WEEK 6 REVIEW: Round-up of all the Corinthian League action from the weekend

NATIONAL CUP

A weekend dominated by cup football also saw the start of the FA Sunday Cup trail for another season and there were some big wins for Corinthian sides, beginning with the former champions, Baiteze Squad, who earned a massive 14-2 home win at Mabley Green against Chafford United to head through.

Just down the road at the Marshes, another side looking for a better run this year in the competition are Hatch Lane and they started their quest with the visit of Harlow’s top side, Rouge 21. And while it took a bit of time to break down the Rouge resistance, Hatch were eventually able to win 6-1 with a flurry of late goals.

Flyhouse Athletic had the longest trip of the day with a drive up the A1 to the outskirts of Stevenage, taking on Squirrels Tavern at a picturesque Codicote FC. They led midway through the first half to lead at the break but Tavern eventually levelled on the hour before a late goal blitz from the visitors enabled Flyhouse to run out 4-1 victors.

There was an all-Corinthian tie in the day’s later kick-off as hosts Brook Athletic were up against Critics at Frenford’s home of The Drive. And it was Brook who extended their early season unbeaten run to earn themselves a solid 5-1 win on their debut in the competition, booking themselves another home draw in the second round.

The final action came from Basildon United where FLY were up against Sceptre Sunday League side Fryerns and slipped to a two goal deficit in the game in front of a big crowd. But the Corinthian side fought back to level at 2-2 and looked to have turned the momentum of the game, though Fryerns had the last laugh as they scored a winner to take the tie 3-2.

TROPHYLAND CUP

There were early cupsets in the Trophyland Cup where Byron Red Star took out higher division opposition as they made the trip to Dagenham to take on Division Three’s Barking. Berty Frith scored for the hosts but Byron goals in reply from Gabriel Adeshina, Perry Robinson, Adrian John and Gabriel Ogunmokun were enough to win the tie 4-1.

Also producing an upset were Division Four’s Kit Out London who had a tough task ahead of them with the visit of Valence United from Division Three. And despite Rowan Newland notching his customary two goals for United, that proved insufficient on the day as Felicien Bradeo scored twice for Kit Out, Torren Darroux and Russ Seth netting the others in a 4-2 win.

Making it a trio of wins for the Division Four sides, Warren Senior were another team to put out a higher division side as they ended the run of last year’s finalists in the competition, United Amateurs, edging a 4-3 thriller with goals from Harry Glenister, Scott McGlynn, Anthony Cooke and Daniel Ross. Leon Arif’s brace and a Gabriel Mendy goal accounted for the United consolations.

The biggest winners of the day in the competition were AC Milano Reserves who came out on top in their all-Division Three tie away at JP8 to book their place in the second round of the competition. The teams went into the game level on points in the league but it was the visitors who left the happier of the teams, winning 5-0.

Also into the hat for the second round are Asianos Vets who ensured they avoided any kind of slip up with a 3-1 home victory over Division Five’s Young Royals in Walthamstow. Troy Hewitt struck with two of the hosts’ goals with Alex Akanbi’s effort completing the scoresheet to see their side over the line to the win.

It was also a winning Sunday for Cardinals Athletic who booked their place in the second round of the competition on their debut, defeating Alpha at Castle Green. A couple of braces from Daniel Acquaye and Lee Dwyer set them on the way, Kadeem Kazeem netting the other to hand the hosts a 5-2 victory in Dagenham.

Completing the action from the weekend in this competition, Division Three high-flyers, City Site, also saw off the threat of a lower ranked opponent in the shape of Athletic Newham, completing a 5-2 win. Joe and Jordan Carson struck with the Newham goals but those proved just consolation as Robert Garvan (2), Harry Watkins, Kyle Dooley and James Cole netted in reply.

ENDEAVOUR CUP

The return of the Endeavour Cup saw a trio of games on Sunday with cup finalists last term, Ping City Phoenixes, back on the cup trail against fellow Division Seven outfit, Debden Sports A in Barkingside. Ping have been in the goals in recent weeks and struck six here with Jack Flood’s hat-trick and Tom Lyall brace starting things off, Matthew Fyfe netting the other. Brendan Anamole’s double accounted for Sports’ efforts in reply, the game ending 6-2.

