WEEK 24 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

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SENIOR DIVISION CUP
The first semi-finalists of the Senior Cup were established on Tuesday evening as CSM London and Frenford Development ended locked at 2-2 after home goals from Luke McElroy and Omari Williams, Isima Iguisi and Kyron Chidozie netting for Frenford. And it was the latter who held their nerve to win the shootout 6-5.
SENIOR DIVISION
Friday night’s top flight action saw Lymore Gardens continue their charge up the table ahead of a big week ahead, notching seven in a 7-1 home victory against a resurgent Bakers693 side. Malik Donaldson and Alex Coster scored twice, Ryo Brown, Dylan Roberts and Gravlyn-Boss Kitondo the others.
Also winning emphatically under the lights on Friday were Haringey Borough Under 23s who tasted victory at Coles Park against AS Rapid Londra, Borough 5-1 winners. Samuel Tesfu’s brace and singles from Louis Maffia, Zayshaun Asamoah and Sertan Kirman accounted for their goals with Andrei Boga netting in consolation.
Saturday’s football action saw a second successive 4-0 victory for an improving Fairlop Rovers side, their win against Woodford Town Reserves vital in the battle to beat the drop. Jayden Francis, Harry Rouse, Dylan Scutt and Oliver Palmer all netted in the win.
That result was all the more important as Sporting Hackney also earned an important win, turning the tables on their head to defeat second placed Frenford Development in a 2-1 win at The Drive. Thomas Harford scored the Frenford goal but that was mere consolation in the end.
Down at Noak Hill, Philip United held off a late fightback to take victory in their away game against FC Petrocub London, weathering the early and late storm to win it 3-2, their eighteenth win of the season so far ahead of Friday night’s colossal battle at the top.
There was a fine win for Ongar Town on the road, their away trip to Wadham Lodge proving profitable in a 4-0 victory against Walthamstow Reserves. Scout Bown, Max Galati, Butrint Lecaj and Mohamed Abubakar struck with the all important Town goals.
Chadwell Heath Spartans remain in sixth spot following the weekend’s results, taking their wins tally into double figures with a 2-0 victory against Kulture at The Drive. Billy Gipp and Elie Fanga were the men on target to earn the Spartans all three points.
The top flight action concludes in the Dagenham derby where CSM London and Waltham Forest Borough met at Parsloes in what proved to be a closely fought contest. It was CSM leaving with the points in a 2-1 win with Dylan Flynn and Marco Lavadera efforts overcoming Dean Florence’s for Borough.
PREMIER DIVISION EAST
Greengate District remain a couple of points clear at the summit in Premier Division East, their efforts seeing them record all three points in a 3-0 win at Redbridge Community. Zekariyas Hailu, Lua Silva and Jorge Agostinho all found the back of the net for their win to net win number nine.
Second placed Dagenham United remain well poised with a couple of games in hand and set about closing the gap with a home victory against Something From Nothing at Robert Clack. Tajean Lewis scored twice and Tajay Smith once in a 3-0 scoreline.
Third placed Kit Out London also earned victory to continue a good spell of form, scoring all three of the game’s goals in a 3-0 success against FC Baresi Reserves. Ryan Nkansah scored twice and Kuba Ollivierre once for Kit Out who remain a point outside of the promotion places.
There was a five-goal thriller at Parsloes in another of the games where Inter Newbury edged a home clash with Romford Town Flyers by the odd goal to record a 3-2 success. Muhammed Seif, Reda El Ghaibouz and Robert Carvalho all scored for Inter, Alvin Smeraldi netting for Flyers in reply.
Also at Parsloes Park, Barkingside Reserves were back in action hoping for a change in fortunes as they took on a relegation threatened Waltham Abbey A side. The teams couldn’t be separated by the end as it ended 2-2 with Valentino Reid and Hayden Dill scoring for ‘Side.
PREMIER DIVISION WEST
The race for the title in Premier Division West continues to excite after Unitey pulled off a big result against the leaders, Saint City, sending them to a 3-1 defeat in Loughton. Jayke Welch scored for City but Unitey goals from Mubarak Mohammed, Ishwar Ravi and Mustafa Mohammed proved too much.
That result gave hope to the chasing clubs and Sporting Bengal United Reserves have plenty of games in hand to make a difference, racking up a superb win against North East Lions after a fast start. Bengal were 8-1 winners, Lewis Momah scoring the Lions consolation effort.
There was victory for second placed Newham Wanderers also who closed the gap at the top to five points after a 4-1 home win against Priory Park Rangers. That win for Newham was their eighth of the season and keeps them well in the picture with a game in hand.
DIVISION ONE
Weather curtailed much of the Division One schedule but one game did survive, the leaders, Ocean Pacific, at home to FC Alpha in the late game in at Peter May. Ocean continued their dominance however and made it eleven wins for the season, 3-0 winners here to sit six points clear.
DIVISION TWO
The goals were plentiful in Division Two with Royal Forest racking up eleven in a big 11-3 home win against Dagenham United Reserves at Roding Valley. Remel Green scored four, Tommy Ainsworth two, Leigham Stone, George Hick, Stanley Kweya and Daniel Thompson adding the others. Charlie Landers, Ibrahim Kamara and Formoso Da Silva netted the United replies.
There were just the eight goals in another of the games as CSM London Under 23s struck three through Muhammed Camara only for Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves to eventually win it 5-3 as Usher Kasirye, Brodie Gingell, Jack Chawner and Aaron Oakford-Busby struck in reply.
The last game from the division came from the north of the county where Parsonage Leys were looking in increase their advantage but were held to a score draw as in-form Old Parkonians A took a point in a 1-1 final scoreline. Burt Cardy levelling it for Parks after Leon Bodkin’s opener.
DIVISION THREE
Chingford Harriers were in fine form in Division Three, putting away nine goals without reply in their home clash with Cobra in Walthamstow. Williams Akins’ hat-trick, Huai-Ginn Oliver’s brace and efforts from Imran Sobratty, Connor Bailey and Regan Marshall saw the game finish 9-0 to the hosts.
Second placed Changing Lives continued their push for promotion but had to come through a tough battle with Just Play, the hosts 3-2 winners at Northbrooks through a couple of Ismail Aziz goals and one from Alan Valle which keeps them well in the mix.
Down at Lakeside Sports Ground, the early game saw a mirror image of the previous result with London Academics moving up into third spot after a edging a 3-2 thriller against Jays. That result moves Academics to within four points of the promotion places, albeit from a game more.
COUNTY CUP
There were great results for league sides in the Essex cup competitions, firstly as Condor booked their place in the semi-finals of the Essex Junior Cup, defeating Olympian League side Roydon at Noak Hill, 2-1, to set up a trip to Great Wakering next month.
In the Essex Junior Trophy, Old Barkabbeyans Reserves also moved through to the same stage, sitting ninety minutes away from a potential county cup final after a 4-1 away win against the higher ranked Broomfield Reserves from the Mid Essex League.