WEEK 16 REVIEW: Round-up of all the Corinthian League action from the weekend

FA SUNDAY CUP

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes in the FA Sunday Cup, beginning at Leverstock Green where an eventful game saw Strafford Arms suffer a first defeat of the season at the hands of visitors AC Milano. A 1-1 draw in the ninety minutes meant penalties were needed and it was AC triumphing to set up an all-Corinthian last sixteen clash against East London Ballers.

A few miles further north in Leighton Buzzard, one of the ties of the round had pitched a St Joseph’s side, former winners of the competition, against one of the country’s form sides in Hatch Lane. There was little to pick between the sides until Hatch saw a man dismissed just before the break and, despite a decent start to the second half, two Joes goals meant it was their side who won 2-0 to head on.

SENIOR DIVISION CUP

There was a plethora of goals in the day’s Senior Division Cup tie which saw East London Ballers follow up their national cup exploits last weekend with eight goals in this one, prevailing in an 8-5 scoreline against Club 1017. Khris Oti scored four, Salim Nassor bagged a brace, Kishawn James and Teyon Weston adding the others to pick up their first win in the competition.

DIVISION ONE

Debden Sports Reserves will top the Division One table at Christmas in their quest for promotion, sitting two points clear following a 4-2 away win against JK Silvertown in east London. A goal apiece from Billy Barr, Archie Hammond, Will Osmond and Callum Thomas were enough for the visitors to rack up win number eight this season.

Roose sit a couple of points further back and with key games in hand, their final game of the year seeing them taking on a Total Football side in Hainault. With the hosts holding a nine point lead heading into the contest, they were keen to extend that and they duly obliged, winning 3-0, their seventh league success of the season.

Fourth placed St Augustines are not too far away from matters at the top end of the table and ended their year in a positive fashion with a strong home performance in beating Barking Riverside 3-2 in Newbury Park. Kyran Allen, Aaron Hepworth and Aaron Francis-Hendricks were all on the scoresheet for Saints in this latest victory.

Just a point behind Saints sit a Colebrook Royals side who made it to six wins for the season on Sunday as they came through a tough home fixture with Critics in Chigwell. Dylan Florence scored two and Dean Florence one for the visitors but home braces from Mason Harris-Breen and Nicholas Chrysanthou and a Perry Dicker effort meant the Royals won the game 5-3 by full-time.

DIVISION TWO

In Division Two, with the league leaders out of action, this presented an opportunity for the chasing pack to make up ground and they duly obliged, AC Milano Reserves moving to within two points of the top with an important away victory, beating FC Galaxy in a 3-2 scoreline at Castle Green. Mihai Mareniuc struck twice for the hosts but those proved just consolation.

It was also a good morning’s work for third placed Daglanta who kept their hat in the promotion mix, making it six wins for the season after edging a close contest with City Site. Goals from Ruben Aiyegbusi and Eric Sowonola were just enough to win the game 2-1, overcoming Harry Watkins’ goal for the visitors.

Upshire Forest are back into the top half of the table at the festive break, adding win number four to their account following a 4-3 success at home to Stone Town at the weekend. Leon Lewis scored twice on his debut with Sam Aylott also netting. That result sees Forest move onto fifteen points while Town remain on three and seeking a reverse in fortunes after Christmas.

With games in hand to catch up on, East London Ballers Under 23s picked up just a second win of the season on Sunday, moving out of the relegation zone following a 3-1 home success against sixth placed Singh Sabha Barking. Alif Khorshed, Mahamadou Camara and Demitri Davis-Thorpe all found the back of the net to give their side a vital three points.

DIVISION THREE

The lead at the top of Division Three is down to just two points as Warren Senior pulled off one of their best wins of the season, sending Leytonstone Athletic to a first defeat of the campaign, Warren 3-2 winners in Hainault. Lee Harris had struck twice for the hosts but Warren goals from Alfie Boland, Jack Glenister and Scott McGlynn proved decisive.

That result meant that second placed Woodford Town Reserves could make up ground with a win and that was what they managed to achieve, taking home all three points from Chadwell Heath after a 4-2 win against Romford Town Flyers. Casey Lockhart struck twice with Archie Locke and Barney Hurd also netting, rendering Harry Glenister and Sam Walker goals as just consolation for Town.

Ainslie are now the equal highest scorers in the division and they continued the entertainment in front of goal on Sunday with a strong 7-2 home win against United Amateurs at Wadham Lodge to move third. Ryan Radley’s hat-trick started things off, James Sims Williams adding two, Jack Back and Michael Baker with the others. Scott Mitchell and Jack Walsh scored the United goals in reply.

