WEEK 18 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON TROPHY

The weekend’s sole Fenton Trophy action brought about a cupset with another Division One seeing their run reach an end as Leyton City fell to a 3-1 defeat at Old Barkabbeyans Reserves. Alie Sheriff struck for the visitors but Barks goals from Tunji Ebun-Cole, Delphin Xavier and Miles Brown meant it was the Division Two side heading into the quarter-finals.

SENIOR DIVISION CUP

There were two further Senior Cup ties in midweek, beginning on Tuesday evening where it took the odd goal to settle the clash between Waltham Forest Borough and Kulture at Parsloes Park. Reece Simpson was on the Borough scoresheet but a goal apiece from Jehovany Kinzonzi and Landry Gogoa meant it was Kulture walking away 2-1 winners and through to the last eight.

A dramatic match took place on Wednesday at Noak Hill where Chadwell Heath Spartans made the trip to take on previous winners, FC Petrocub. An end-to-end game saw Ion Spinu score twice and Sergiu Demcioglo once for the hosts while Peter Adeleye netted two and Billy Gipp the other for Spartans to end it 3-3. A shootout was therefore needed which went the way of the hosts by the end, Petrocub 4-3 winners.

SENIOR DIVISION

On Friday evening, the first of three top flight fixtures saw two of the title chasing sides meet with CSM London hosting Philip United in the Dagenham derby. Paul Mendes was on target for CSM but, with recent form on their side, it was Philip who left the ground the happier as they racked up five goals of their own to win it 5-1.

It was also a big evening for the division’s basement side, Bakers693, who racked up their first win of the season at the sixteenth attempt, coming from 3-1 down to take steal a 4-3 success against Kulture. Randy Adele was the hero with a hat-trick, Mario Embalo adding the other, while Landry Gogoa and Mohammed Bhayat struck with the Kulture goals in consolation.

Up at Coles Park, it was two young sides featuring in the remaining fixture of the night and it saw Haringey Borough Under 23s make the most of results elsewhere to climb into the top three, 3-0 winners on the night against seventh placed Woodford Town Reserves. Hamid Bun-Seisay, Mohamed Keita and Alexander Nicolaides all found the back of the net for their sides tenth league win.

Second placed Frenford Development remain the side closest to the leaders presently and moved to within six points on Saturday after a narrow away win against Ongar Town at Mark Hall in Harlow. George Pugh scored for Town but Frenford goals in reply from Bilal Hussain and Kyron Chiedozie meant it was the visitors winning 2-1 and taking home the points.

Waltham Forest Borough moved out of the relegation places for the first time in a while, moving up into twelfth place on the back of a 2-1 win of their own, that being a hard fought 2-1 success away at FC Petrocub London. The Florences made the big impact in the game with both Dean and Dylan on the scoresheet for their side.

It was derby day at Wadham Lodge as Walthamstow Reserves were up against a Sporting Hackney side, Stow starting the day with an eight point lead over their opponents at the start of the day. But they were able to extend that by full-time, 3-1 winners in the end to move up into ninth place with a fifth league win of the season.

Over at The Drive, Chadwell Heath Spartans were looking for a bounce back performance as they entertained a Fairlop Rovers side still seeking points to move clear of any danger. Peter Adeleye was in fine form once again, netting another two goals, with Ryan O’Connell adding the other as Spartans took home the points in a 3-1 win.

The remaining Senior action came from Lakeside Sports Ground as AS Rapid Londra went in search of key points as they faced a promotion chasing Lymore Gardens side. It was the away side to earn the spoils in this one as Lymore moved fifth with an eighth league win of the season, winning 4-0 to keep themselves in the hunt.

PREMIER DIVISION CUP

In the first round action in the Premier Division Cup, the biggest winners of the day came at Parsloes Park where Inter Newbury were up against a London Cranes side for a place in the last sixteen. Newbury were in seventh heaven though, securing themselves a big 7-0 win with Dawid Potoczek scoring a hat-trick, Meeshaq Malone adding two, Reda El Ghaibouz and Richard Kadima netting the others.

Also through to the last sixteen are Romford Town Flyers who completed a strong away win at Fairlop Oak, ending Motormen’s run in the competition with a 4-0 winning performance. Alvin Smeraldi was the key difference between the sides, netting four goals, while Ibrahima Sow added the other in a comprehensive win.

Joining them at the next stage of the competition will be Sporting Bengal United Reserves who met their big divisional rivals this season, Saint City, for a place in the second round. With just defeats between the sides this season, it was always going to be close and Bengal left the happier, earning a 2-0 win including an Umar Abdullah goal.

