WEEK 22 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON CUP

The line-up for the quarter-finals of the Fenton Cup is now complete following the weekend’s conclusion of the last sixteen ties, Waltham Abbey A the last side to book their place in the last eight, securing a home tie against the league leaders, Philip United, after earning a 2-1 win against Vallance in their game at Newbury Park.

That quarter-final tie was made possible after Friday night’s action which saw Philip United and Woodford Town Reserves finally get the chance to complete their tie at Oakside under the lights. Philip were in strong form, winning 8-2 courtesy of hat-tricks from Joshua Wisdom and Tamas Retyi, Pt Ndala and David Moyo adding the others. George Taylor and Louie Cooper scored the Town goals in consolation.

SENIOR DIVISION

On Saturday afternoon, the top flight action saw plenty of goals scored, beginning up at Lea Valley Academy as Kulture took on an AS Rapid Londra side finding a bit of form. But that was halted in an eight-goal game, Kulture earning a 5-3 win after Landry Gogoa scored two, Adam Priest, Carl Adiku and Brian Gordon adding the others.

With a number of sides in cup action, that meant Chadwell Heath Spartans could close the gap on the top five with a win and they duly obliged, leapfrogging Ongar Town into sixth spot on goal difference, Spartans taking all three points in a 3-1 win at Mark Hall. Ryan O’Connell scored two and Peter Adeleye the other for the visitors, Ethan Hook netting Town’s goal in reply.

Over at Parsloes Park, there were eight goals in the game between hosts Waltham Forest Borough and FC Petrocub London who started the day just a point apart from each other. By the end however, Petrocub had moved four points ahead of their hosts, winning 5-3 despite two Borough goals from Mustafa Hussein and one from Aaron Blake.

The A406 derby match at Wadham Lodge pitched relegation threatened Sporting Hackney with a home fixture against a third place Haringey Borough Under 23s side. Despite the gap of twenty-six points between the sides, the Parrots will have been pleased to take a point in a 2-2 draw, levelling the game despite Timi Tinubu and Joene Mampovisa goals for Borough.

PREMIER DIVISION CUP

In the Premier Division Cup, there were two second round ties completed, beginning with a thriller of a game in Hainault where Something From Nothing and Stratford East combined in an eight goal thriller, the game ending 4-4 including SFN goals from David Prenga, Junior Milla, Jonathan Naranjo and Ikenna Ogazi. It was their side who held their nerve in the shootout to win that 4-1 and progress on.

The other Premier Cup tie of the day saw four being the key number once again, this time as London Park City and Sporting Bengal United Reserves met in Seven Kings for a place in the quarter-finals. The high-flying Sporting side were the victors in this one, netting four goals without reply in a 4-0 win for their side.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

The leadership in Premier Division East remains very tight with Dagenham United staying top on goal difference after ten games, remaining unbeaten after picking up a seventh league win against FC Baresi Reserves. Tajean Lewis struck twice and Yusuf Cetin once for the visitors while Tori Rendall notched the Baresi goal in reply, 3-1 the final scoreline.

Second placed Greengate District sit second in the table and trailing on goal difference, ending on the right side of a five-goal thriller on Saturday with a 3-2 victory against Motormen at Noak Hill. Silas Afriye and Tyler Houston-Taylor bagged goals for the visitors but two Rayaan Ali efforts plus a Ruben Silva goal meant it was the hosts walking away with the points.

Barkingside Reserves remain well in the promotion picture themselves and sit third at the midway point in the season, trailing the promotion places by just a couple of points after earning all three points in a Dagenham derby match against Inter Newbury at Parsloes Park. Fuad Ibrahim struck for the hosts but ‘Side notched four goals to win it 4-1.

Over at Westlands, hosts Romford Town Flyers were in action with the visit of Redbridge Community to Chadwell Heath, the latter starting the day a point behind their opponents. That picture had changed by the end of the game however as, despite Alfie Sasse getting on the scoresheet for Town, Redbridge ran out 3-1 winners to climb up the table.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

In Premier Division West, draws were the order of the afternoon on Saturday, beginning with a score draw at Royal Docks as second placed Newham Wanderers faced a North East Lions side with games in hand to make up. The match ended in a 2-2 draw with Emmanuel Bejedi accounting for one of the Lions efforts to share the spoils.

The other game from the division saw leaders Saint City in home action with the visit of Priory Park Rangers to Flanders, both sides seeking an upturn in form. It was certainly the case of defences on top in this contest, neither team able to break the deadlock as the game finishing 0-0 to take a point each home with them.

DIVISION ONE

The big game of the day in Division One saw the meeting of the top two with Ocean Pacific hosting an Old Esthameians side sat six points adrift of them at the start of the game. But that had changed by the end, E’s inflicting a first defeat on Ocean as Brad Harris and Henry Gray both got on the scoresheet in 2-1 success which closes the gap significantly.

That result also meant that the other chasing sides could close the gap and Condor are one of those, at the mid-point in the season sitting third, four points off the promotion places. They made it eight wins from nine on Saturday evening in the late kick-off winning 4-0 against tenth placed Freetown, taking their points tally to twenty-four.