The remaining game from the division pitted Colebrook Royals Reserves and South Ilford Catholics together, two sides who started the day locked on points in the middle of the table. With little between the sides in the table, it was perhaps not surprising that they remained level in the game at 1-1 by the end with Brandon Fulton accredited with the Royals effort.

DIVISION FOUR

Eastern Avenue were the sole winners in Division Four on Sunday as they were up against a Royal Lions outfit who were sat five points behind them as the game got underway in east London. Two goals each from Paulius Olisauskas and Gerald Longwe however set the tone with Miguel Bailey adding the other in a 5-3 success for the Avenue.

DIVISION FIVE

Draws were the theme of things in Division Five on Sunday with just the one victory from the games played, that being for Valence United B who racked up a strong 6-2 home win in Dagenham to defeat Mansfield Rangers. Ben King put in a royal performance with a hat-trick, Rowan Newland adding two and Ryan Knight one.

Elsewhere, the top of the table game between Epping Town and Romford Rovers looked like a well matched contest and it was the defences on top in this one as neither side could break the deadlock, the match ending in a rare 0-0 draw. Town remain top at Christmas with a two point lead though Rovers have games in hand to affect that.

Chingford Athletic are up into third spot following the weekend’s results but also couldn’t conjure a winner in their thrilling away trip to bottom of the table Legacy City. Georgi Meloyan scored twice and Frankie Naidoo once for the hosts but Chingford left with a point after making it 3-3 through Jermaine Jenden, Darryl Wilson and Freddie Zakiewicz.

Continuing the theme of draws from the division, the last game came from Hornchurch where Young Royals and Lonsdale went to battle with just two points between the teams who both need points to steer themselves clear of danger. This one finished at 2-2 with Kalium Fletcher and Charlie Owen both on the scoresheet for Londale.

DIVISION SIX

The big result from Division Six on Sunday came from Fairlop Oak where leaders, Newbury Drive, saw their efforts to move further clear thwarted after a 4-1 home defeat against third placed Colebrook Royals A. Charlie Thompson scored the Drive goal but two Jake Austin efforts for Royals, plus goals from Max Sullivan and Jedd Coster meant their side walked away the happier.

Over in east London, an in-form JK Silvertown Reserves side were looking to press on with the visit of London Legacy. Legacy came into the game with a five point deficit to make up on their opponents but had slashed that to two by full-time as Mohamed Noor, Lucas Tavares and Jordan Pocock all scored to win it 3-0.

DIVISION SEVEN

The Division Seven leaders over the festive period will be Valence United C who approach the halfway point with a five-point lead at the top. Reece Stanley’s hat-trick helped them to their latest victory, a 5-1 win against Barking Colts, with Robert Devlin and Jordan Cook adding the others to make it nine wins for the season.

Third placed Gatcliffe are picking up the pace in their own challenge for promotion this season and have still only lost once in the league this season, their win on Sunday seeing them score the game’s only goal against Emerson & Upminster. Owen Woodhouse struck that goal for the hosts to enable Gatcliffe to win 1-0 and sit third on goal difference.

Eighth placed Zone 4 Athletic will be celebrating after earning their first win of the season at the tenth attempt, eventually overcoming Romford Bullsharks by a couple of goals in an entertaining 5-3 scoreline. David Logan scored two with Daniel Walkinshaw, David Abioye and George Murcott adding the others to overcome Romford goals from Zachery Bussell, Jack Edwards and Jack Newins.

COUNTY CUP

It was a great morning for Corinthian clubs in the Essex Sunday Junior Trophy third round with four sides taking their place in the last sixteen of the competition, including a thumping 10-0 victory for Debden Sports B at Chigwell Lane as they took out Castle Point District at the weekend.

Also joining them in the hat after a win against south Essex opposition were May & Baker EC who made the trip down the A127 to take on Basildon Rangers. Bakers continued their excellent recent form to book a place in the fourth round, winning the game 5-1 on the day.

Warren United produced yet another cupset in the competition and are the lowest ranked side remaining in the competition as the Division Seven side took out Prospect Protégé from three divisions above them, edging their local derby by the odd goal, 2-1 the scoreline.

Another side through against higher-ranked opponents are Manford Way who travelled up to North West Essex League side Sheering on Sunday and returned victorious, scoring an extra-time winner to take a 2-1 success back with them.

The weekend’s sole defeat came from Chigwell Lane and saw Debden Sports A experience a rare defeat, a first half that they’ll want to forget quickly, eventually losing 10-0 against a JP8 side from the Brentwood Sunday League.