WEEK 18 REVIEW: Round-up of Sunday's league and cup action

TROPHYLAND CUP

On a bitterly cold morning, two sides served up a real thriller in the Trophyland Cup as last year’s finalists from Division Three, East Ham Inter, made the trip to Dagenham to take on Division Five side Cobra. The sides were locked at 2-2 at full time before Cobra went 4-2 up in extra time. But Inter battled back to 4-4 with a couple of minutes to go only to see Cobra steal it in the dying moments, 5-4! Alex Solomon scored twice with Krishan Singh and Harinder Sanghera netting the others for Inter. Their efforts were in vain however as Henry Sleight bagged a hat-trick for Cobra with Todd Bolger and Aaron White scoring the others.

There were also plenty of goals in another Division Three vs Five battle which saw Keith Park Rangers looking to upset the odds against high-flying E4 Rangers. That tie went more to the form book though as E4 ran out 10-1 winners. Remi Owosamya scored a hat-trick, braces came from Ryan Radley and Eli Fanga with singles from Charlie Perry, Mitchell Edmonds and Macauley White finishing things off. Connor Emery scored the KPR goal in reply in consolation.

DIVISION ONE TWO

The Division Two Cup got underway for another season on Sunday with four first round ties featuring. High-flying Walthamstow Avenue were up against fellow promotion contenders Hornchurch Oakmont in Walthamstow. James Bailey and Luke Newman scored for the Oak but their efforts proved in vain as Pierre Weekes scored twice with Andrew Mercer and John Pluckrose completing the scoring in a 4-2 scoreline.

It was a good morning for Thames Ironworks Community who, despite being bottom of the league table, put in a strong performance at home against Abridge Village to book a place in the last eight. Thames were 5-0 winners on the day which booked them a place in the quarter finals away at Barking.

Another side at the wrong end of the league standings who made inroads in the cup were Frenford who overcame fellow strugglers FC Mexico B in Ilford to make safe passage into the next round themselves. Tiwa Osifuwa, Kyron Chiedozie and Hendrew Schmidt were all on target to help their side through in a 3-0 win.

Completing the cup action from this competition, Wanstead Albion were at home on Sunday to take on Chingford Athletic Reserves, the sides kept apart by merely goal difference in the league. Albion will be more pleased with their morning’s work, running out 4-1 winners through a Harry Prince brace and other strikes from Aidan Bailey and Emmanuel Okunja.

DIVISION THREE CUP

In the Division Three Cup competition, Alpha were on the road in the first round with a trip to Chadwell Heath to face Lonsdale on Sunday. A close came was narrowly edged by the visitors with Kai Brown scoring twice for his Alpha side to overcome the scoring efforts of Jack Marston for Lonsdale.

PREMIER DIVISION

The race for the Premier Division title is certainly hotting up despite the cold weather with just three points separating the top four sides presently. El Valiente are now just a point behind the leaders as they secured a hard fought 3-1 win at home to Barking & Dagenham Wanderers with Jack Taylor, Kieran Bishop and Aaron Marston all on the scoresheet.

Just a point further back you will find an in-form Elda outfit who were in impressive form on Sunday, putting Ultimate Vision to the sword in a 9-2 victory. James Crossley scored twice for Vision but a Patrick Duggan hat-trick, two each from Joey May and Remi Nelson, plus singles from Stanley Dady and Tyron Thomas helped their side keep well in this race for the title.

DIVISION ONE

There’s no change at the top of Division One where KLIK continue to lead the way on the back of another victory on Sunday, their tenth of the season thus far. They were 3-1 winners on Sunday as they hosted West Abbey in Dagenham with a goal apiece from Jay Hazelwood, Loui Hazelwood and Sean Thomas completing the match in their favour.

Colebrook Royals will run this title to the end of the campaign it seems, bouncing back from their defeat at the leaders last time out with a win away at FC Mexico A. Royals were 4-0 winners on the day to earn an eighth league win of the season and sit nine points back from the leaders with three games in hand.

Brook Athletic have surged up into the top half of the table, aided by their most recent win, returning home from Barkingside with all three points against Valentine United. Lorenzo Ramsey scored twice with Mitchell Collymore and Tyler Keates scoring the others to help them to an impressive 5-2 win.

DIVISION TWO

There was just one game in Division Two this weekend but it had big ramifications for the top end of the table as Central Colts returned to top spot following a 3-1 win away at Roose in Hainault. Uros Vakanjac scored for the hosts but Colts goals from Kevin Ituko, Lahadi Deen and Tunde Olagunju made sure of the points for the title chasing side.

DIVISION THREE

Barking Riverside have moved into a seven point lead at the summit of Division Three and look odds on for a debut league title this season as things stand. They overcame Blackwall Rovers once again this weekend, earning a 7-1 win away at the Flats. Bukele Mukudi scored four goals which, combined with strikes from Stephen Osho, Kimani Foster and Oussama Bennani, helped maintain their perfect league record.

DIVISION FOUR

The Division Four leadership has switched hands once again with Roneo Colts Reserves returning to top spot on goal difference this weekend following a win against Upshire Forest Reserves. Jeffrey Nketia scored twice with Kane White and Dwayne Francis-Riley netting the others in a 4-0 win for the visitors.

Monkhams are looking like becoming members of the promotion chasing club as they continued some excellent recent form on Sunday but had a tough battle away at Ping City Phoenixes. The sides shared a seven-goal thriller with Monkhams eventually edging the contest in a 4-3 scoreline to move six points off the lead with two games in hand.

Moving into mid-table, United Amateurs had a good morning as they entertained Titans United in their clash in Chadwell Heath. Alfie Bangs scored twice on debut for United with Edward Coney, Thomas Chawner, Kieran Jones and Jack Chawner all netting in a 6-1 scoreline.

The remaining league tie in the division saw fifth placed Asianos Reserves play host to ninth-placed Romford Athletic Dons with both sides eager to improve their respective league positions. The two teams had to settle for a share of the points however with a 1-1 draw played out between them.

DIVISION FIVE

In Division Five, two games survived the elements with Eastern Avenue getting back to winning ways with an emphatic 7-3 win at home against an in-form East Tilbury Town. Cieran Lennon-Hunte, Eoin Coughlan and Bankole Fadami each scored twice to help their side record a sixth league win and a move up to fourth in the standings.

The day’s other contest came from Newbury Park where just a point was separating hosts Singh Sabha Barking from their opponents Epping Forest Falcons prior to kick off. And that was the way it stood by full-time too as the teams battled to a 2-2 draw with Ashley Conroy and Jamie Lewis efforts for Falcons cancelling out Barking goals from Ryan Dubb and Jordan Hamilton.

ESSEX SUNDAY JUNIOR CUP

It was a terrific morning for Goresbrook as they made a short journey to Westlands to take on Brentwood Sunday League side Emerson Oak in the quarter finals of the Essex Sunday Junior Cup. Goresbrook were in fifth gear for almost the entire ninety minutes, earning a comprehensive 7-1 win. Now just one more team, Palmers Reserves, stand in the way of a potential county cup final appearance with that semi final taking place in three weeks time.

MIDDLESEX SUNDAY JUNIOR CUP

In the Middlesex Sunday Junior Cup, Kulture Klub were flying the league flag against British Airways Vets but found the going tougher as they were held by their opponents to a 1-1 draw during normal time. And it was British Airways who soared into the quarter finals with a 5-4 penalty shootout win, ending Klub’s inaugural run in the competition.