WEEK 22 REVIEW: Round-up of Saturday's league and cup action

FENTON CUP

This year’s Fenton Cup continues to serve up surprise after surprise as two more sides overcame sides from higher divisions to book places in the quarter finals. In the first of those ties, the county cup semi-finalists, Chigwell, had to make a tough journey to West Ham to take on top-flight side London Cranes. In a cracking match, the side from Division One gave an excellent account of themselves and extended their stay in the competition as they sent Cranes out of the competition in  a 4-2 result.

Also in the competition, Division Three’s Haver Town Reserves had a tough battle on their hands as they made the short journey across Havering to take on Division Two’s Rainham Working Mens Club. A close game saw the sides finish level at 2-2 with Abdul Yusuf and Sean Tormey goals for the Workies equalling Lee Harris and Reece Simpson efforts for Haver. That sent the match to a exhilarating shootout, with Haver prevailing 5-4 to cause another cup shock.

DIVISION 3 CUP

The New Star Soccer love affair with the Division Three Cup competition continues to show no end. As beaten finalists in the competition last year in dramatic fashion, Jeff Khan’s side are one step away from repeating that feat as they made the draw for the semi finals. They had to come from behind in the quarter finals to an excellent Mouhamed Gueye strike for Glendale. Dwaine Hitchman responded twice for his side to make it 2-1 before Glendale crucially missed a penalty to level it in the last ten minutes then conceded a late third to go down 3-1, Kyran Chiedozie netting that all important goal.

SENIOR DIVISION

There was a massively important match in the Senior Division on Saturday where first met second in Noak Hill as ACD United made the trip to face East Ham Inter. Two first half goals from ACD were just enough as they rode out a late charge from Inter, who grabbed a goal back, with the scoreline finishing as 2-1 to the leaders. That enabled them to maintain a five point gap at the top.

That result changed the situation at the top with Singh Sabha Barking beneficiaries of an Inter defeat as the Newbury Park side battled to a local derby victory after making a short trip to Seven Kings to tackle London Park City. Singh Sabha were 5-1 winners on the day in a result which saw them move up to third in the table with City’s stay in the top flight also coming to an end.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, the big games are coming thick and fast with the game of the day seeing top of the table FC Baresi taking on third placed Chingford Athletic Reserves in Walthamstow with six points separating the sides prior to kick off. Baresi put in a stunning performance to earn a 3-0 victory with Carl Diable, Zuhayr Amjad and Ali Shikheey all scoring for the hosts to see them move further ahead in the table.

And in the day’s Chingford derby match, there was a local derby as two close rivals went head-t-head with Rapid Chingford making the short journey to Chingford United. Ionut Pumnutiu and Florin Ivancia both scored two with Bogdan Galan getting the other in a 5-0 victory. That result sees Rapid hold on to their fifth place spot in the league for the time being with United not quite yet safe from the drop zone with a couple of games in their season still to go.

DIVISION TWO

The big game in Division Two came in East Ham where previously fourth placed CSM London were the hosts once again to a mid-table Puma Kings side. In a game of ten goals, Rodrique Beya scored four for the hosts with Matthew Knights, Lewis McCarthy and Micail Koulibaly also scoring in a 7-3 win for CSM. That result moved them up a place to third and still well in the frame for a promotion charge in the final quarter of the season.

A little further down the table in seventh and eighth place, FC BKT were at home to Upshire Forest at Castle Green with the sides locked on points going into the contest. By the end of the match, it was Upshire with the upper hand as they came from a goal down to earn a 3-1 win in the second half with Mark Lawn mowing his way to a well earned hat-trick to helps his maintain a stranglehold on their position in mid-table.

DIVISION THREE

In Division Three, top of the table Custom House United were looking to bounce back from their cup defeat last time out as they played host to fourth-placed Frenford A at the weekend down in Beckton. Jamie Wooster was back in the starting line-up and he scored twice for the Dockers with Abraham Jairette and Carl Day goals helping them overcome a Kevin Struett effort from the visitors as Custom House ended up 5-2 victors, extending their lead to four points at the top.

Brook City remain well positioned and a threat to the sides above them with games in hand as they helped themselves to a big 4-0 win from their trip to Leyton to face Forest Green Reserves. With them still having eight games left to play, including some against the sides above them, Brook are still well in the frame for a promotion charge.

DIVISION FOUR

There was a hugely important match at the top of the Division Four table as Avondale Rangers were up against previously fourth placed Debden Park in their match in Hainault. Rangers started with the title race very much in their hands but by the end of it, the on-watching Sungate Reserves manager will have been very pleased as Debden Colts secured a 4-1 win, Tony Craske’s effort mere consolation for the hosts.

That result saw Brentwood United Reserves slip a place to fourth in the table as they travelled to face Old Barkabbeyans Reserves in Barking. Brentwood were on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat as Old Barks climbed up three places in the table from ninth to sixth in a hugely congested bottom half of the table, Michael Ryder and Younis Faraz scoring the crucial goals for the hosts.