WEEK 15 REVIEW: Round-up of all the league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON TROPHY

There was just one Fenton Trophy tie played over the weekend where Division Two’s runaway leaders, Fairlop Rovers, were the visitors to Division Three’s Lymore Gardens Reserves with the higher ranked side safely booking their place in the last eight with a 12-1 win. Ellis Simmonds and Jack Kibblewhite netted hat-tricks, Harry Oliver scored two and one each from Logan Simmonds, Kian Millward-Burton, George Birch and Bailey White completed the scoring with Marcel Destouche netting the Lymore goal in reply.

SENIOR DIVISION

The lead at the top of the Senior Division remains at five points after leaders Chadwell Heath Spartans put in a sterling performance to end Jolof Sports’ unbeaten record, winning the game 4-2 over in Chigwell. Jonathan Evans scored a hat-trick for the Spartans with Janel Alexander scoring the other in an important win.

The chasing pack sees two sides level on twenty-three points with Woodford East’s goal difference advantage keeping them clear in second, aided by their most recent success, a 3-1 home win against Chigwell Town. Ellis Morgan scored for Town but his efforts were in vain with Joe Kemp, Ben Smith and Adam Tabbani goals for East carrying them to victory at the Marshes.

Making up the top three are DTFC who, with games in hand, will still be expecting to pose the biggest threat to the destination of the title. They were up against FC Baresi at the Harlow Arena on Saturday and two goals from Emmanuel Chitongo off the bench plus strikes from Billy Golledge, Kieran Hipgrave and a long range effort from goalkeeper Alex Jennings helped them win 5-2. Paul Benfield and Tyreece Robinson efforts accounted for the visitors’ consolation goals.

Lymore Gardens sit just outside of the top three by a couple of points but still with a big say on how things progress after they scooped a sixth win of the campaign, defeating Kit Out London 3-0 at Noak Hill to keep pace at the top. Tyrique Peters scored twice and Benjamin Sumaili once as their goals proved the difference between the teams.

The division’s remaining game saw two close rivals come together at Lakeside Sports Ground where Rapid Chingford were the hosts to a Leyton Royal side looking to avenge a narrow defeat earlier in the campaign. It was another close game with the odd goal in three settling it, this time in favour of Leyton who won 2-1 to move into the top six.

PREMIER DIVISION

The Premier Division title race has suddenly tightened up at the top with Wapping now just two points off the pace of the leaders on the back of their huge 15-1 victory on Saturday against All Prospects. Jordan Mill-Smith was in fine form with a six-goal performance, Shamsun Noor struck a hat-trick while Kamrul Ahmed, Mohammad Asrar, Joshua Morris, Meeshaq Malone, Yusuf Nasir and Aminur Rahman goals finished it off.

Just a further point back in the race for silverware and promotion, Dagenham United made it five wins from eight in the league with a solid home win against a decent London Cranes side at Castle Green. Iaia Jau’s brace set them on their way with Dante Vincent and Fabio Cunha goals completing a 4-2 in United’s favour.

Fifth placed Crookz United are in a strong position to contend for honours themselves with games in hand and moved into the top half of the table on Saturday with a terrific 7-2 home win against London Park City in Walthamstow. That enabled the hosts to pick up a fourth league win in six as they continue their own quest for success.

The only side with a perfect and unbeaten record in the division are Oakside who are sitting in seventh place after a hard fought 1-0 win at the weekend at home to Athletic Newham Under 23s. That result made it four wins from four for the Hainault based side with a number of games in hand against the sides above them.

The remaining game in the division saw fourth placed Eastside and sixth placed North East Lions meet in a local derby game at Peter May, both keen to press on up the table albeit with other sides having more games in hand. The point pre-match gap between the teams remained the same by full time as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw, Adnan Miah netting the Lions goal and Ifeanyi Umeh scoring for ‘Side.

DIVISION ONE

It’s all change yet again at the top of Division One as the leaders were in cup action, allowing RCXI to take advantage to move top themselves on the back of a 3-2 home win against Renegade in Aveley. Ayo Matthews, Harold Ofori and Stephen Duberry all found the back of the net to give the hosts a sixth league win of the campaign. Daekwon King-Douglas and Nana Baah scored for Renegades.

Wanstead have moved to within three points of the promotion places in the division, doing so after scooping themselves a big away victory on Saturday, returning home with the points in a 5-0 win at Kwanzas London Sport. James Robjant, Robert Clarke, Dan Gardner, Suhaib Abeid and Edson Lami were all on target to make it five wins in six in the league.

There were some hugely important wins for sides in the bottom half where Something From Nothing moved to the cusp of a top half position with a 3-2 win at co-tenants Newham Wanderers. Robertson Morais and Nuno Dentampol both found the net for Newham but their efforts were not quite enough as Cyril Pluche, Oscar Walton and Micah Innocent goals gave SFN victory.

Barkingside A are another side who will be pleased with their weekend’s efforts as they picked up three vital league points with a win at bottom of the table Francis Luke. Luke goals from Adam Rowe and Tito Sijuwade proved just consolation as ‘Side won the game 4-2 to earn their side a third league win of the season, moving to eighth place.

