WEEK 6 REVIEW: Round-up of Saturday's league and county cup football action

SENIOR DIVISION

With a number of sides in county cup action this weekend, FC Baresi took full advantage of that to move four points clear at the top of the table, returning home from their trip to Newbury Park with all three points in a 2-0 win against Blue Marlin. Alfie Hatch and Denzel Conteh grabbed the all important goals to secure a fifth league win.

Over in Hainault, there was a second league win of the season for Chigwell Town who entertained Tower United. Abubakar Maxamed scored twice and Abdirahman Sabriye once for the visitors but braces from Ross Chimes and John Lye paved the way to Chigwell victory, Joel Donnelly scoring the other in a 5-3 scoreline.

It was also a great afternoon for Rapid Chingford who picked up a crucial first win of the season to move them away from the bottom, seeing FC Petrocub slide to a second successive defeat after a perfect start. Bogdan Galan double and strikes from Dragos Aenasoaie and Andrei Boga were enough for Rapid, overcoming visitor goals from Vitalii Chiriac, Nicolai Gutu and Maxim Volosin in a 4-3 win.

DIVISION ONE

The title race remains interestingly poised in Division One with the top two sides both having won all five games so far. Leyton Royal extended their record but had to come through a tough contest away at Kwanzas London Sport as goals from George State and Bogdan Toana overcame an Antonio Semedo strike from the hosts in a 2-1 scoreline.

Remaining top on goal difference, Woodford East maintained their own great start as they took maximum points from their trip to London Park City. Callum Drummond, Matthew Stacey and James Collier goals proved enough on the day as they ended with a 3-1 win under their belts.

Moving up to fourth place are Eastside who made it two wins and a draw from their opening fixtures as they secured an important 6-2 home win against Francis Luke in a local derby. A brace apiece for Lawrence Amadi, Michael Dager and Junior Mandeng-Fotabong were sufficient for Side with Saico Djop and Joseph Mcnroe goals just consolation for FL.

North East Lions will be pleased with their efforts also as they scooped a second league win of the campaign with a victory at another local side, Wapping. A 4-3 win was secured by a Rweal Azizur hat-trick with Aaron Abbott grabbing the other to render strikes from Ashraf Ameer, Gracia Muhemba and Shamsun Noor as just consolation.

DIVISION TWO

Dagenham United remain top of Division Two but had to settle for a share of the spoils as they were held at 2-2 by previously bottom of the table Royal Forest. Ruben Silva and Lewis Bennett both got on the United scoresheet but Forest will have been pleased to secure a first point of the season to get their account underway.

Belfry are ominously poised to strike, just a point back from the leaders, and they made light work of their trip to Leyton to take on Forest Green. There were hat-tricks galore including one for debutant Jeremy Lynch, with Daniel Osborne and Sam Paterson equalling that effort. Luke Macdonald and Mujib Ayoola goals completed the scoring in an 11-0 victory.

Sitting in third place, Cowley Community kept up their decent start to the new campaign with a closely fought home win against Unitey in Leyton. Aiden Gentle and Kyle Cargill goals were enough in the end to edge this encounter 2-1 with the visitors slipping to the bottom by full-time as they go in search of their first points.

Newham Wanderers are also sitting pretty with three wins from four so far after promotion and they took maximum points from their local derby game against St Francis, running out 3-0 winners at the Flats. Hamido Jalo, Marcelino Rodrigues and Bradley Harris found the back of the net for Wanderers to keep them in the hunt at the top end of the table.

It was also a good afternoon for Chingford Athletic A who have moved up to fifth in the table following a big 5-0 home win against Old Esthameians as the sides met at Town Mead. Eric Kelly’s rich vein of form continued with a hat-trick as Harry Miller and Shazad Edwards goals completed a deserved victory.

DIVISION THREE

In Division Three, it’s as you were at the top end of the table as FHN Athletic stay two points clear of the rest but had to come through a tough battle at home to Bailey Football Academy to take the points. Mustafa Burkhari and Fahd Umar goals kept Bailey interested but Athletic scored three times themselves to edge this one 3-2.

Over in Romford, Old Barkabbeyans Reserves kept up with the leaders but had to overcome a tough test themselves as they edged a five goal thriller against bottom of the table Flyers Under 23s. Klodian Meta scored twice and Sam Thompson once to help their side to an eventual 3-2 win in what was an improved Flyers performance.

Melbourne Sports remain third as they held off a comeback from Glendale, scoring twice late on to win it 5-3 after the hosts had fought back to 3-3. Alex Armah netted a Mels hat-trick with Jordan Green and Adnan Nuralt getting the other to render strikes from Enoch Apraku, Mohammed Gueye and Valter Correia as just consolation for the Dales.

Loughton Lions got back to winning ways this weekend as they put six goals passed a visiting Lymore Gardens Reserves side to secure a second league win in three. Will Osmond and George Bird swooped in with braces, Charlie Harper and Ryan Hazell scoring the others in a 6-1 scoreline.

ASA made their long awaited debut in the competition on Saturday as they made the trip to Barkingside to take on Fairlop Rangers. In the end, the two sides had to share the points as Saigeethan Senthan and Irfan Bahadur goals helped ASA to take a point in an eventual 2-2 draw, a result which was enough for Rovers to move sixth in the standings.

DIVISION FOUR

Royal Forest Reserves’ return to league action was a successful one as they moved three points clear at the top of the table following a hard fought 2-0 home win against Dagenham United Reserves. Anayo Ukwunnah and Josh Trainor scored the two goals for Forest to keep their side unbeaten in the league so far.

Moving second in the standings, Together United picked up a second league win on Saturday, overcoming Brentwood United Reserves in Chadwell Heath in a 5-3 scoreline. Jake Southam, Connor Goom and Sam Bentley all found the net for Brentwood but a Stanley Kweya hat-trick and Fifi Banin brace brought it all Together for the visitors to take the points.

Collier Row A will have been pleased with their afternoon’s work as they made it two wins for the season over the weekend with a 4-1 win against Newham Royals. After such a difficult start, Row are now up to fifth in the table with Royal dropping to seventh as a result of that performance.

Completing the league action from Saturday, Emerson United Reserves were the hosts as Avondale Rangers visited Upminster in a mid-table battle. The game was closely fought and the teams had to settle for a point apiece with Adam Friend’s goal for Rangers equalled by a Sonny Scott goal for Emerson.

COUNTY CUP

It was a big county cup weekend for Essex clubs and in the Essex Junior Cup, three of our sides made safe passage into round two with West Essex Reserves proving comfortable winners in their game against Toby Reserves and will now face fellow Senior Division side, Chigwell Town, next month.

Also making it through in impressive fashion were Jolof Sports who took on CSM London in the East Ham derby game and picked up a 4-1 win to book a second round clash away at Manford Way Reserves in November.

And they will be joined in the second round hat by Lymore Gardens who also had a home tie with Olympian League side Collier Row Reserves the visitors to take on an in-form Lymore side. They were 3-1 winners and secured a spot in round two against Leytonstone United.

There was just the one defeat for our clubs as DTFC were edged out by Essex & Suffolk Border League side Dunmow Town with Town winning 2-1 on the day to make the draw for the next round.

In the Essex Junior Trophy, there were two all-EAL ties completed as Division One side Chadwell Heath Spartans overcame Custom House United 7-2 to go through to the next round where they will face Harold Wood Athletic A next month.

The other clash came from Ilford where, in the battle of the borough’s “A” sides, it was Barkingside A who came out on top, beating Frenford A 4-2 to book a clash at home to Glendale in the next round.