WEEK 34 REVIEW: Round-up of all the league and cup action from the weekend

SENIOR DIVISION

The April action got underway on Tuesday evening at The Drive as Frenford Development took on a Haringey Borough Under 23s side seeking to bounce back from their cup defeat. A close game saw it separated by just a single goal, Borough the side to produce in that big moment as Michael Melanarkitis struck in a 1-0 win.

On Saturday afternoon, there were vital games affecting the relegation race with Bakers693 and Priory Park Rangers in action in Dagenham. With Bakers holding a five point lead over Rangers ahead of the contest, they have given themselves a lifeline, winning 3-1 to move, just one other club now able to catch them. Defeat for Rangers sees them relegated.

The other key game came from Parsloes Park where Kit Out London were in home action with the visit of Aveley Under 23s, two further sides still in a perilous positions. But the Millers produced a vital 5-2 win in Dagenham with Sola Adebo netting two, Ziad Bakarr, Michael Aderibigbe and Imran Barmujje the others, a result which relegates Kit Out London.

It was the last game of the season for some of the top flight clubs on Saturday, beginning with the champions, FC Baresi, who made the short trip to Wadham Lodge to face Sporting Hackney side with still much to play for.  Two Marvin Hamilton-Omole goals plus strikes from Noyan Tajbakhsh and Shane Oakley were enough for the champions to win it 4-2 and reach their ton of goals.

Over at Mayesbrook Park, it was runners-up Woodford East in action for the final time this season as they entertained a Walthamstow Reserves side who have cup final action ahead of them in a couple of weeks. Billy Barr and Andrew Rowe were both on the scoresheet for the Peacocks as they shared the points in a 2-2 draw.

Also completing their season at Lakeside, Chadwell Heath Spartans’ final game this term saw with take on an FC Petrocub side still harbouring hopes of a top five finish. The game ended in a narrow 2-1 win for the visitors, despite Billy Gipp's goal, as Petrocub took the honours, moving up into seventh place with a game to go.

PREMIER DIVISION CUP

In the Premier Division Cup, the first finalist was confirmed on Saturday afternoon as Soul came from behind to produce a penalty shootout victory at home against Newbury Athletic to book their place at Dagenham & Redbridge after the game had finished in a 1-1 draw, Meeshaq Malone scoring the Newbury goal.

There was quarter-final action too with Ongar Town hosting a Something From Nothing team at Mark Hall for a place in the last four of the competition. This proved to be another close game with the sides finishing level at 2-2, Scout Bown and Alfie Scarborough on target for Town. But it was SFN who held their nerve to win the shootout 3-1, heading through to face Waltham Abbey.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

The big game of the day in the East division came from Hainault where Fairlop Rovers were the hosts, taking on fellow title challengers Unitey. A goal-filled game eventually saw Fairlop record a 5-3 win ahead of their big night this Wednesday, Dylan Scutt, Billy Happe, Ellis Morgan and Jayden Francis all netting. Ameer Mursal, Muhammed Camara and Junior Milla struck the Unitey goals in reply.

That result enabled Waltham Abbey A to make up some ground on their rivals and they duly obliged, taking all three points to leap above Dagenham United in the table into third, the Abbotts 2-0 winners at Town Mead. Alfie Bruno and Louie Pegg were both on target for the hosts to give them a ninth win of the season with four games to go.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

In the West division, Philip United have moved closer to their maiden league title with five games to go, taking all three points in a 5-0 home win against London Cranes to sit seven points clear at the summit. That result was Philip’s fourteenth win of the season while Cranes remain in seventh place.

Newham Wanderers are up into second place, taking advantage of teams around them being out of action to take all three points in a comprehensive 10-2 win against Wapping at Hackney Marshes.  Jordon Mill-Smith scored twice Wapping but his goals proved in vain as Newham ran in ten themselves to make it twelve wins for the season.

At the other end of the table, there was a relegation six-pointer between Athletic Newham A and North East Lions. In the first game of a double header, it was a 3-2 victory for Newham with Amir Bourhfir and Louis Blake scoring in consolation. They followed that with another win for Newham, 7-2, with Peter Addo and James Codling the scorers for Lions who complete a difficult season.

Those results were also important for the other side involved at the bottom as Wanstead made the trip to Dagenham to take on Barkingside Under 21s. A close game was edged by the odd goal in three with ‘Side taking the honours in a 2-1 scoreline, despite an Isiaih Farinto goal for the Stags who drop in the relegation zone with four games to go.

Also at Parsloes Park were FC Baresi Reserves whose penultimate game of the season saw them with a ‘home’ fixture against London Park City in Dagenham. The sides started four points apart and that was how it ended, the game finishing in a 2-2 draw with Suhayb Aftab and Malachi Kazley scoring for Baresi.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, there were some huge results affecting the promotion race on Saturday where Royal Lions, sitting third, turned over the league champions, Saint City, following a 4-2 home success against them at London Marathon. Ibrahim Basri and Richard Seixas both struck for City but those goals were not quite enough on the day.

That result proved important as second placed Woodford East Reserves missed the chance to keep matters in their own hands, slipping to a 1-0 away defeat against Ocean Pacific in their game in Walthamstow. That victory for the hosts, their eighth of the season keeps Ocean in with a chance of a top three finish in their maiden season.

It was eighth versus ninth in the game between Freetown and Haringey United, and with the latter without a win heading into this game, Haringey will be ending the season much happier as they completed a first win of the season, winning 5-3 through two Tosin Ojeriakhi goals plus efforts from Damanie Campbell, Jermaine Da Cost and Liam Palmer. Victor Nwagbara scored two and Elijah Dapaah once in reply.

There was a five goal thriller to round off the Division One action as Chingford Athletic Reserves faced a Lymore Gardens Under 23s side in a Waltham Forest derby match at Parmiters. With just a point separating the sides pre-match, Lymore’s last league game saw them leap above Chingford into sixth, edging the game in a 3-2 win.

DIVISION TWO

There were two games in Division Two over the weekend where Rainham & Barking Phoenix moved three points clear at the summit with a 2-1 away win against Redbridge Community Reserves. Connor Kain and Josh Perry scored the goals to hand them a vital win in the race for the title.

The other game came from Lakeside where Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves were in home action with the visit of Collier Row Reserves in both sides’ penultimate games of the year. Row were 4-0 winners on the day with Jordan Lee scoring a hat-trick and Shane Redford once to make it seven wins this season.

DIVISION THREE CUP

It was semi-final day in the Division Three Cup for two sides with a place at Dagenham & Redbridge at stake for Changing Lives and Melbourne Sports. It was a day to remember for the hosts who saw Abdulhalim Alhadi score twice with Ismail Aziz, Imoro Braimah, Alan Valle and Aboubakar Mohammed all on target in a 6-1 win with Ricky Rose scoring in reply for the Mels.

DIVISION THREE

Back in the league, there were some important results affecting the promotion and title race where Collier Row Wheels had a double header with Beckton Sporting Club. The first game ended in a 3-3 draw with Josh Allen, Max Hodgson and Farhaan Korimbocus scoring for Row before wrapping up a 4-0 win second time around with Luke Fearne scoring a hat-trick and Ryan Richards netting the other.

There was another important game in Hainault where Glendale and Old Parkonians were up against each other in the Forest Road derby. The Dales were ahead through Seyi Agboola but two second half goals from Charlie Fiander turned the game on it’s head with Old Parks winning 2-1 to remain second in the table and well in the race.

Photo Credit: Chadwell Heath Spartans FC