WEEK 30 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON CUP

In the weekend’s Fenton Cup action, it was an west vs east battle in the quarter-finals as Dagenham United made the trip into east London to face a Wapping side. Shaquille Mathurin has had another profitable season in front of goal and he added three more for United, Tejean Lewis adding two and Halameen Agbaje one in a 6-0 victory for the visitors.

The third round tie played saw a cupset as Division One’s Woodford East Reserves take the honours against Premier Division’s Snaresbrook, edging a close game 2-1. Jake Roberts and Will Osmond struck for the Peacocks with Harry Prince’s ‘Brook goal proving just a consolation in the end as the hosts moved into the quarter-finals.

FENTON TROPHY

It was semi-final day for two sides in the competition as Old Barkabbeyans took on lower division opposition with the visit of Melbourne Sports. Despite the gap between the teams, that proved inconsequential on the day as the Mels recorded a memorable 2-1 win to book their place in the final, their first for a decade, despite Josh Robinson’s goal.

There was quarter-final action too with Division Two leaders, Rainham & Barking Phoenix, on the road with a trip to Ilford to take on Frenford A. A game of six goals was settled in favour of the visitors by full-time with Cameron Shakes netting two and Khairee Ahmed one in a 4-2 result to send Rainham into the last four.

Joining them in the semi-finals will be divisional rivals, Chingford Harriers, who had it all to do against lower ranked opposition with a trip to Harlow to face Changing Lives. With the game ending 1-1 courtesy of goals from Abdulhalim Alhadi and Darlington Ojo, it needed a shootout to separate the sides, Harriers the team to hold their nerve and go through 5-4.

SENIOR DIVISION

The top flight action started on Friday night at Coles Park where Haringey Borough Under 23’s penultimate home fixture of the season saw them taking on Sporting Hackney, a side in desperate need for some league points. But it was Borough who took the honours on the night, winning the game 4-0 to remain in the top four.

It’s last chance saloon time in the race for the title which will go on for one more week following the weekend’s results. FC Baresi moved to within a point of mathematically sealing the honours courtesy of a 4-0 away victory against Kit Out London at Parsloes Park. Junior Appiah scored two of those goals, Noyan Tajbakhsh and Lamine Brandao the other scorers.

Woodford East ensured that the race goes into the middle of March at least after they made a successful trip to Lakeside Sports Ground, securing a 3-1 win against third placed Chadwell Heath Spartans. Billy Gipp struck for the hosts but two Sajid Aziz goals plus Andrew Rowe’s goal meant it was the Peacocks chirping by full-time.

An incredibly mid-table area of the season sees a number of sides packed in from fifth to ninth, with FC Petrocub making their move amongst that grouping on Saturday following a narrow 1-0 away win against fellow mid-table Lymore Gardens at Parsloes Park. It took just a single goal to pull the sides apart, that going in favour of the visitors.

Also amongst that cluster of clubs are Frenford Development who took their wins tally for the season to eleven on Saturday following a strong 3-1 away victory against Priory Park Rangers at Hackney Marshes. Isima Iguisi scored twice and Ronaldo Naddah grabbed the other to enable the visitors to return home with all three points, Joe Robertson scoring the Rangers’ consolation.

It was also a victorious afternoon and a mirror image result for Rapid Chingford on the road as they also went home with all three points from their trip to Bakers693 in Dagenham, a tenth win of the season for the Lakeside based outfit. Vlad Bucur, Claudio Florea and Ionut Labunt scored the Rapid goals to earn the win.

Completing the Senior Division action, it was cup semi-finalists, Walthamstow Reserves, at home at Wadham Lodge as they saw the visit of CSM London to E17. A tight game saw the sides battle to a point apiece, the game ending in a 1-1 score draw. Nana Sarfo was on the CSM scoresheet to earn another valuable point for his side.

PREMIER DIVISION CUP

One of the remaining second round ties in the Premier Division Cup reached a conclusion with Soul at home against Renegade in their game at Fairlop Oak. It was a game in which just a single goal was enough to pull apart the sides with Soul the beneficiaries of that key moment to win the game 1-0 and head into the quarter-finals.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

Unitey are the side sitting top of the Premier Division East with seven games to go following their latest win, a 2-1 away victory against Waltham Abbey A at Town Mead which saw them record win number nine this term. Ishwar Ravi and Junior Milla scored the goals for Unitey, overcoming Louie Pegg’s effort for the hosts to earn the points.