Something From Nothing were on the road into east London in their tie, making the trip to Hackney to take on Priory Park Rangers in an east versus west clash. There was just a single goal between the sides in what proved to be a tight contest, SFN the side to benefit from that one scoring moment to win 1-0 and progress through.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

It couldn’t be much tighter at the top of Premier Division East as just one point separates the top three now after Kit Out London moved level on points at the top after sending leaders, Greengate District, to just a second league defeat this season. A single goal was all that there was between the teams, Joshua Boateng-Obiorah scoring that to give Kit Out a valuable 1-0 win.

Just a point behind those sides and with games in hand still, Dagenham United still hold many of the cards in the title race, and kept up the pace with a win on Saturday, defeating Redbridge Community 3-0 at Robert Clack. Dasian Clark, Derek Boakye and Tajean Lewis all netted for the hosts to complete a sixth league win and remain unbeaten.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

Over at Peter May Sports Centre, Newham Wanderers were the visitors at the weekend to take on North East Lions holding a four point lead over their opponents at the start of the game. That was extended to seven by the end however as Wanderers ran out 2-0 winners from the game to move second in the table.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, there was no change to the leadership of the division as Ocean Pacific ensured themselves of top spot at Christmas, staying unbeaten so far after a 4-2 away win against local rivals, West Essex Reserves. That win, Ocean’s tenth in eleven games this season, saw them move six points clear at the summit.

Third placed Condor could still yet prove a thorn in the title chasers’ sides, their efforts seeing them rack up a 5-0 home win on Saturday afternoon following a victory against an out of form Old Barkabbeyans side. Stanislav Vasilachi, Darius Darie, Liviu Tihon, Razvan Turvan and Stefan Batrincea all netted in win number seven this term.

FC Alpha’s recent strong form has not gone unnoticed and they retain fourth spot for a while longer after adding another win to their account, this time a big 7-1 away success against Lymore Gardens Under 23s. Denis Musteata and David Agbon both scored twice for the visitors with Liviu Nisteanu, Igor Mamulat and Sanu Muntean adding the others.

DIVISION TWO

Parsonage Leys extended their positive start to the season with another victory on Saturday afternoon but didn’t get things all their own way against a stubborn Dagenham United Reserves side. A single Leon Arif goal meant he was the hero once again, that just enough to earn the title challengers a 1-0 win at Grange Paddocks.

Over in Hainault, one of the other title rivals in the division, Royal Forest, weathered the storm to take a vital win late on against Glendale. With the game sat locked at 1-1 entering the final stages, Forest broke the home side’s resilience from the spot then struck twice more in the dying embers to make it a 4-1 win.

DIVISION THREE

Second placed Changing Lives moved to within six points of the league leaders with a game in hand on Saturday, producing their seventh league success this term with a 6-1 home win against Redbridge Community Reserves at Northbrooks. Agoro Fuad was in fine form, scoring four, while Dawod Abakr and Abazar Ali also struck, rendering Anthony Bonsu’s goal as just consolation for the visitors.

London Academics sit just a point further adrift of the promotion places in third spot, their sixth win of the year on Saturday achieved as they returned home from Parsloes Park with all three points following a 3-0 success at Cobra. Ali Abdalmageed, Ian Marques-Tavares and Samuel Osinlowo were the scorers on the day to hand their side the points.

It was a seven-goal thriller in the game at Lakeside Sports Ground where early gift exchanges were taking place in a 4-3 scoreline, Just Play the side to walk away winners in the end to make it five wins for their account. That result was enough for them to sit fifth over the festive period while hosts, Jays, remain in eighth at the mid-way point.

The remaining action came from Bancrofts Rugby Club and saw Buckhurst Way and Chingford Harriers both looking to end the year on a high, just a point between the sides before the game got underway. Harriers will have been the side leaving the happier, moving above their opponents into sixth after completing a 4-2 win.

COUNTY CUP

It was a pair of defeats in the day’s two rearranged Essex Junior Trophy fixtures, beginning up in Chelmsford where Division Two’s Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves saw their run reach an end at the third round stage, going down 4-3 against Central Park from the Chelmsford Churches League.

Also exiting the competition at the last sixteen stage were Ongar Town Reserves who also had an away trip to make with a visit to Brentwood Athletic on Saturday. This one saw a win for the host side with Brentwood 4-1 winners in the game to head on through.