WEEK 18 REVIEW: Round-up of all the Corinthian League action from the weekend

SENIOR DIVISION

In the Senior Division, it was first versus second as leaders Baiteze Squad went into their clash with Brook Athletic with both sides sporting virtually identical records heading into the game. But it will be Baiteze who walk away the happier of the sides, ahead of next week’s big FA Sunday Cup tie, 6-1 winners and now three points clear in the title race.

Over in Barkingside, seventh placed Critics were looking to follow up last week’s sparkling win in the West Essex Cup as they entertained bottom side Total Football who sat three points adrift heading into the game. Two Ibrahim Elmagbari goals and one for Oliver Marshall gave Total the points in a 3-2 win, countering two Reo Griffiths goals for the hosts.

DIVISION ONE CUP

In the Division One Cup, the group is well poised around the mid-way stage with Barking Riverside the leaders, their late winner on Sunday at home against Benchviews enough to see them come from behind to take victory, winning 4-3. Ryan Gardiner scored two, Ayman Dahdouh and Oussama Bennani the others, to move them three points clear at the top.

AC Milano began their involvement in the competition with a home tie against fellow east London side, JK Silvertown, as those teams met at Flanders. Milano continued their strong form with a 3-0 win on the day to take their first points, moving up into fifth spot. Uzair Patel, Nadeem Khankhara and Zekariyas Hailu all struck with goals.

Over in Dagenham, third placed and unbeaten Barking & Dagenham Wanderers were facing their third game of the group stage with Cinoci the visitors to Robert Clack on Sunday. But it was the visitors who ended the happier of the sides, winning 3-0 with a goal apiece from Ryan Cornelius, Max Nicholson and Carl Godfrey.

DIVISION ONE

In a break from the cup competitions, there was some Division One league action on Sunday with Wanstead taking on a St Augustines side who have made a good start to the new year. Saints were in fine goal scoring form yet again, scoring twelve unanswered goals to walk away big 12-0 winners, their fifth league win of the season, a result which sees them climb up to second place.

DIVISION TWO CUP

In the Division Two Cup, there was first round action to kick the competition off on Sunday where Condor were hosts, facing up to a Daglanta side placed just below them in the table. There were visitor goals from Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade and Andy Morris but those proved not quite enough as Condor scored five of their own to win the game and head into the quarter-finals.

DIVISION TWO

There was just the one league game to survive the elements but it was an important one at the foot of the standings as bottom of the table Leytonstone Athletic were up against Higham Hill at Wanstead Flats. Bruno Dos Santos’ two goals for Leytonstone proved pivotal in the game as the hosts won 2-1 to take the honours.

DIVISION THREE CUP

It was first round day in the Division Three Cup where Singh Sabha Barking started their quest for silverware with a home tie against United Amateurs. Denim Nnamudi was in fine form for the hosts, netting five goals to lead them to victory, Ebenezer Fasoranti and Victor Ferrini adding to the scoresheet also in what ended as a 7-0 win for Singh Sabha.

DIVISION THREE

Back in the league, after a terrific win last time out for JP8, they would have had confidence going into their game with ninth placed South Ilford Catholics. But it was the lowly visitors who had reason to celebrate as goals from Neo El Amino and Rilwan Kuku proved the difference between the sides to give Catholics a vital 2-1 win in their quest to stay in the division.

Over in east London, hosts Asianos Vets were also looking to continue their good start to the year with bottom of the table Barking the side to make the trip across to Low Hall. Tunji Ebun-Cole struck with a goal for the Blues but an Issa Hussain hat-trick for the hosts, plus braces from Alex Akanbi and Yaaseen Patel were too much in reply, Asianos winning 7-1

DIVISION FOUR CUP

In the Division Four Cup, the weekend’s first round action pitted eighth versus tenth as Silencio travelled to the Flats to take on Kit Out London for a place in the quarter finals. And it was the higher placed Silencio side who walked away victorious, winning the game 3-0 to set up a trip to Woodford Town in a fortnight.

DIVISION FOUR

Back in the league, Woodford Town had to overcome a late fightback from Cardinals Athletic to get the points at Castle Green, eventually coming through to win 4-2 to record win number eight this season. Sonny Clarke scored a hat-trick for the visitors to help them across the line, moving Town level on points with the promotion places.

It was fifth versus sixth in the day’s other league game as Eastern Avenue played host to a Prospect Protégé who started the day with just a goal difference lead on their opponents. They had opened up a three-point lead by full-time however as Prospect produced a 6-0 winning performance through goals from Alexander Brennand, Tommy Burke, Louie Handley, Ethan Kieran, Emmanuel Alo and Ryan Lambourne.

DIVISION FIVE CUP

The opening Division Five Cup football action pitted fifth placed Alpha up against bottom of the table Ace Athletic with a quarter final place at stake for the winners. Stuart Connor scored twice for Ace but Alpha goals from Connor Wallace, Marco Nunes, Stephen Maitland and Kevin Mullen ensured it was their side walking away 4-2 winners and safely through.

DIVISION FIVE

After spending much of the season languishing at the bottom, Young Royals have become a bit of a thorn in the side of the top sides in the division and Sunday was no exception as they took a vital three points off Mansfield Rangers at Douglas Eyre. Royals were 2-1 winners, just their third win of the season but also their third in four games.

