenham United were both seeking to continue their respective promotion quests at Roding Valley. Ahmed Dousa struck twice with goals for the hosts but Derek Boakye and Tejean Lewis goals meant both sides walked away with a point in a 2-2 draw.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

There were plenty of goals in the West division with some big results affecting the promotion chase, beginning at Hackney Marshes where Philip United dropped a couple of points, Barkingside Under 21s earning themselves a valuable draw against the previous league leaders despite a big reverse in the previous meeting this season.

That result meant that Snaresbrook could move top of the table once again with a win and they duly obliged but not without a stern test against struggling Athletic Newham A. ‘Brook were 3-2 winners on the day, edging the contest through goals from Harry Prince and Max Catherall. Kelvin Martins and Mario Campos both got on the Newham scoresheet with their consolation efforts.

There was a goal glut at the Marshes as hosts Wapping took on FC Baresi Reserves, a game which produced thirteen efforts on the scoresheet. It was Wapping who walked winners in a 9-4 scoreline. Emre Ozuaciksoz scored a hat-trick off the bench, Ryan Stowell and Jordan Mills-Smith a brace each, Valentin Adam and Zakaria Rahal one each. Benjamin Waren, Hamza Hafesji, Joshua Adu and Malachie Kazley netted for Baresi in reply.

There was success for another of the Hackney based sides as Renegade picked up all three points in their battle with Wanstead who remain in danger at the bottom end of the standings. The hosts were 4-2 winners, Renegade sitting in fourth place despite visitor goals from Yunus Mussa and Makhily Diaby.

In the division’s remaining game, there were nine goals between the sides in the contest between London Park City and London Cranes, the sides starting the day with just a couple of points separating them. It was City on this occasion who took the honours, Robert Prutny and Robert Andrei scoring twice each, Alexandru Gheorghe and Gabriel Lactusu scoring in a 6-3 win.

DIVISION ONE CUP

There was a big game in the Division One Cup group stage where two of the division’s big guns, Woodford East Reserves and Saint City were facing each other in the cup over at the Marshes. A close game saw it settled 2-0 in favour of City who all but confirmed their place in the semi-finals as Aytan Cohen and Edilson Cruz both struck.

DIVISION ONE

In the league, the gap on the top two sides was cut on Saturday as third placed Royal Lions picked up a sixth win of the season to move within a point of the promotion places after taking home all three points in a 3-1 win against Chingford Athletic Reserves. That result keeps the visitors well in the mix with Chingford now sitting sixth.

The other side hovering with some intent and with promotion ambitions are Ocean Pacific who are placed fourth with four leagues games go and secured their sixth win of the season with a 4-0 home success against Freetown at Peter May. That result also sees the visitors sit six points away from safety as they enter the second half of their league season.

There was an eight-goal thriller in the other league game from the third tier where bottom of the table Haringey United were up against Old Esthameians at the Marshes looking to increase their points tally. But the visitors, E’s, walked away the happier of the teams, 5-3 winners, despite a United brace from Damanie Campbell and a Richard Dacosta-Smith effort.

DIVISION TWO CUP

Rainham & Barking Phoenix are through into the semi-finals of the Division Two Cup competition after completing their group stage with a third win in succession, defeating second placed Chingford Harriers on Saturday. Phoenix were 4-2 winners as Cameron Shakes struck twice, Josh Perry and Sean Tormey scoring the others, Connor Bailey and Huai-Ginn Oliver netted for Harriers in reply.

DIVISION TWO

Back in the league, Royal Forest’s stranglehold on the division’s leadership continued with a valuable home victory against Dagenham United Reserves at Roding Valley. Mark Nkundabanjanga scored twice for the visitors but those efforts proved not enough as the Trees scored six of their own to walk away 6-2 winners.

Old Barkabbeyans have closed the gap on the promotion places to just a couple of points following the weekends results, edging a close game with Redbridge Community Reserves at South Park Drive in a 3-2 scoreline. Michael Ryder was the man who made the difference, scoring all three of the goals in a hat-trick performance for Old Barks.

Frenford A went into their game with Collier Row Reserves with a nine-point deficit at the start of the fixture but came away with all three points on the day, winning 4-1 at Forest Row. A brace from Abdulramon Jaji, plus singles from Anand Patel and Anass Majdoule were enough to pick up just a third league win of the season, moving them up into sixth.

DIVISION THREE CUP

There was first round action in the Division Three Cup on Saturday as Newham & Havering Borough went into their local derby game against Romford Flyers with a quarter-final place on the line for the winners. A close game was settled in favour of Flyers as goals from Dylan Thorn, Tawfiq Rahman and Adam Blake completed a 3-1 win.

DIVISION THREE

In the league, there were wins for both of the top two sides in the division, beginning in Hainault where Woodford Town Under 23s took all three points with a strong performance away at Glendale. Arman Uzzaman’s brace helped them on their way with Tommy Ripsher scoring the other to hand Town a 3-0 success.

Second placed Collier Row Wheels were also in winning action once again, bouncing back from their cup defeat last time out to make it nine wins for the season in the league, beating Broadway Athletic 4-2. Jack Stockdale’s brace and one each from Sean Archer and Tafari Miller were enough in the end to overcome Dereece Oakley’s double for Athletic.

There was victory also for Changing Lives who made a profitable trip down the M11 to take all three points against bottom of the table Beckton Sporting Club. The visitors were 5-1 winners in east London as Abdulhalim Alhadi struck twice, Milton Garcia, Uetuesapi Tjinyeka and Aboubakar Mohammed all finding the back of the net.

Over in Barkingside, there was a Forest Road derby match at the weekend with Melbourne Sports making the short journey to take on Old Parkonians A. It proved to be a close contest with the sides drawing 1-1 by full-time, Aaron Leggett with the Parks goal as they added another point to their record.

COUNTY CUP

In the Essex Junior Cup, Fairlop Rovers have made safe passage into the quarter-finals of the competition following a strong victory against Emerson & Upminster at Fairlop Oak. Rovers were 5-1 winners against the Olympian opposition, setting up a last eight berth at Earls Hall United next weekend.

The rearranged London Senior Trophy quarter-final action between Sporting Hackney and Cockfosters Reserves on Saturday was a close affair with the Parrots leading until late on before the visitors levelled at 1-1. In the resulting shootout, it was Cockfosters who went through, winning 5-4.

In the AFA Challenge Cup, there was quarter-final action for Lymore Gardens Under 23s who had home advantage in the last eight with the visit of Polytechnic Thirds to Parsloes Park. A seven-goal thriller ensued with the visitors ending on the right side of the result from their perspective, 4-3.