Sitting in fourth place are an FC Alpha side who continue a good spurt of form which started in the back end of 2024, racking up win number seven for the season over the weekend following a hard fought 2-1 home success against West Essex Reserves. Liviu Nistreanu and Serghei Scupoi were the scorers of the all important goals for the hosts.

It was a big afternoon for Lymore Gardens Under 23s who moved off the bottom of the table with their first league win of the campaign, beating sixth placed Loughton Town in a 4-2 scoreline at Parsloes Park. Tom Osmond and Harry Drew struck with the goals for the visitors but those proved not quite enough by the end.

The remaining game from the division saw a high-scoring draw in Woodford where Leyton City were up against Old Barkabbeyans. The sides started level on points in the lower reaches of the tables and it remained that way by the end in a 3-3 draw. Borja Llorente scored two and Serge Sidibie one for City while Josh Robinson, Mehdi Ahorbi and Michael Ryder struck for Barks for their goals.

DIVISION TWO

The big game from Division Two saw the meeting of the two of the division’s title challengers as Royal Forest hosted a Parsonage Leys side in Loughton. There was little between the sides in the end as the game ended in a 1-1 draw, that maintaining Parsonage’s lead at the top as six points but with Forest having three games in hand.

Old Barkabbeyans Reserves sit in third place and ready to strike if there are any slip-ups above them, making it seven wins for the season with a 3-0 home victory against Saint City Reserves at South Park Drive. Tunji Ebun-Cole came off the bench to score twice with Jean Senghor adding the other to net all three points.

Old Parkonians A produced the most emphatic result from the division with a scintillating display against Glendale in Barkingside. Shane Hovell’s hat-trick led the way, Rowan Newland added two off the bench while Ricky Rodgers, Burt Cardy and Charlie Fiander netting the other goals in a comprehensive 8-0 win.

There were also plenty of goals at Mark Hall where Ongar Town Reserves reversed their first team’s fortunes against Chadwell Heath Spartans, picking up a 4-1 win. Connor Hoffman scored for the visitors but that was just consolation as Romario Maloney and Aaron Stevenson both netted two apiece.

At Robert Clack, there were seven goals in the game between hosts Dagenham United Reserves and CSM London Under 23s as Adebayo Adeyemi’s hat-trick proved the difference between the sides, along with Wahid Aziz grabbing the other goal for CSM as they won the game 4-3. Charlie Landers, Tajay Smith and Samuel Arowolo scored the Dagenham goals in the game.

DIVISION THREE

In Division Three, leaders IONA Wheels maintained their nine-point lead at the top of the table as they came away narrow winners from their trip to east London, beating Just Play 2-1 at Hackney Marshes. Tommy Heneghan and Jack Stockdale both got on the scoresheet for Wheels to prevail with all three points in the game.

Changing Lives sit as the side in closest proximity to the leaders but with that points deficit to make up in the remaining portion of the season, earning their eighth win of the season at the weekend with a 3-0 win on the road away at Cobra in Dagenham. Ussri Badawi scored two and Zaharadeen Yakubu added the third to keep their run going.

Romford Town Flyers Reserves are up into third spot, leapfrogging sides around them on the back of a solid home win on Saturday, defeating Jays in a 4-2 scoreline in Romford. Alan Butt, Sam Walker, Peter Brinton-Quinn and Sonny Davie were all in scoring form for the hosts and those were enough to lift their side to the win.

It was also a victorious afternoon for Chingford Harriers who put four goals away against fourth placed London Academics at Peter May to confirm a 4-1 victory, moving to within a point of their opponents. Andrew Bowring, Connor Bailey, Regan Marshall and Stephen Duberry were the players on target for Harriers earning them a valuable win.

In the division’s remaining game, Beckton Sporting Club’s latest action saw them with a home fixture against Buckhurst Way, the hosts starting the game without a point and five places beneath their opponents. But a first win of the season for Beckton, a 3-0 victory, meant that they opened their points account with James Odhiamba, Preye Kongha and Armondo Cufi on the scoresheet.

COUNTY CUP

There were mixed fortunes for sides in the BBC Essex Premier Cup where Frenford Development came through a seven-goal thriller against Leigh Ramblers to net a 4-3 win at The Drive, booking their place in the quarter-finals as a result.

Also through into the last eight of the competition are CSM London who came from behind to produce the goods in their tie against Olympian League side, Harold Hill, to net a 4-1 win by full-time, booking their place in the draw for the last eight.

Heading out of the competition after a thriller are Lymore Gardens who slipped to a defeat against Olympian opponents, Catholic United Reserves the side to dismiss them after a game that had finished in a 4-4 draw. Catholic won the shootout though to take their place in the next round.

Also heading out after defeat in south Essex are Fairlop Rovers who made the trip to Stambridge to take on an unbeaten Corinthians side in the last sixteen. Last season’s Junior Cup finalists were defeated 5-2 on the day though to exit the competition.

Photo Credit: Waltham Forest Borough