WEEK 8 REVIEW: Round-up of all the EAL league and cup action from the weekend

FENTON TROPHY

The final weekend of September saw the start of the league cup action for the season with Dagenham United Reserves and Redbridge Community Reserves kicking things off in the Fenton Trophy. Alexander Sodje’s brace for Dagenham was the difference between the sides as the hosts won 2-1 to move on into round two.

SENIOR DIVISION

On Friday evening, the division’s two under 23 sides went up against each other, Haringey Borough the visitors to Parkside to take on Aveley. Borough went into the contest with a seven-point lead over the Millers but an early goal in the first half from the hosts proved enough over the ninety-minutes, Aveley winning 1-0 to move eleventh.

It was the battle of the top two on Saturday as Woodford East made the trip to Wodson Park looking to close the gap on leaders FC Baresi. But it was Baresi who will have walked away the happier of the sides as Raymond Poku and Murat Karagul goals were enough to take home the points and increase the gap at the top to six points.

Fourth placed Lymore Gardens are perhaps the best placed side to get close to the leaders in the coming weeks but had to do it the hard way on Saturday as they netted late on to take all three points against CSM London. Bilal Hussain’s two goals had got his side back in the game and looking to take a point but Garden goals from Tyrique Peters, Dylan Roberts and Ahmed Faisal won it 3-2.

Sitting in third place, Chadwell Heath Spartans had to settle for a point in a thriller of a game against Frenford Reserves which had seen the hosts lead before Spartans got back and led themselves. But two more Frenford goals ended it 4-4, Damilola Olaiya netting two and Tyler Shillingford one to counter two Elie Fanga efforts and strikes from Aaron Hunwicks and Ryan O’Connell.

There was an emphatic win for Walthamstow Reserves who moved into the top half of the table over the weekend with a 9-0 victory at home against an in-form Priory Park Rangers side. Ezra Agyiri and Issa Sidibe both bagged a hat-trick for the hosts with Mekhi Charles-Armstrong scoring twice and George Hellen once to complete the scoresheet.

A huge six-pointer near the foot of the table saw fifteenth placed Kit Out London travel to sixteenth side Chingford Athletic with both sides needing to get their points tally moving upwards. There were just two points between the sides going into the fixture but a Rio Mudhar-Hedley hat-trick and Akeem Matthews effort had Kit Out London taking home the points in a 5-1 success.

Bakers693 moved away from any imminent danger at the bottom end of the table as they ran out 2-0 winners at home against a Sporting Hackney side sitting above them in the standings. It was Shaun Barwuah who Bakers had to thank for those three points with him scoring both of the goals in Dagenham.

There was a big derby in Lakeside where two rival sides, Rapid Chingford and FC Petrocub, were up against each for the first time this season, just a couple of points separating the sides going into the game. And that gap remained by full-time as they shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw as Florin Porceanu struck for Rapid to keep them in the top half.

PREMIER DIVISION EAST

The Fairlop Rovers perfect start to the campaign continued on Saturday, recording win number two for the season with a 4-0 success at home against co-tenants Something From Nothing at Fairlop Oak. Logan Simmonds scored a hat-trick for Rovers, Harry Rouse netting the other to make it four wins from four.

There was a big result up in Harlow where second placed Ongar Town were up against an unbeaten Newbury Athletic side, Scout Bown and Matt Bovill both scoring for Town on the day. But Newbury will be the happier of the two sides walking away from the game as Michael Ibe, Sehraan Hussain and Kyrone Scotland goals pivotal in a 3-2 success, making it three from three for the visitors.

Two further top half sides went to battle at Barking & Dagenham College where Waltham Abbey A were the visitors facing a Dagenham United side with an almost identical record. And that perhaps pointed to the eventual outcome of a draw with the game ending 2-2, the two teams moving up to fourth and fifth places respectively.

Both Unitey and Redbridge Community went into their contest following difficult starts in the league, just a single point between them to date. But Unitey followed up their London Cup victory with a first league win in the second tier, Jai Perkins the hero, scoring the game’s only goal in a 1-0 success to move outside of the relegation zone.

PREMIER DIVISION WEST

In the West division, Philip United extended their excellent start to remain three points clear at the summit, edging past sixth placed Wapping by the odd goal, winning 2-1 through a couple more goals from the in-form Tamas Retyi. That result saw them make it five wins from five in their maiden season as a club.

There are two clubs chasing hard behind the leaders, starting with second placed Snaresbrook who sit three points off the pace following a fourth win in five at the weekend, defeating Athletic Newham A 4-2 at Nutter Lane. Harry Prince was in fine form, netting a hat-trick with Chris Huggins notching the other to take their points tally into double figures.

