WEEK 11 REVIEW: Round-up of Saturday's EAL league action

SENIOR DIVISION

Just one point now incredibly separates the top four sides in the Senior Division as West Essex Reserves became the new leaders of the division on goal difference. West were 7-0 winners in a home game against All Prospects with Connor Brathwaite on fire with a four-goal haul. Two from Charlie Gould and a Thomas Davie effort rounded off the victory.

There was a seventh league win of the campaign recorded by Lymore Gardens who made their move into the top two continued their good start with a big victory at home against seventh placed Chigwell Town. Dylan Roberts scored a hat-trick for his side with Andre Rashford and Dushane Powell goals completing a 5-1 win on the day.

Jolof Sports have moved to within one win of the sides above them after they took home all of the points from their five-goal thriller at home to Tower United. Abdi Jama and Abdisamad Mohamed both struck for Tower but Jolof efforts from Elhadji Faye, Papa Ndiaye and Wesley Cimia rounded off an eventual 3-2 win.

FC Petrocub have bounced back well from the disappointment of last week’s defeat as they returned home from their trip to CSM London with all three points on the back of a 3-0 victory in Beckton. Ghenadi Moisei was the hero with all three of the visitor’s goals to secure an important win as they look to keep in touch with the sides above.

It was also a good afternoon for Rapid Chingford who, after a difficult start to the campaign, have now got a real foothold in the division and move eighth following a 3-1 home win over Blue Marlin in Chingford. Gabriel Prisecaru, Ciprian Robu and Alexandru Ionescu goals were enough to take confirm maximum points.

DIVISION ONE

A four point gap remains at the top of Division One where the leaders, Leyton Royal, were able to secure the points in the game at Francis Luke on Saturday. A goal apiece from Alin-Cristian Cosma, Pavel Secreier and George State were enough to overcome their ninth-placed opponents and confirm their leadership going into the festive break.

Woodford East are the side closest at the moment, sitting second and four points back after picking up a big win of their own at home to London Park City in Debden. Billy Barr, William Letchford, Ben Smith, Matthew Stacey and Jay Stavri all struck for the Peacocks to keep their hat in the ring for a title fight in the second half of the season.

Just lurking behind those top two are Chadwell Heath Spartans who will more than likely pose a threat come the latter stages of the campaign and recorded a fifth win over the weekend with a 4-1 away win at Kit Out London. The experienced Rob Hodgson scored twice with Michael Edgar and Brentton Muhammad netting the others.

Sitting fourth are Eastside who remain a side not many will want to face and they came through a local derby on Saturday against Wapping with a 2-1 win under their belts in Hackney. That result saw them win for the fifth time this season and stay in touch with the promotion chasing outfits just above them.

Frenford A’s fortunes have certainly changed in recent weeks and having sat bottom for a long period of the early running, they have now recorded three hugely impressive wins on the bounce as they took maximum points in their game against North East Lions. Louis Blake scored for the Lions but his efforts were not enough as strikes from Bradley Cousins and Damilola Olaiya gave the points to the Ilford based side.

DIVISION TWO

There remains a five point gap at the top of Division Two as both of the leading sides recorded victories over the weekend with leaders Belfry taking the points in a 3-1 win against Dagenham United. Strikes from Gabriel Ogunwomoju, Jamie Redington and debutant Lewis Lawrence proved enough to overcome a Brandon Johnson strike for United.

Second placed Cowley Community picked up a seventh win of the season as they battled past Old Esthameians in their clash in Leyton. Chris Wright and Ryan Thompson-Cobham bagged the Cowley goals which keep them interested in the race for silverware, E’s remaining ninth.

Newham Wanderers have found themselves a good patch of form and are now up to third place in the table with a game in hand but they did have to battle hard to beat Rainham Working Mens Club at the Flats. Cameron and Joshua Shakes tried to mix things up with goals for the Workies but Hamido Jalo, Nuno Dentampol and Joao Mendes goals completing a 3-2 win for the hosts.

Unitey took full advantage of results around them to move up to seventh in the standings in Division Two as they pulled off a great result in Leyton against Forest Green.  Kevin Mbangi, Romario Christian and Brandon Fulton scored the goals for Unitey to take home the points back to Loughton.

Making it two wins from three were Barkingside A who moved up to tenth in the table as they beat St Francis at the Flats, moving above the Saints in the process. Ishmael Raymond scored twice and Maximillion Muraiu once for Side as they look to put their big backlog in fixtures to good use in the coming weeks.

DIVISION THREE

The promotion race in Division Three remains well poised in the fourth tier following a weekend which saw FHN Athletic return to action with a 3-0 home win against Flyers Under 23s at Mayfield. Terron Fordjoe, Mohamed Sheikhnor and Michael Barek goals were the difference to keep them ahead in the race.

Just behind them are Loughton Lions who could still go top if their put games in hand to use and they stayed within three points of the leaders after a 2-0 away win against Old Barkabbeyans Reserves. Charlie Harper and Will Osmond netted the goals for Lions to take the win.

Sixth placed Glendale moved level on points with the side above them as they came from behind against Lymore Gardens Reserves to cruise to a 4-1 win in Chingford. Eugene Goumou’s goal handed Garden the lead but Valter Correia’s leveller was then added to by strikes from Zack Clark, Wesley Kangi and Paul Oriakhi to help their side to the win.

DIVISION FOUR

It’s a rare to find a whole division’s worth of results drawn but that was the case on Saturday which saw the two unbeaten sides meet, Royal Forest Reserves and Custom House United. Serign Lette, Josh Trainor and William Asenso goals accounted for the Royal efforts but the Dockers battled back and two Jamie Wooster efforts plus a Bobby Devlin goal made it 3-3.

The same scoreline was the outcome in the game over in Silvertown where Chingford Harriers were the visitors to face Newham Royals. With the sides locked on points starting the game, they predictably ended that way too as two Stephen Duberry efforts and an Andrew Bowring goal earned Harriers a point.

And completing a set of draws were Dagenham United Reserves and Collier Row A where struggling United were up against an in-form Row team sitting third. But as you will probably have worked out already, the sides settled for a share of the points at 2-2 with Giovanni Morgan earning Dagenham an important point.