WEEK 13 REVIEW: Round-up of all the league and cup action from the weekend

SENIOR DIVISION

The top end of the Senior Division table is starting to look a little more congested as East Way Athletic put in one of their best performances of the season on Sunday to end Hatch Lane’s unbeaten start to the season, winning the game 3-1. That result closed the gap at the top to five points to make the second half of the season very intriguing.

The goals were flying in down in Chigwell where Baiteze Squad were in action against United Dian for the first time, the sides combining to produce a twelve goal thriller in cold conditions. There was nothing frosty about the forward lines however with Sam Jeremiah and Shomari Barnwell both netting hat-tricks, Phillip Brown grabbing another in a 7-5 Baiteze victory.

The final game came from Newbury Park where El Valiente were looking to keep their own hopes of a title tilt alive with the visit to London Mavericks at Fords. And they did just that, picking up a comfortable 3-0 win as Eugene Sago scored twice off the bench and Tom Quinn netted the other to hand victory to the visitors to remain in touch.

PREMIER DIVISION

There were a couple of huge games affecting the top of the table in the Premier Division where top of the table Brook Athletic were up against a Belfry side with just one defeat to their name. The sides were well matched and had to settle for a point each in a 2-2 draw as Tyrell Holder and Justin Clarke goals for Brook were matched by Belfry strikes from Charlie Heatley and Jamie Redington.

The other game was a real classic with a nine-goal thriller over in Hainault between hosts Roose and Flyhouse Athletic in the Forest Road derby match. Roose were ahead early but Flyhouse fought back to lead themselves with Kieran James scoring a hat-trick and single goals from Lloyd John and Tyrone Scarlett eventually seeing them over the line in a 5-4 result.

DIVISION ONE

In Division One, Abridge Village have made up ground on the top three as they defeated FC Galaxy on Sunday over in Dagenham to move to within a point of the hosts in the table. Goals from Leon Adeyemi (2), Aaron Gurney and Rio Manicom proved vital with Mihai Gherasim’s goal for the hosts proving just consolation in a 4-1 result.

The other game from the third tier came from just up the road as Barking were at home to a struggling Snaresbrook side, the teams beginning five points apart. But that deficit was cut to just two as Snaresbrook picked up a first win of the season, 5-1 winners despite a Justin Lopes goal from the Blues.

DIVISION TWO

The Division Two leadership has changed hands at the top with Roneo Colts now top of the table after an excellent victory at home against St Augustines at Robert Clack. Shermar Marshalleck, Dwayne Francis-Riley, Keenan Gravillis and Bryan Paredes all found the back of Colts net to render Callum Daniels’ goal as just consolation in a 4-1 scoreline.

That result was coupled with another huge result affecting the sides in third and fourth as Eastbrook United suffered their first reverse of the season with an away defeat in Hainault against Royal Lions A. The game ended 3-0 in Lions’ favour as they scooped a sixth league win to move within a point of their visitors and just two points off the top.

Total Football sit on the cusp of the top half but missed their chance to break into that pack on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home against Frenford over at Roding Valley High School. It was a fourth draw of the season for both clubs in fact with Krystian Fernandez on target for Total and Jessiah Hercules striking for Frenford.

That result enabled one other side to make up ground as East London Harriers came out on the right side of a 4-3 scoreline against Korona Redbridge, moving them just two points from the top half themselves. Jakub Downar (2) and Jacek Miedzak accounted for the Korona goals but two in reply from Charlie Cole plus goals from Frankie Worboyes and Peter Adeleye turned it in Harriers’ favour.

DIVISION THREE

Division Three saw a shed load of goals with leaders Alpha staying top but not having everything their own way as they squeaked past eleventh placed Windmill Warriors in a 6-5 win. Troy Jules and Kai Brown netted braces with Tafari Miller and Jake Dallison goals completing a seventh league win of the season for the leaders.

Second placed Debden Sports Reserves were also in the goals themselves with a fourteen goal contest away at Inside Success. Quam Deen scored twice and Halameen Agbaje once but a stunning seven goal haul for Charlie Harper was by far the difference between the teams, Freddie Bose also scoring two and one each from Joe Mead and Jacob Payne handing Debden an 11-3 win.

With sides around them in cup action, Dagenham Town took advantage to move into the top half as they banked themselves a big home win, beating Mayfield Kings 12-2 in Brentwood. Joseph McEnroe served up a five goal performance, Chris Bird netted a hat-trick with braces from Dylan Brown and Callum Ibe completing a stunning win, becoming the top scorers in the league in the process.

DIVISION FOUR

Top of the table Ainslie have moved into a four point lead at the top of the standings, aided by their recent victory as they got back to winning ways with a 6-3 away victory against Lonsdale at the Rec. Jonathan Carter scored twice which accompanied efforts from Jack Gillett, Billy Wigg, Jay Dignance and Alfred Grix into the scoresheet. Oliver Dingli, Kalium Fletcher and Charlie Owen netted the Lonsdale consolation efforts.

With games in hand, Singh Sabha Barking are well positioned in second place however and they ramped up their efforts for a title tilt with a big home win, defeating Blackwall Rovers 5-1 at Fords to confirm a seventh win in eight games. Sebastian Osei-Obengo and Oluwaseun Okeniyi doubles plus a Rajan Sangha single gave their side the win.

