WEEK 16 REVIEW: Round-up of all the football action from the final weekend of 2021

DIVISION ONE

Theydon Green closed off a great 2021 by moving three points clear in Division One, seeing off the efforts of struggling FC Mexico A in a 4-0 scoreline over in Hainault. Noah Friend netted twice with Josh Steele and substitute Joe Johnson goals completing the win, ensuring they finished top at Christmas.

DIVISION THREE

The Division Three title race has a new leader as Higham Hill ensured they would be number one at Christmas, moving top with a terrific 3-1 home win against Upshire Forest in Walthamstow. Tom Lawn scored the Forest goal with Kieran Walsh, Zachery Leitch and Chris Hambis goals carrying Hill to an eighth league win of the season.

It was third versus fourth over in Debden where the hosts, Debden Sports Reserves faced up to the free scoring Dagenham Town with both sides looking to continue their respective promotion pushes. Sports will be the happier of the sides as Charlie Harper’s hat-trick combined with single goals from George Bird Joseph Cloake and Will Osmond sent their side to a crucial 6-1 win.

Another of the division’s front runners, Leytonstone Athletic, kept themselves well placed for a silverware tilt in 2022 by completing a seventh league win of the season, defeating Mayfield Kings 11-3 over in Hainault. George Burton was in fine form with a double hat-trick, Bruno Dos Santos scored twice, Pat Ambrose, Harry Burton and Talvin Sandhu goals finishing things off.

DIVISION FOUR

Just the one game was played in Division Four which saw Chingford Athletic Reserves make the journey down to Hainault to take on Lonsdale at the Rec. Leo Suta scored for the hosts but Chingford were in scoring form themselves, winning the game 3-1 to pick up another three points and move fourth in the standings.

DIVISION FIVE

Colebrook Royals Vets have extended their lead at the top to five points in Division Five with a terrific pre-Christmas win down at Athletico City as the sides met at Fords. Paul Noonan scored twice with one apiece from Omar Mahmood, Steve Summers and Thomas Sellars all striking too to complete a 5-2 win in Royals’ favour.

Over in Barkingside, there was a seven goal thriller at Old Parks where Young Royals were going in search of vital league points against a top half Custom House Community side. The two teams combined for a real Christmas cracker of a game, Jack Field scoring twice and one each from Isaac Boateng and Jamie Wooster winning it 4-3 in Royals’ favour.

DIVISION SIX

There were two further seven goal thrillers in Division Six where the leaders, Mansfield Rangers, surrendered a 3-1 lead against London Legacy but managed to score a winner to take all three points. Billy Happe’s quick fire hat-trick gave Rangers a quick start with Kemston Allen’s strike winning it 4-3. Mohamed Noor, Yaqub Khichane and Walid Benmouna all found the back of the net for Legacy to make the game really interesting.

It was similarly close at the Rec where Woodford Green United had a home match against Valence United Reserves, the two teams separated by six points going into the game. Valence were the side to walk away the happier, edging the game 4-3 with Kamal Mahoney’s hat-trick doing the damage and Keenan Mitchell also on target.

COUNTY CUP

It was London Sunday Challenge Cup day for Hatch Lane who made the trip down to south London on Sunday to faced one of the toughest sides around in SE Dons. Having weathered the storm in a first half largely dominated by Dons, Hatch were imperious in the second half and had Jermaine Francis and Ashley Wackers-Kyriacou to thank for producing two very special goals, winning the game 2-0 in front of hundreds of spectators.