Trailing by the smallest of margins on goals scored, second placed Fairlop Rovers stayed level with the leaders following a tough away fixture against Redbridge Community in a Forest Road derby match. There was just the one goal in the game, Rovers the side to bag it in a 1-0 scoreline and record a crucial ninth league win of their own this season.

Ongar Town are up into third place and retaining hopes themselves of impacting the race, the biggest winners of the day in the division also after winning 6-0 at home against Leyton City at Mark Hall. Mofi Tunde-Ojolowo scored two, Matt Bovill, Scout Bown, William Lockett and Alfie Scarborough also making their way onto the scoresheet for the hosts.

Over at Fairlop, it was sixth versus eighth in the division’s remaining game as Newbury Athletic made the trip to take on Something From Nothing. It was Newbury who earned the plaudits, winning the game 4-2 to break into the top five after in-form duo Emmanuel Chukwumah and Chaka Barnett both scored twice to win for their side.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

Newham Wanderers have closed the gap on the promotion places once again as they made it double figures at home against London Park City, scoring ten without reply. Evaristo Mendes scored a hat-trick, Bradley Harris and Joao Cruz scored twice with Fabio Jau, Saddik Azizur and Michael Asabre netting to win 10-0.

There were hugely important results at the other end of the table too where North East Lions earned themselves just a fourth win this term, coming from behind to beat Barkingside Under 21s in a 2-1 scoreline at Peter May. James Codling was one of the Lions on the scoresheet to keep hopes alive of beating the drop.

It was also a huge six-pointer in the remaining game from this level as eleventh faced twelfth at Flanders Playing Fields, Athletic Newham A the side to face Wanstead. Isiaih Farinto netted for the Stags but Newham struck three times themselves to win the game and leap above their opponents in the process, ahead of a crucial run-in for both sides.

DIVISION ONE CUP

In group stage cup action, group leaders, Lymore Gardens Under 23s asserted their position at the top with a third win of the competition to move onto nine points, defeating Chingford Athletic Reserves in a 6-2 scoreline at Parsloes Park. That result confirmed their place in the last four with a round of games to go.

DIVISION ONE

It was victory once again for the Division One league leaders, Saint City, who returned their eleventh win of the campaign with a 5-1 victory against Freetown at Castle Green. Richard Seixas and Derek Adu both scored twice with Leo Gaspar’s goal rounding off the scoresheet, moving City five points clear.

DIVISION TWO

There was just the one fixture in Division Two but it produced a glut of goals as Royal Forest cut the gap on the leaders to just three points with a thumping 10-1 home win against Collier Row Reserves at Roding Valley. Fifi Banin scored four, Charlie Palline and Stanley Kweya netting two each, while Eoin Coughlan and Joe Owers goals rounded it off.

DIVISION THREE CUP

In the Division Three Cup, there was a real cupset as winless Beckton Sporting Club secured their first ever win as a club, saving it for the quarter-final stage of the cup with a 5-3 away win against Romford Flyers at King George’s. Adam Blake scored twice and Jorge Rodriguez one for the hosts but Beckton scored five to complete a memorable afternoon.

DIVISION THREE

Back in the league, the race for promotion continues with Old Parkonians A moving second in the table following the weekend’s results, their latest endeavours earning them a 5-0 home win against Buckhurst Way. Jourdane DeCourcy-Nolan, Charlie Fiander, Aaron Leggett, Jamie Cooper and debutant James Gibbings all found the net to keep Parks in a strong position.

Just behind them are fourth placed Glendale who recorded a ninth win of the season at Fairlop Oak with a hard fought 2-0 home win against Broadway Athletic. Wasiu Lawal struck in the first half to break the deadlock before Braulio Costa’s second half goal completed the win for the hosts who now sit two points off the promotion places.

COUNTY CUP

It was a memorable afternoon for Division Three’s Collier Row Wheels as they became county cup finalists on Saturday with a 2-1 away victory against Wakering Sports B in the Essex Junior Trophy down at Cupids. Congratulations to all involved at Row who now face Haver Town at Heybridge Swifts on 12^th April.

The other semi-final had also seen involvement from the EAL with Dagenham United Reserves’ heroic run to the last four seeing them face Haver Town at Castle Green. A similarly tight game was edged by the visitors, Haver the side to win it 2-1 and take their place in the Trophy final once again after doing the same in 2022.

In the Essex Junior Cup, London Cranes’ run in the competition came to a conclusion on Saturday as they were defeated by top-flight Mid Essex League side Benfleet Reserves in the late game at Flanders. Benfleet won the game 2-1 to book their own place in the quarter-finals.

Photo Credit: Alan Shearman / Dagenham United FC