Another side who will hope to build upon their weekend performance are Forest Green who despite not having had the best of starts in the league, picked up a important win against Ilford Reserves, overcoming a six point deficit on their opponents in the process. Green were 3-0 winners at Leyton Sixth Form College to give themselves a little cushion on the sides below them.

DIVISION TWO

Division Two was one of many goals on Saturday and with the leaders in cup action, the focus was on the chasing pack with things looking very tight. Old Esthameians are now second in the standings as one of three clubs on eighteen points, their tally extended with a 4-2 win at home against Redbridge Community.

Sitting in third position are Unitey who hold that position on goal difference after a terrific win against an in-form St Francis side at Roding Valley High School. Bubintende Masadi extended his recent scoring record by netting twice with Ahmed Dousa, Matthew Pitchford and Matthew Surry goals seeing their side to a solid 5-0 win.

Also part of the eighteen point club are Emerson & Upminster Reserves who had an interesting afternoon and fell 3-0 down to bottom of the table Newbury East through goals from Bhajandip Purewal, George Montgomery and Rafai Bentick. But they amazingly found the strength to claw their way back and ended up winning it 4-3 with Archie Pitfield scoring twice off the bench to go with efforts from Reece Martin and Tobi Onafeko.

FHN Athletic are well in the frame for promotion themselves and sit just a couple of points back on the chasing clubs as they won at home against Rainham Working Mens Club to leapfrog their opponents in the process. Merrill Appiah scored twice and Terron Fordjoe once to overcome a Joshua Iyen goal for the visitors, FHN therefore confirming a 3-1 win.

There has been plenty of entertainment value in Ryan Under 23s’s recent fixtures and this week’s was no exception as they shared a ten goal thriller against Loughton Lions, the teams beginning the day just two points apart. And that is the way it stayed as they drew incredibly 5-5 in a result which really doesn’t aid either side’s chances.

DIVISION THREE

It was first versus third in Division Three where an entertaining game saw Melbourne Sports romp into a 3-0 lead against leaders FC Baresi Under 23s in Hainault. But the Mels couldn’t quite hang on to take three points as Baresi responded with goals from Maamoon Khan, Zach Aliane and Ronnie Kabongo to take a 3-3 draw by full time.

Old Barkabbeyans Reserves were able to take advantage of that result to close the gap on the sides above them, now sitting just three points outside of the promotion places after edging a tight game at home against Together United. Geovany Cruz, Robbie Osborne and Jalen Davis efforts were just enough to give Barks a 3-2 win.

There was a third league win of the season for Glendale who made the trip to Buckhurst Way with eight points separating the sides going into the game. But that was cut to five by full time as Dales goals from Maryis Shamku, Seyi Agboola, Mo Fadel-Mboupe and Mouhamed Gueye gave them a 4-2 win, despite Way threatening a comeback in the second half.

The goals were also “flying” in down at King George’s in Romford where Terin were the visitors to take on Flyers Under 23s with the bottom two sides battling it out to move closer to safety. The accolades went to Flyers who scored seven in a 7-1 win Kai Eaton (2), Deren Kale, Joshua Adu, Rafin Alam, Mohammad Miah and Aaron Weymouth. Fahad Abdallah scored the Terin goal in reply.

DIVISION FOUR

There were some big results affecting the top of the Division Four standings where Chingford Harriers became the only unbeaten side as they were triumphant against an in-form Dagenham United Reserves side, beating their rivals 3-1. Suleman Yusuf, Darnell Lamothe and Jake Kemp all netted for Harriers with Mamadou Soumare responding for United.

Avondale Rangers produced what must be their best performance of the season as they took an second placed Fairlop Rovers Reserves and won an entertaining twelve goal thriller 7-5. Debutant Fraser Bolton scored a hat-trick, Liam Cole also scoring a hat-trick himself as Harry Callagher finishing things off to give Rangers a fourth league win.

Flyers Under 21s also produced one of their best results of the season to end Sporting Pillars’ unbeaten record in the division in a 4-3 victory, moving level with their opponents. Two Jamie Randall goals and a Frederick Every effort accounted for the Flyers goals with two Emanuel Jacob goals and a Kain Betty effort giving Pillars their consolation goals.

There was also an important win for Emerson & Upminster A who faced up to a trip to West Essex Under 23s with a three point deficit on their opponents. Their trip proved to be a fruitful one however as they recorded a 2-0 win with Tyler Huggett scoring both goals in the game to move level on nine points with West.

COUNTY CUP

In the Essex Junior Cup, Frenford A faced a trip up the M11 to the very north of the county as they took on Cambridgeshire County League based side Debden in the fourth round. Frenford were on the wrong end of a narrow defeat however, going down 2-1 to see their run in the competition ended.

There was all-EAL clash in the Essex Junior Trophy as Belfry renewed old acquaintances with Cowley Community. With the two sides already going hammer and tong in the league, it was Cowley who secured progression in this county cup tie, edging the game 2-1 to go through.

Completing the weekend’s action, FC Petrocub continued their passage in the London Junior Cup as they successful in their third round clash against Middlesex County League based Hilltop Reserves. Petrocub won 2-0 at Hainault Rec to progress through to the fourth round after being finalists last season.