WEEK 14 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

SENIOR DIVISION

The top flight action got underway with a triple header on Friday evening, beginning at Parsloes Park where Philip United started a weekend filled with goals, eventually prevailing in an 8-2 scoreline over Bakers693 to continue their strong start. Philip move further clear in third spot and are keeping close tabs on the sides above them.

There was plenty of goalscoring action at Coles Park also where Haringey Borough Under 23s were up against an FC Petrocub London side, the hosts beginning the night with an eight point lead over the visitors. That had been extended by the end, Borough winning 7-2 as Louis Maffia scored a hat-trick, Zayshaun Asamoah netted two, Albie Tyler and Joene Mampovisa scoring the others.

Over at Oakside, Lymore Gardens went into their latest league fixture with a sizeable advantage over their opponents on the night with AS Rapid Londra the side up against them. There was little between the sides in the scoreline however and Rapid earned themselves a valuable point against the promotion chasers, sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Moving into Saturday’s action and one of the biggest results of the day saw Waltham Forest Borough take a vital point against title chasing Frenford Development as the sides saw the game ended locked at 2-2. The Florences were both on target for Borough, Dean and Dylan netting to put their side in the lead but Keenan Gravillis and Isima Iguisi bagged Frenford goals in reply to level it.

The only team to win in the division on Saturday afternoon were actually Woodford Town Reserves, moving up into sixth spot on the back of a hard fought 2-0 win at Ashton Playing Fields against Fairlop Rovers. A goal apiece from Remarle Lawrence and Phorell Brooke were the difference between the sides in the end as Town earned win number seven this term.

There was a six-goal thriller at Wadham Lodge where the points had to be shared between Walthamstow Reserves and Chadwell Heath Spartans after the sides conjured up a 3-3 draw by the end of their game. Two Brandon Johnson goals and a Billy Gipp effort for Spartans helped them maintain a four point gap over their opponents.

Completing the top flight action, at Lea Valley Academy, it was Ongar Town as the visitors to take on a Kulture side sitting a place beneath them in the league standings. As the table suggests, these sides are well matched and they had to settle for a point as the game ended in a 1-1 draw with Lloyd Gullefer on target for Ongar.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

In Premier Division East, Greengate District took advantage of results around them to move up into second place in the table as they prevailed with victory from their home clash against Waltham Abbey A at Noak Hill. The hosts were 6-4 winners as Muhammed Cham scored a hat-trick, Ruben Silva added two and Melih Saglam the other to complete win number four.

That result was made all the more important as of the sides previous above them went head to head at Robert Clack where Dagenham United were up against Romford Town Flyers in a key fixture in the promotion race. The two sides couldn’t be separated in the end however with Halameen Agbaje scoring for Dagenham and Kofi Broni striking from Romford, the game ending 1-1.

That result has also allowed Motormen to make it up into the top five as they continued their strong form at home in Hainault against Kit Out London. A 3-2 Motormen win saw them leap above their in-form opponents, overcoming Kit Out goals from both Emmanuel Manu-Gyamfi and Fatih Mustafa in the process.

Inter Newbury were back on the winning trail also and they have games in hand that could prove vital, making it three wins in six on Saturday after a 5-2 against Something From Nothing at Fairlop Oak also. Fuad Ibrahim and Reda El Ghaibouz both scored twice each and Deividas Sertvietis added the other to see the visitors up to seventh.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

There were some close games in the West division, beginning at the league leaders where Saint City were looking to extend their strong start to the season with a derby fixture against Stratford East. And it was City who left the happier of the sides as Yasseir Nazor, Liam Adams and Derek Adu goals separated them in a 3-1 success.

That result was made all the more important as second placed Sporting Bengal United Reserves dropped vital points in their home fixture against Newham Wanderers in Newbury Park. The game started with three points between the sides and that was how it ended, a 1-1 draw proving the final scoreline in a tight affair.

That result meant that London Cranes would be able to make up ground if they could earn points from their away trip to Priory Park Rangers and they duly obliged, albeit needing a narrow win of their own. A 3-2 win by full-time meant that Cranes secured a fourth league win and moved up into fourth spot as a result while Rangers drop to seventh.

It took a late goal to eventually separate the sides at Peter May also where bottom of the table London Park City had looked on the cards to earn a first point of the season away at North East Lions. But goals from Dylan Mohammad and James Codling meant that it was the hosts who took the win, their third of the season to move up the table.

It was a more convincing performance through from Unitey who are up into third place after the weekend’s action, taking all three points in a strong 4-1 home win against Vallance. Ahmed Dousa scored twice with Joel Mputu and Mubarak Mohammed goals completing what was Unitey’s fourth win this season so far.

DIVISION ONE

Leaders, Ocean Pacific, made it eight wins in the league this season at the weekend, eventually coming through to win their away game against Leyton City in a 2-1 scoreline. Louison Kamba struck for the hosts but that proved in vain as the in-form leaders scored twice themselves to wrap up a hard fought result.