The division’s leadership saw another change this week as Coppice Row resumed their role after taking full advantage of others around them being out of action. Row were 5-1 winners away at Hainault Athletic where Leon Adeyemi’s debut goal proved to just be a consolation in the end as Adam Young, Stefano Muis, Mergim Marku, Jordan Santos and Mike Davies efforts completed the win.

Over in Beckton, visitors Lonsdale went into their game with Athletic Newham trailing their opponents by three points but saw them move level by full-time as the game ended 6-2 in their favour. Kalium Fletcher and Emanuel Ntoi both scored twice, adding to Charlie Owen and Conor Treadwell goals, while Jack Field and Aaron Rainieri netted for Newham in reply.

DIVISION SIX CUP

The opening Division Six Cup action of the season got underway on Sunday with Epping Royals having a home tie in the first round, taking on Titans United at Stonards Hill. The higher placed hosts will be the side ending the happier, walking away 4-0 winners with Matthew Winter coming off the bench to score twice after other goals from Thomas Harvey and Fraser McCarthy.

DIVISION SIX

The biggest winners of the day were Valence United Reserves who despite the grandeur of their final scoreline, had to come from behind to eventually beat Barking Colts in a 13-3 scoreline at Hainault Rec. Enzo Victoriano and Kamal Mahoney hat-tricks paved the way with Jamie Allen, Malakye Meade, Ayomide Ibuola, Eligijus Dapkus, Kevin Bangura and Kane Greene completing the scoresheet.

There was a massive result in the context of the title race at Newbury Park where Chingford Athletic’s hopes of overhauling the leaders were dealt another blow, held to a 2-2 draw by Brymans Park. Daniel Munroe scored the two goals for the seventh placed hosts who took their points tally to fourteen while Chingford now sit seven points behind the leaders.

Rounding off the action from Division Six, Mayfield Kings went into their latest fixture holding a four-point lead over opponents, FC Mexico B. Kings wrapped up a league double over the Mexicans, extending their purple patch of form, as Younes Ferhani, Kelson Tomas and a Kiz Myaz brace took them to a 4-0 win.

DIVISION SEVEN CUP

There were two first round ties completed in the Division Seven Cup, beginning with Emerson & Upminster’s trip to Barkingside to take on last season’s finalists, Ping City Phoenixes, the latter having only been beaten once in the league this season. But it was Emerson who produced the goods to record a 1-0 win, Flynn Treanor with the game’s only goal to take his side to the quarter finals.

Joining them at that stage of the competition will be Epping Forest Falcons who were up against Zone 4 Athletic in their tie, just three points between the sides in the standings. It proved a close contest, settled by the odd goal as Emmanuel Addo and Richard Noakes efforts overcame a Teraun Davis goal for the hosts, the game ending 2-1 to Epping Forest.

DIVISION SEVEN

In Division Seven, there was a thriller at the top end of the table where Debden Sports A came through a local derby against Colebrook Royals A with all three points, winning 5-4 to move second. James Deaney, Jamie McSweeney, Harvey Webb and Oliver West all scored for Royals but a Sports hat-trick for Shane Mitchell, plus efforts for Neel Patel and Alex Williams, handed their side the spoils.

The other huge result came from Hainault Rec as the unbeaten league leaders, Ridgeway Rovers, were up against fourth placed Warren United. The hosts will be hugely pleased with their efforts, sending Rovers to their first defeat and a comprehensive one at that, 4-0 the final scoreline. Oliver Regan scored twice, Ziyad Zikrya and Mitchell Peckham also netting in the game.

In the day’s final league action, it was FC Leytonstone up against Gatcliffe in their rearranged game at Leyton County Ground. With just a point between the sides at the start, it was looking to be a close game and that was how it proved, Gatcliffe eventually winning 3-2 as Daniel Morton, Albie Smith and Ben North scored their goals, rendering Aminur Rahman and Muhammed-Ali Shafique efforts as consolation.

COUNTY CUP

The rearranged London Sunday Challenge Cup tie between SE Dons and Hatch Lane was finally able to take place on Sunday with the east London side heading south with good memories behind them from previous encounters. But it was the Dons who done the business this time, winning 5-2 to end Hatch’s hopes in the competition this year.

In the London Sunday Trophy, FLY were up against it in their quarter-final with a long away day to north-west London on Sunday morning as they were up against an Maccabi GB Southern Football League side, Oakwood A. And it was the hosts who made home advantage count, winning emphatically 4-0 to head on through.

There were mixed fortunes for our sides in the Essex Sunday Junior Cup as the fourth round action saw Division Two’s East London Ballers make safe passage into the quarter-finals of the competition, completing a 3-0 home win against Upshire Forest from Division Three, extending their enviable record in the cup competitions.

Up in Chelmsford, Belfry were in action at the fourth round stage with a trip to a higher ranked Chelmsford Sunday League side, Eagle & Hind, who had only lost once in the league this season. A seven-goal thriller of a game ensued between the sides with the hosts taking the honours by the odd goal in a 4-3 scoreline.

In the Essex Sunday Junior Trophy, there was an all-Corinthian clash in the fourth round with Manford Way up against May & Baker EC. Despite being four places lower in the league, it was Bakers who went home with a place in the quarter-finals, winning 2-1 to set up a last eight spot early next month.

CHARITY CUP

In the West Essex Sunday Charity Trophy, London Legacy had it all to do as they faced up to a side three divisions above them in the shape of AC Milano Reserves but will have been buoyed by success against similarly high-placed opponents in the previous round. But the AC experience shone through on the day, the Division Three leaders winning 8-1 to go through.