WEEK 2 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL football action from the past week

It has been a busy last week of Senior Division action in the Essex Alliance League, beginning right back on Monday evening last week where Lymore Gardens secured their first win of the new campaign, beating Ongar Town at Oakside in wet conditions, 5-0. Dylan Roberts started things off early and his brace, the same from Tyrique Peters, and a Johneli Lungikisa goal gave Lee Benjamin's side an impressive victory.

On Tuesday night it was the turn of another unbeaten side to head into the limelight as CSM London, winners on the opening weekend, facing a Bakers693 sides who have had their struggles early on. It was a night for Dylan Flynn to show his credentials, scoring four for CSM in a 5-1 victory therefore, Ramiz Mahmood netting their other. Marcus Bamidele scored the Bakers goal in consolation as they seek their first points of the campaign.

Wednesday night saw three fixtures take place with the early kick-off seeing Woodford Town Reserves earn their first win in the league with a win at Wadham Lodge against Sporting Hackney in an eight-goal thriller. Jack Barnes scored two, Remarle Lawrence, Michael Alfred and Arthur Massingham also on the scoresheet in a 5-3 win. Jerrel Watkins' double and Aaron Maddison netted for the Parrots in reply.

Over at Noak Hill, two other sides seeking first wins of the season were hosts FC Petrocub and Kulture Klub. There was a goal for Samuel McNally for Kulture but that proved in vain as two Gheorge Cucos strikes for the hosts, along with marksman Ion Spinu finding the back of the net meant that it was FC Petrocub who walked away 3-1 winners on the night to take the points.

At Mayesbrook Park, Waltham Forest Borough returned to familiar surrounds for the evening as they went up against a Walthamstow Reserves side. It was cup winners, 'Stow, who ended the night the happier as Bilel Benyoucef's double plus goals from Ethan Earnshaw, Henry Collins and Unisa Bangura earned a 5-2 win. Dylan Florence and Sadiq Akanbi scored the Peacocks' goals in reply.

There were two games on Friday night, beginning with a big win for Philip United in their first Parsloes Park action of the season, earning an impressive bounceback 7-1 win against Lymore Gardens in front of a big crowd after an opening day defeat at the hands of Ongar. Dylan Roberts was in scoring action yet again for Lymore making it a good week for him, but it wasn't enough to stave off defeat as Philip's frontline put away seven.

Up in north London, Fairlop Rovers' second game of the season saw them make the trip around the A406 to take on Haringey Borough Under 23s with both sides having earned three points on the opening weekend. This time however it was Borough who walked away victorious as Louis Maffia struck two and Alexander Nicolaides once in a 3-1 success at Coles Park, overcoming Joseph Cloake's goal for Rovers.

On Saturday, there were six games including a thriller of a game at Lakeside Sports Ground where AS Rapid Londra and CSM London went to battle. A topsy-turvy game saw CSM London come from behind to take a dramatic late 4-3 win, Jesse Jones' winner the difference in the end after Michael Payne, Basiru Abubaker and Luke McElroy had also struck. Federico Ardei, Vlad Bucur and Bogdan Toana scored the Rapid goals in reply.

The goals were plentiful at Parsloes Park also where Chadwell Heath Spartans got their points account underway for the new season with a comprehensive 9-0 away win against Bakers693 to give Spartans a boost. Brandon Johnson's hat-trick, braces from Harry Goodwin and Billy Gipp, plus strikes from Enoch Salami and Joe Butcher made all the difference to take the points.

Also in impressive form in front of goal on Saturday were Walthamstow Reserves who doubled their wins tally for the season, following up their midweek victory with a 6-0 local derby win against co-tenants, Sporting Hackney, at Wadham Lodge. Issa Sidibe's hat-trick kicked things off, Bilel Benyoucef continued his form with two more goals and Edward Mavakala's effort completed the scoresheet for 'Stow.

A five-goal thriller opened the season's action at Ashton Playing Fields where Woodford Town Reserves initially surrended a 2-0 lead against Waltham Forest Borough in tough conditions before popping up to net a winner and make it two wins from three, 3-2. Dylan Florence and Sadiq Akanbi repeated their scoring feats from midweek for the visitors but Town goals from Louie Cooper, Jacob Richards and Phorell Brooke completed the result. 

Up at Mark Hall Sports Centre, Ongar Town were looking to bounceback from the disappointment from midweek as they entertained fellow new boys in the division, Kulture Klub in both sides' third game of the campaign. There was little to seperate between the sides as Ongar's late leveller meant that the teams shared the points at 2-2, Ebenezer Fasoranti and Gilson Pereira striking for Town's goals.

At Noak Hill, after a mixed back of results for the teams in the opening week, Frenford Development were the visitors to take on FC Petrocub on Saturday afternoon, the former looking to record a first win after an opening day draw. And it was indeed Frenford who did just that, winning 3-0 as Bilal Hussain scored a brace and Isima Iguisi bagged the other to record a win for their side.

Photo Credit: CSM London FC