Sitting just a couple of points further back, United Amateurs got back to winning ways with an emphatic performance in the Forest Road derby game against Ace Athletics. Bradley Bennett was in fine form with a hat-trick with team-mates Thomas Chawner, Thomas Springer, Billy Biggs and Jack Chawner scoring the others in a 7-0 win for United.

There were eight goals in the division’s final game where Titans United secured themselves a vital point with a big performance away at Chingford Athletic Reserves, the sides having to settle for a share of the points in an entertaining 4-4 draw. Jeff Coby scored two, Harry Wainwright and Nathan Niblett scoring the others for Chingford who stay fifth.

DIVISION FIVE

There is a new leader at the top of Division Five where Colebrook Royals Vets now lead the way after they took advantage of results around them to take a hard fought victory against Byron Red Star. Royals were 2-1 winners as Joe Cole and Michael Farley both netted to make it eight wins from nine this season, placing them in pole position for the time being.

That outcome was made possible as Eastern Avenue put in one of their best performances of the season to move third in the standings, securing a seventh league win with a 2-0 away win at previously top of the table Belfry Reserves. Miguel Conceicao and Boamah Kwakye scored the goals to give the visitors the victory they wanted.

Dagenham Rangers also put in a solid performance to move themselves to the cusp of the top half after they edged a close game against fourth placed Custom House Community over at Barking Park. Rangers goals from Deonte Ashun, Aldair Doci and Dylan Arthur proved enough to overcome Dockers goals from Bobby Devlin and Jack Field in a 3-2 scoreline.

The biggest winners in the division on the day were Royal Lions B who had a local derby match at Hainault Rec with a trek of a few yards to take on Ultimate Vision A. James Hunt and Harvey Kelly both scored for Vision but their efforts were not quite enough as Lions scored seven to earn themselves a 7-2 win.

And the final game in the division was a real belter also with Young Royals and Athletico City going hammer and tong for vital points. Royals will rue missed chances as they were pegged back by a couple of late City goals to finish level at 4-4, a result which doesn’t really help either side. John Hubbard, Sunny Kambo, Lubona Wyatt and Heman Gopeenauth all netted for City to take a point.

DIVISION SIX

The lead at the top of the Division Six table was cut at the weekend as Mansfield Rangers could only take a draw against Epping Royals with the sides splitting the points following a 1-1 scoreline. Chris Ttofari was on target for Mansfield with Daniel Booker scoring the other to take a point each. Mansfield remain unbeaten but the lead is now down to seven points.

And that lead was cut after Valence United Reserves moved second in the table on the back of a sixth league victory of the season, coming through a seven goal thriller, 4-3 winners against Epping Forest Falcons. Jo Megege scored a hat-trick and Keenan Mitchell was on target again to give the Dagenham based side a three point haul.

Ping City Phoenixes had an excellent morning, breaking into the top half of the table as they defeated Ivory United 6-1 in Barkingside to take their points tally into double figures for the season. Casey Fletcher scored for United but his effort was just consolation as Ping made it three wins from nine.

Another side who managed to score six on Sunday were Woodford Green United who leapfrogged their opponents, beating London Legacy 6-2 at Hainault Rec to jump up to sixth place in the tables. Mohamed Noor scored twice for the visitors but Danny Plunger’s hat-trick unblocked the Legacy defence, George Butler also scoring twice and Louis Bell once.

COUNTY CUP

It was a tremendous morning for the league in county cup competitions with all three representatives in the Essex Sunday Junior Cup safely through, the result of the round surely being Theydon Green’s stunning 11-0 win away in Colchester as they defeated Feering Village by a big margin.

And the goals were also peppered in Hainault where Oceana had a home tie against Thurrock Sunday League side Chadfleet United. Oceana continued their league form into the county cup with a big 7-0 to go through to the last sixteen.

Completing the Junior Cup action are a side with plenty of county cup pedigree with Chingford Athletic making the journey down to Rochford Sports & Social and returning home with a win under their belt in a 2-1 scoreline.

Things were similarly rosy in the Essex Sunday Junior Trophy with Higham Hill the biggest scorers of the day as they put six past Kenson who were the visitors to Walthamstow, securing Hill a 6-1 win and a place in the last sixteen post-Christmas.

It was also a great day for Valence United who put themselves through to the last sixteen of the same competition with a 5-0 home win against United Borough in an all-Corinthian clash in Dagenham.

Perhaps the biggest shock of the day came in Chigwell where Division Six’s Colebrook Royals Reserves pulled off another big result to send Division Three Goresbrook out of the competition, overcoming a three division deficit with a 2-1 win.

Completing the successes for our sides were Upshire Forest who were down near the seaside on Sunday with a trip to Thames Rovers, returning west with another county cup win under their belts in a 2-1 performance.

Imperial Row had put in a string of good performances to reach round three but found this round a step too far and exited the competition with a 8-0 defeat away at Briar United in Collier Row.

It was a similarly tough away day in the London Sunday Trophy where AC Milano saw them hopes of county cup glory reach an end with a 2-0 away defeat against south London based Crayford Athletic.