WEEK 5 REVIEW: Round-up of Saturday's league and cup action

FENTON CUP

It was a busy day of Fenton Cup football action at the weekend as ten sides look to extend their participation in the competition on the “Road to Dagenham”. There was nearly a big shock in one of the ties as Division Three side Custom House United incredibly led four times against Rainham Working Mens Club who hail from Division Two, the Dockers’ goals arriving from Bradley Routledge, Jamie Wooster, Mabz Rahman and Glenn Levy. But Rainham responded each time and eventually earned a hard fought 5-4 win with Ricardo Teixeira netting a hat-trick and one each from Dillon Anderson and Gozie Ndukwe.

There were also plenty of goals in Chadwell Heath where Newham Royals were up against their Division Four rivals in the shape of Old Barkabbeyans Reserves. Another stunning match saw the sides share the eight goals in a 4-4 draw at the end of the game with Jerome Morris, Harry Dahler, Klodan Meta and Brandon Johnson netting the Old Barks’ goals. Despite this, Newham Royals will have gone home happier of the sides as they edged the resultant penalty shootout 5-4 to book their place in round two.

Division Two’s high-flying Chingford Athletic Development side made their own safe passage into the next round when they took on Division Four Avondale Rangers on Saturday but didn’t get it all their own way. Adam Friend and Paul Regan both got on the Rangers scoresheet but a Sebastian Gardner double on debut for Chingford added to Sam Jarvis and Jack Yates efforts to record a 4-2 win for their side.

Haver Town Reserves are also through into the second round as they eventually overcame a Glendale side with a flurry of late goals to earn a 5-0 victory. Ryan Kelland scored twice for Haver with Courtney Waller, George Russell and Lee Harris all netting to book a second round tie at home to either Debden Park or CSM London.

The final cup tie of the day in the competition saw Flyers face their fellow Division Two opponents, South Marsh United, with the visitors making a long trip to Romford. Flyers goals from Jason Collins, Sean Watson and Patrick Okoji were sufficient to secure their side the win in a 3-0 scoreline, heading through to play Chingford Athletic Development in the second round.

SENIOR DIVISION

The Senior Division action from the weekend saw top of the table ACD United slip to their first reverse of the season. Despite leading through a Michael Wade hat-trick, their opponents, East Ham Inter, battled back through two goals from Sofyan Khalfi and one each from Alexander Brown and Michael Kemp to secure a stunning 4-3 comeback win on the day.

The day’s other action saw Docklands Albion make their return to league action following their epic victory in the county cup last weekend as they hosted a Blue Marlin side who started the day six points above Albion. That lead was cut significantly however as Docklands made it two wins on the spin with Jesse Appiah, Jack Blackburn, Kris Brown and Jayke Welch all on the scoresheet in a 4-1 win.

DIVISION ONE

FC Baresi have opened up a four point gap at the top of the Division One standings as they made it thirteen points out of a possible fifteen with a hard fought 2-1 win over Chigwell at the weekend. Esat Saiti and Alfie Hatch both found the back of the net for Baresi to edge the game by the odd goal and maintain their top spot after the opening month.

Chingford Athletic Reserves have moved up to second place in the table as they continued their fine form in making it three wins from their opening four games so far, the latest being a win over Forest Green. Michael Hay scored twice with Samuel Matthews and Diego Panessar also on target to render Green goals from Tim Polius and David Rodrigues as just consolation in a 4-2 win.

Trailing not far behind second place are another of the Chingford based sides as Chingford United rounded off a very positive first month of the season by recording a third win in four as they took on Wapping in Hackney. Mohammed Hussain scored the Wapping goal but a brace from Razvan Anghel was enough to give Chingford the points to take home in a 2-1 victory.

DIVISION TWO

Puma Kings have had a fortnight to remember as they followed up their opening win of the season last weekend with another this time around to make a move up to sixth place in the table. Their latest opponents were FC BKT as Puma made the trip to Dagenham and returned with all the points in a 5-3 win. Jordan Mills-Smith was the hero with a hat-trick with Nathan Mukuna and Louis Pernice also finding the back of the net.

Also making their way up the table are Old Esthameians who were visited on Saturday by the previously unbeaten Cowley Community who had won all of their games so far this season. But it was Old E’s who stunned the visitors by edging the game 2-1 and moving up to third in the table after their opening four matches.

There will have been plenty of sighs of relief in Waltham Abbey on Saturday night as Upshire Forest’s perseverance paid off to the tune of three points as the league new boys picked up a first win. Upshire were 3-0 winners over Inter Plaistow with Jack Marrion scoring twice and Mark Lawn once to move up to ninth in the table.

DIVISION THREE

In Division Three, Royal Forest have returned to the top of the table as the Hainault based side picked up a 7-0 victory at home to St Francis on Saturday in their opening home match of the season. Anthony Carrig scored a hat-trick for Forest with Robert Evans, James Mahoney, Terence Elliott-Cooper and George Taylor goals earning their side a big win.

There was a stunning win for Frenford A at the weekend as they travelled to Mabley Green and stunned a very much in-form Tower Hamlets Reserves side to came away with a terrific 3-2 win. Luke Evans, Jovan Shand-Aldridge and Marcel Appiah all got on the scoresheet as Frenford saw off a side who had scored twenty-three goals in their first three matches of the season.

Another side who saw their previously perfect record come to an end were Brook City who played host to New Star Soccer on Saturday in Woodford. New Star came into the game still searching for their first points of the season but shocked their lofty opponents with a 5-3 victory with Tyrese Sutherland scoring a hat-trick and Marvin Sterling twice.

Also securing their first points of the new season were Chingford Harriers who moved up to seventh in the standings after putting five goals past Forest Green Reserves. Tommy Whelan scored twice for Green but a Edwin Jabbari bagged a hat-trick and Andrew Moffatt’s double rounded off a 5-2 win for the happy Harriers.

DIVISION FOUR

In Division Four, Sungate Reserves have moved clear in second place after they secured a third league win from three games, beating off the efforts of Brentwood United Reserves in the Chadwell Heath derby. Westley Quinn and Glenn Bransgrove both netted for Sungate to help their side to a 2-0 win and maintain the chase on the leaders.

Dagenham United Reserves earned themselves a big win on Saturday when they were hosts to a visiting Loughton Lions side who had found themselves a bit of form in recent weeks. The Daggers proved too much for the Lions on the day however as Luke Harrold, Niven Nkensah and Jeffrey Nketia each scored twice to render a Lions goal from Tommy Edwards as just consolation in a 6-1 win.

In the day’s remaining league action, Chigwell Mens Club moved up to sixth place in the table with a second win in five matches, their victims being a fourth-placed Soul Youth side. Shipon Miah scored for Soul but Chigwell efforts from Billy Barr, Jack McMullen and debutant Kyriacos Savva earned them a 3-1 victory.

ESSEX JUNIOR CUP

There was mixed success for EAL sides in the Essex Junior Cup where Jolof Sports made the draw for round two after seeing off London Park City in an all-EAL tie. Jolof were 5-0 winners and will now progress on to face Olympian side Collier Row in the next round.

There was a close game in Hainault where West Essex Reserves played host to Mid Essex top flight outfit Harold Wood A at the weekend. It was eventually the visitors who made the draw for the next round, seeing off West Essex by the odd goal in five in a 3-2 defeat.

Completing the weekend’s action, Lopes Tavares London Reserves made a trip down the A13 to Thurrock to take on Lakeside Reserves. They will have returned home the lesser happy of the sides however as they went down to a 6-2 defeat to see their participation in the competition ended.

Thank you to Lamo the Lion for this weekend's cover photo