WEEK 6 REVIEW: Round-up of Sunday's league and cup action

PREMIER DIVISION

Flanders have maintained their unbeaten start to the season in the Premier Division with the East Ham side securing a 1-1 draw on Sunday in the local derby away at Liberty Stars. Matt Hector scored the crucial goal for the visitors as they took a share of the spoils.

In the division’s other match-up, local rivals Repton Park and Warren United, took on each other with both sides having had mixed results in the early stages of the season. Tom Metcalfe and Harry Agombalor both netted for Warren but Repton levelled things up at 2-2 as the game ended in a draw.

DIVISION ONE

There was an important victory for Barking & Dagenham Wanderers on Sunday as they took on FC Mexico in Emerson Park. Having had a difficult start to their second campaign, Wanderers picked up a 1-0 win and a cleansheet to boot.

The top two sides stay as they were with East London Old Boys picking up a fourth win in six games to stay a point clear. Their latest victory saw them take on Korona Redbridge with goals from Thomas Quinn and Bekim Dushku enough to secure a 2-0 win for the league leaders.

Keeping up the pressure on the leaders are Ultimate Vision who came through a topsy-turvy clash at home to Leyton Celtic where the sides shared nine goals between them. Vision came from behind to win by the odd goal, 5-4, as strikes from Ryan Chapman, Luke Thomas, Jonathan Melia, Kieran Ryan and Joseph Morris saw them home.

DIVISION TWO

The biggest winners of the day were once again Barca who followed up a fourteen goal weekend last Sunday with the small matter of just thirteen goals this week in a 13-2 home win against Dagenham United. There were four goal performances from both Brodie Horne and Billy Barr with a Mark Frostick brace and singles from Joseph Connor, Louie Webster and Nebil Saleh rounding things off. Timmothy Clutterbuck continued his own run of form in front of goal with both of Dagenham’s goals.

A side who got back to winning ways was Chingford Athletic who bounced back from defeat last weekend to go back top of the table with a 4-0 victory against the previously unbeaten London Fire Brigade. Michael Boahene scored twice with Michael Johnson and Samuel Matthews also netting for the new leaders.

Lonsdale will be happy with their weekend’s work as the bottom of the table side turned the table on it’s head and took home a point at previously top of the table Wanstead United. A goal apiece from each of Klodion Gjings, Kalium Fletcher and Anton Gjergi helped the hosts to a 3-3 draw and their first point of the season.

Upshire extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-1 draw on the road away at Flyhouse Athletic. The sides had to settle for a share of the points as Ross Paterson netted for the Waltham Abbey based outfit with Flyhouse levelling it up to make it four points from their opening three matches.

DIVISION THREE

There were wins for all of the top four sides in Division Three on Sunday as Ridgeway Rovers continue their strong hold on top spot for another week. The league leaders were 3-1 winners as they took on Hornchurch Oakmont in Chadwell Heath and, despite a George Terry strike for the hosts, scored three of their own to secure the win.

FC United of Hornchurch have had a good start to the season and they are second following a third win in four league matches, coming from behind to beat Asianos Reserves 4-2. Paul Mangan, Billy Pearce, Tom King and Steve Quant were all on the scoresheet for the visitors to keep in touch at the top.

Remaining in third place are Goresbrook who stay unbeaten after a comfortable 6-0 win at Alliance United on Sunday. There were two hat-trick heroes as Charlie Barrett and William Cox both struck three goals to take home a match ball each.

Completing the top four are Dagenham United Reserves who faced Roneo Colts in a local derby on Sunday with both sides having unbeaten records to maintain. But it was the Dagenham outfit who continued theirs with Sean Thomas a four-goal star and Ricardo Teixeira scoring twice to render Shay Kelly’s strike as just a consolation for the Colts.

There was an exciting match in Dagenham where Morfdown Elect played host to Alpha at May & Baker. George Burton, Brentton Barrett and Dominic Crichlon all netted for Alpha but an Adam Davis brace and Ricky Barwick single levelled the match up and saw the sides take a point apiece in a 3-3 draw.

DIVISION FOUR

The Division Four title race looks to be coming down to two crucial matches as both Highams Park Royals and Central Colts matched each other this weekend with victories once again.

Highams Park Royals passage to three points was a fairly convincing one as they took on Epping Forest Falcons in Woodford Green, ending with a 4-0 victory to their name. Macauley White’s goals continue to prove important with another brace here, adding to Mitchell-Christopher Edmonds and Ben Styles goals.

Central Colts however needed a late, late winner to separate the sides in their match against a very useful looking East Ham Inter outfit. Tunde Olagunju was the first Colts scorer in the game that looked to be ending level, only for Tyler Belcher to pop up late on with a crucial winner that converted one point into three.

And for your fix of drama, you can’t look much further than the Thames Ironworks Community and Grey Area clash which had more twists than a Hollywood movie. Both sides led at various stages before a Thames goal late on settled an entertaining match. Josh Humm-Rhodes scored twice with Grey and Sonni Barnard once with Thames doubles from Theo Towli and Bunjamin Kamberi edging this tight match.

CHARITY CUP

Two of the Corinthian’s sides met in the first round of the West Essex Cup on Sunday as last year’s runners-up, Valentines United, took on Park Tavern. The game finished level at 2-2 after extra-time which Valentines coming through the shoot-out in a 5-3 win to secure passage into the next round.

Another side who like a run in this competition are Romford Elite who travelled to Barkingside to face St Augustines in their own opening round clash. And it was Elite who progress on in the competition, completing a solid 6-0 win against the Saints.

In the West Essex Trophy, competition debutants Masterman played host to Custom House Community Reserves in Newbury Park and it was the higher league side, Masterman, who won emphatically 8-0 to confirm their slot in the next round.