Over at Royal Docks, third placed Newham Wanderers made sure they kept up the pace with a win in an eight goal thriller against North East Lions. Despite a slow start Lions had got themselves back in the game before Wanderers eventually got the win. Amir Gurju and Rabbi Uddin scored twice each, Manuel Sanuo grabbing the other. Romelle Pile, Adrian Potaczala and Andrew Hango scored for Lions in reply.

Barkingside Under 21s are up into fourth in the standings following their local derby win against Wanstead at Wadham Lodge. Starting the day level on points, ‘Side were comfortable 3-0 winners on the day to leap up a number of places in the standings while Wanstead remain hovering just above the relegation zone.

Two other sides who started level on points at the beginning of their game were FC Baresi Reserves and London Cranes who met at the County Ground on Saturday and played their part in a close contest. But it was a game that Baresi settled by the odd goal in three, Joshua Adu and Ronnie Karayianni goals leading them to a 2-1 win.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, it couldn’t be much tighter at the top with eight sides separated by a single point, Royal Lions leading the way in the standings after their first three games on goal difference, producing a 3-1 home success against Lymore Gardens Under 23s on Saturday.  The visitors sit eighth after that result but also just a point off the top.

Sitting second in the table, also with seven points, are Woodford East Reserves who have two wins and a draw from their opening four games, beating the early season leaders on Saturday, Chingford Athletic Reserves. Tom Osmond was in the goals again, scoring twice and Owen McKelvey striking the other to earn the Peacocks a 3-1 win on the road.

Eagles Football moved themselves out of the relegation zone and took their first points of the season with a terrific away win against a top-half Freetown side in Walthamstow. A goal apiece from Denis Simion, Daniel Jacheanu, Ruben Costache and Samuel Pavel were the difference between the sides as Eagles returned to Dagenham with a 4-0 win under their belts.

The division’s action is rounded off by a rare goalless draw as Old Esthameians were in home action against a previously bottom of the table Haringey United side. E’s started the day five points clear of their opponents and with neither side able to find the back of the net, that was how the game finished, the match ending 0-0.

DIVISION TWO

It’s four wins from four for the Division Two leaders as Royal Forest extended their terrific start to the campaign with an away day win against Chingford Harriers at Peter May. Dushane Powell struck with the Harriers goal but that proved in vain as Joe Owers, Charlie Palline and Fifi Banin goals completed a 3-1 success for the visitors.

Third placed Old Barkabbeyans made the most of other sides around them being out of action to move up a number of places in the table, coming away 6-1 winners to record win number two and remain unbeaten. Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves were the side beaten, their goal scored by Kamran Akhtar, while Jay Elliott, Geovany Cruz and Harry Dunne all scored braces for Barks.

DIVISION THREE

It’s been an emphatic start for Woodford Town Under 23s as they recorded their fifth win on the spin in September, this time producing a thumping 14-1 win at home against Beckton Sporting Club. Hat-tricks from Arman Uzzaman and Samuel Grey were supplemented by Raheem Fernandes and Ronan Redding braces while Ousman Bangura, Tuerrae Johnson-Nortey, Frankie Walker and George Piwowarvzyk completed the scoresheet.

Trailing the leaders by a couple of points are second placed Glendale who remain unbeaten, the latest victory seeing a 3-1 away win against Broadway Athletic in Newbury Park. After a goalless first half, Maryis Shamku’s penalty gave them the lead before Samuel Matthews thumped in a leveller. But two Ali Mohammed goals off the bench turned the tie in Dales favour to make it four wins.

Changing Lives were in the goals in Rainham as they took on Newham & Havering Borough at Harris Academy looking to extend their solid start. Aboubakar Mohammed’s hat-trick off the bench, two from Ussri Badawi and one apiece from Mohammed Dahub and Samuel Afriyie were enough to earn all three points for the visitors in a 7-0 success.

Over in the Forest Road derby match, Melbourne Sports went into their home game with Old Parkonians trailing the visitors by five points but they slashed that to just two by full-time, the Mels scoring the only goal of a close game to win 1-0, recording their second win of the season in the process to move fifth.

There were six goals in the division’s final game where eighth placed Romford Flyers took on ninth placed Buckhurst Way at King George’s. With little between the sides on the day, the game ended in a 3-3 draw with that point being Way’s first of the campaign, keeping them three points behind Romford in the standings.

Photo Credit: Newham Wanderers FC