Division Six’s Titans United came through what could have proved to be a trick first round tie as they saw the visit of Emerson & Upminster to Old Dagenham Park, the visitors making their debut in the competition. But a goal apiece from substitutes Hamed Hamed and Adam Sheth were just enough for the hosts as Titans went through winning 2-1.

Over in Hainault, the day’s last cup tie saw another Division Seven side in action with Gatcliffe making the trip to take on Mayfield Kings at the Rec. A goal apiece for Kings from Paul Edwards and Kiz Myaz were the difference between the sides as Mayfield ensured they avoided a potential banana skin tie.

SENIOR DIVISION

With other sides on cup duties, there was just the one top flight league game in the league this week which saw London All Stars at home, taking on Club 1017 at the Marshes. Prince Aderogba struck a hat-trick for the visitors but that was in a losing cause as Misha Djemaili, Zivonimir Lopes, Jaime Obama, Johnville Renee and D’Norfe Vaz goals gave All Stars a 5-3 success.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, Cinoci produced one of the performances of the day as they defeated a Benchviews side who had yet to drop a point, the hosts winning 2-1 at Roding Valley to sit sixth in the standings. A goal each from Astrit Loshaj and Andy Adomakoh were enough to earn Cinoci their first league win of the season.

There are three sides sitting on six points at the top end of the standings where AC Milano now sit second, completing their second win on Sunday with a 6-0 success against Wanstead. Two David Anele goals plus efforts from Hassan Mohammed, Nesar Torkamani, Jochanan Katende and Melanijus Butkus completed the scoresheet for the hosts.

Barking Riverside are another to move onto six points for the campaign, taking victory in the Barking derby against Barking Dagenham Wanderers in what looked to be a close game with 3-2 the winning margin. Ryan Gardiner, Tommy Kavaz and Rajpal Bumbra were the scorers for the hosts as they confirmed a second win of the season.

Over in Newbury Park, St Augustines and JK Silvertown went into their game with just a couple of points separating the sides in the standings after the first month of the season. And that gap was maintained by full-time, the two sides sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw as Aaron Hendricks and Matt McDowell goals for the hosts were equalled by JK goals from Chris Wright and Daniel Cox.

DIVISION TWO

Just goal differences separates the top two sides in Division Two where Belfry marginally lead the way following the weekend’s result, defeating Colebrook Royals Seniors in Chigwell to make it five wins from five. Jamie Redington scored a hat-trick with Luke MacDonald, Joshua Robinson and Nathan Casey also on the scoresheet in a 6-2 victory.

Also on fifteen points are second placed Debden Sports Reserves who have also had a great start to the season and added win number five to their record on Sunday, beating third placed Cloud 9 at Chigwell Lane in a 4-0 scoreline. Will Osmond extended his scoring record for the weekend with another two goals, Billy Barr and Callum Thomas goals rounding off the win.

At the other end of the table, it couldn’t be much tighter as Condor produced a later winner against Ainslie to take a 3-2 win at Fairlop Oak, taking them up into eighth place in the standings. Liviu Tihon scored twice and Petru Roabes once with Aaron Powell and Ryan Radley goals having clawed Ainslie back into the game to pull them level.

Over at Highams Park, hosts Higham Hill were up against Leytonstone Athletic, starting the day with just a point on the board. But a couple of Charlie Saywood goals and Jae Smith’s effort were crucial for Hill, countering Leytonstone goals from Harry Burton and Bruno Dos Santos to win this thriller in a 3-2 scoreline.

Completing the action from the third tier, East London Ballers were another side going into their fixture at the weekend with a deficit to make up on their opponents, FC Galaxy, starting with a four point gap between the sides. But it took just a single goal to separate the sides, Ballers the beneficiaries of that moment to win 1-0 and cut the gap to a point.

DIVISION THREE

There was just the single game in Division Three this weekend but it was one producing the goods in front of goal as Singh Sabha Barking earned just a second win of the season, beating South Ilford Catholics in a 10-1 scoreline at Hainault Rec. Kailen Davey and Victor Ferrini both scored hat-tricks, Sebastian Osei-Obengo and Omari Williams bagging braces for Barking while Camaron Hoskin struck for the hosts.