With other sides out of action, West Essex Reserves took advantage to move a place in the table to third, coming away with a 4-2 win under their belts from Dagenham after victory against ninth placed Freetown. That result saw West take a fifth win of the season and shift to within four points of the promotion places.

FC Alpha have moved into the top half of the table and continued a decent spell of form, taking all three points home from Loughton Town on Saturday in a 4-1 scoreline. Serghei Scupoi continued his form in front of goal with two more, Liviu Nistreanu and Ahmad Attahir also on target in Alpha’s third win of the year.

DIVISION TWO

There were just the two fixtures in Division Two but it saw a couple of high-scoring encounters, beginning with a vital game towards the top where Royal Forest’s excellent form continued with a big away win against Old Parkonians A. Shane Hovell struck twice for Parks but Forest goals from Joe Owers, Fifi Banin, Tommy Ainsworth, Remel Green and Stanley Kweya proved too much in a 5-2 win.

Saint City Reserves had a profitable afternoon, moving up into fourth place in the standings after scoring nine in their away trip to Haringey United. Jermaine Da Costa and Damanie Campbell scored for the hosts but Denison St Louis’ hat-trick, braces from Ali Ali and Ronald Asante, plus efforts from Hamdun Abdulkarim and Gasser Hendawi meant this one ended up 9-2 to City by full-time.

DIVISION THREE

IONA Wheels have moved further clear of the chasing pack in Division Three, netting themselves a 7-0 home win on Saturday against Romford Town Flyers Reserves to sit six points in the clear. Luke Fearne scored a hat-trick with Kai Geere, Tommy Heneghan, Joshua Gibbins and Elliot Hastings also netting in the game.

London Academics moved up into the top three places following their efforts on Saturday, producing a narrow 4-3 home win against Buckhurst Way to record win number four this term. Terril Alleyne struck twice with Jordan Dixon-Walker and Samuel Osinlowo adding the others in a seven-goal thriller at the Marshes.

Also scoring four in a win were Jays who moved up a place into eighth after edging their home game against Redbridge Community Reserves in a 4-2 scoreline at Lakeside Sports Ground. Liam Greaves scored twice for the hosts, adding to strikes from Joshua Dosad and Leo Milazzo, a result which took them onto nine points.

Another side moving up a place in the table are Cobra who earned just a second win of the season on Saturday with a narrow 1-0 home win against Beckton Sporting Club at Parsloes Park. Luke Joy provided the key moment in the game, his effort off the bench completing a 1-0 victory and taking his team’s points tally up to eight.

COUNTY CUP

CSM London are into the hat for the third round of the BBC Essex Premier Cup, earning their spot on the back of a strong home win against White Ensign Reserves on Saturday, 6-0 victors at Parsloes Park. They now head on to face local side Barking Under 23s later in the month.

It was second round day in the London Senior Trophy with Sporting Hackney having one of the longest trips possible as they headed to Chipstead to take on a higher ranked Tooting Bec side from the Southern Counties League East. It won’t be one they will remember for long as the step six side took a 5-0 win.

There was a big win for Lymore Gardens Under 23s in the Essex Junior Cup second round, the league side facing Leytonstone United from the Olympian League on Saturday. It was an 11-1 winning performance for Lymore who head on to host Leigh Town next month.

It was an exit from the competition however for the other league representatives on the day with Old Barkabbeyans suffering a reverse at home against Manford Way Reserves. Manford were 7-0 winners at South Park Drive to put themselves through.

In the Essex Junior Trophy, it was wins for all of the league clubs with Chingford Harriers coming away winners from their tie against Division Two’s Glendale, an own goal the only scoring effort of the game as Harriers booked a place in round three.

Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves are a side to be reckoned with at the moment and they produced another strong win, putting seven past CSM London Under 23s without reply to earn an away draw against Central Park in the last sixteen.

It was another big win for a Division Two side as Old Barkabbeyans Reserves earned safe passage into the third round next month with a big 6-1 away win against Emerson & Upminster Reserves from the Mid Essex League.

Their opponents in the next round will be Changing Lives in an all-EAL clash, the Harlow based side making that round on the back of a big 5-0 home cupset win against Great Baddow on Saturday to progress into the last sixteen of the competition.

Completing a clean sweep of wins for league sides were Ongar Town Reserves who overcame a top of the table side from the Mid Essex League in the form of Writtle, winning 3-1 on the day to set up an away trip to Brentwood Athletic in the third round.

There was also action in the AFA competitions where Redbridge Community saw their Challenge Cup run reach a conclusion in the opening round, going down 2-0 away at Hale End Athletic to exit the competition.

In the AFA Senior Novets Cup third round however, it was victory once again for Condor who’s debut in the competition has seen them reach the quarter-finals at the first attempt, beating Old Parmiterians Sevenths in a 5-0 scoreline to head into the last eight.