DIVISION FOUR

It’s as you were at the top of Division Four where Colebrook Royals Reserves defeated Eastern Avenue on Sunday, winning 6-2 in Chigwell to ensure they stay a point clear at the top. Paulius Olisauskas and Karolis Venclova scored for Avenue but two Royals efforts from Brandon Fulton plus others from Leo Winer, Kamran Latif, Djean Holland and Jamie Meakin turned it in their favour.

Woodford Town are certainly going to give it their best to keep pace with the leaders and done their bit to stay within a point with a six-goal win of their own as they defeated Horse & Well in a 6-1 scoreline. Luke Dimond scored twice, Bayley Clarke, Courtney Cooke, Sean O’Regan and Ben Dimond also bagging to give their side a fourth league win.

It’s been a solid start to the campaign for Prospect Protégé too who will be pleased with their efforts, moving up to third in the standings following a seven-goal thriller in against Silencio in the Hainault derby. Jevonte Cassar, Connor Smith, Joseph Hill and Ethan Knight goals proved to be just enough for the visitors who returned through the hedge with a 4-3 win under their belts.

DIVISION FIVE

Coppice Row have opened up a three-point lead at the top of Division Five as the Loughton based side recorded a fourth league win with a 3-1 away day victory against May & Baker EC in Dagenham. Frankie Westland struck for Bakers but Adam Young, Matheus de Lima and Mergim Marky goals for Row turned things in their favour.

Second placed Manford Way missed the chance to close the gap on the leaders as they slipped to defeat in their home clash against local rivals Royal Lions B. Jake Crump scored two and Callum Owen once but two Tyler Adams-Sinclair goals for Lions, plus goals from Ryan Rawat, Charlie Burns and Lewis Galvin saw the points head back along Forest Road with the visitors who won 5-3.

There was another well-matched contest between Hainault Athletic and Lonsdale who renewed rivalries on Sunday with a six-goal thriller at the Rec. A couple of Charlie Owen goals and a Kalium Fletcher effort helped Lonsdale score three but Hainault matched that with goals from Ashley White, Luke Barrow and a rare Thomas Hockley effort, the game ending 3-3!

DIVISION SIX

The big result of the day in Division Six saw previously unbeaten Chingford Athletic take on one of their early season promotion rivals with Woodford Town Reserves the visitors to Town Mead. It was debutant Marko Protic who stole the show with a hat-trick, Ronan McGoldrick netting two, Archie Locke, Luke Parrott and Barney Hurd scoring the others in an emphatic 9-1 success for Woodford.

That result opened the door for others to move up the standings and Valence United Reserves duly obliged, moving second with a fourth league win in five this season, coming away 3-1 winners from their fixture with London Legacy, leaping above their opponents in the process. Ayomide Ibuola, Krystus Coleman and Kevin Bangura scored the goals with Lloyd Barfour scoring the consolation.

Epping Royals were another of the weekend’s winners, taking maximum points in a solid home performance against Barking Colts at Stonards Hill to move onto nine points for the season. Matthew Winter scored two with Louie Brownlie, Fraser McCarthy, Joseph Bothwell and Ben Stone scoring the goals to win 6-1 and shift up into the top half of the table.

Over in Barkingside, FC Mexico B went into their game with a three-point deficit on their visitors, Brymans Park, both sides having seen indifferent starts to the season. But the Mexicans will have been happy with the end result, edging a five-goal thriller 3-2 to move level on points, despite Bryman goals from each of Ife Bakreen and Shane Taylor.

DIVISION SEVEN

In Division Seven, it was all change at the top of the division once again as Warren United took advantage of others around them being in cup action to move top with an 11-2 victory against ninth-placed Zone 4 Athletic in Newbury Park. Luke Paites scored twice for Zone but their opponents were in fine form in front of goal to complete a fourth league win.

Trailing the leaders by just a couple of goals, and with a game in hand, Ridgeway Rovers enhanced their own credentials for a tilt at promotion this term, making it four wins in an unbeaten start on Sunday, producing a 4-0 win away at FC Leytonstone Reserves at the County Ground. That saw Rovers leap up to second while Leytonstone remain in search of their maiden league points.