WEEK 3 REVIEW: Round-up of Sunday's league and cup action

CORINTHIAN CUP

The opening weekend of cup football action took place at the week with a mouth-watering clash to kick off the Corinthian Cup as Premier Division high-flying sides, Romford Elite and FC Mexico, met in Chadwell Heath hoping to begin their journeys to Dagenham & Redbridge FC later in the season. An entertaining clash saw the sides share five goals with Elite eventually progressing on to a second round tie away at Valiant thanks to a Chris Bird hat-trick. Craig Smith and Rhys Tyrell goals accounted for the visitor’s consolation efforts on the day.

TROPHYLAND CUP

There were plenty of goals in the opening clashes of this season’s Trophyland Cup on Sunday where Barking were up against their Division Two rivals, Chicago, in their second round clash. Michael O’Brien and Charlie Surridge each netted a brace with Aaron King and Matthew Webb both on the scoresheet to earn their side a 6-1 win and a place in round three.

In the day’s other tie, Division Four Epping Forest Falcons travelled to Walthamstow to take on Division Three’s E4 Rangers with the visitors looking to spring a surprise. However it was Rangers who extended their positive start to the season with a 9-1 win, overcoming a Michael Girling effort for Falcons a Mitchell-Christopher Edmonds hat-trick, two from Macauley White and one each from Frankie Williams, Joshua Jordan, Tim Dye and Ryan Radley.

PREMIER DIVISION

Back in domestic league action, Flanders closed the gap on the leaders at the top of the table to just goal difference as they made the trip up to Waltham Abbey to face Upshire and returned with all three points. A 5-2 win for the East Ham side sees them rise up to second place but from a game more than the present leaders, FC Mexico.

Sitting just a point behind the two top sides are El Valiente who made if five points from three matches as they were visited by Repton Park on Sunday. What resulted was one of those extremely rare 0-0 matches even though the number of chances in the game meant it could quite easily have been 10-10 were it not for some very wayward finishing.

Barking & Dagenham Wanderers opened up their points tally in the Premier Division with a stunning win over the reigning champions, Warren United. Warren had led on multiple occasions through a Bradley Gates double and a James Peagram effort but Wanderers found the spirit to fight back and sealed a 4-3 win, aided by a goal from Daniel John-Baptiste.

Another side to open their points account on Sunday were Ultimate Vision were taking on Brook Athletic in Newbury Park. In a close game of few goals, it took just one moment to separate these sides as Ultimate Vision won it 1-0 through a Jon Hime effort as they took home maximum points.

DIVISION ONE

The game of the day down in Division One pitted two of this season’s perfect record teams against each other as Valiant made the journey to Aveley to face SL Menfica, both sides having won their opening encounters. In a game which was always going to be close, it was edged by the odd goal in five by the visitors as Valiant goals from Jordan Hart, Billy Pearmain and Frankie Worboyes secured the win, cancelling out Menfica strikes from William Sheehan and David Hornsby.

Korona Redbridge continued their unbeaten start to the new season as they took on promoted Chingford Athletic in Barkingside. Chingford managed to come away with a point in a 2-2 draw as Michael Mignot and James Clarke each netted to overcome a Dawid Smolarek effort from the hosts.

Two more of the division’s promoted sides were victorious following elevation to this level as St Augustines opened their points account for the season with a solid 3-0 win away at Wanstead Albion on Sunday. That ever confusing duo of Thomas Neale and Thomas Neil were on target with Matt Scarsbrook completing the tally.

And the other side to open their league campaign with a win following a double promotion were Ridgeway Rovers. Rovers were the first visitors to Hainault to face Virtue and they managed to secure a 2-0 win, opening their points account and moving up to sixth position in the standings.

DIVISION TWO

In Division Two, Goresbrook continue to lead the way as the Chadwell Heath based side made it three wins from three so far with a victory against Bretons Manor on Sunday. Jonathan Bundock and Sam Cooper both found the back of the net for Manor but two-goal Charlie Barrett and further goals from Jake Southam, Ricky Cripps, Liam Coney and Fred Anderson rounded off a stunning 7-2 win.

Dagenham United are second in the table and, with a clash with the leaders in sight next weekend, maintained the pressure on them with a victory away at Walthamstow Avenue at the weekend. Daniel Ablitt’s goal accounted for the Walthamstow goal tally but Sean Thomas’ hat-trick for United proved the difference between the sides to earn a 3-1 away win.

Another side who remain unbeaten so far are Royal Albert who made it four points from their two games played with a hard fought win at home to London Fire Brigade. Shane Wallace netted two goals for Albert and Justin Smith one to render a David Ellis goal for Fire as just a consolation in a 3-1 Royal Albert victory.

The day’s remaining game in the division saw an absolute thriller of an encounter between two of this season’s new recruits to the league with Ferns Seniors making the trip to Walthamstow to face FC Kulture Klub. In an astonishing match of eleven goals, Lee Niven scored a hat-trick for Ferns to go with goals from Sean Howe and Tyler Rothon. But their efforts were slightly in vain as Klub hat-tricks from each of Adnan Hamdan and Gerhard Krasniqi earned the hosts a bounce back 6-5 win after their opening defeat.

DIVISION THREE

There were plenty of thrills and spills in Division Three also where two of the division’s leading sides with perfect starts so far met in Dagenham. With Central Colts leading 4-1 through goals from Ansel Abrahams (2), Joao Massala and Tunde Olagunju and seemingly heading for maximum points, Alpha fought back valiantly to stun the hosts and level at 4-4. Ashley Godwin netted twice in reply for Alpha with Paul Jones and Dominic Crichlon also scoring to level up this thriller and leave both sides at the very top of the table.

Moving up to third in the table are Roneo Colts who made it four points from three games so far with a thumping 24-0 win over debutants Winners UK at Wanstead Flats. It will have been a morning to forget for Winners but one to remember for Colts as Charlie Dow scored eight goals, Charlie Dann netted five, four from Sam Baohua, a brace from Jamie Allen and one apiece from Andre Daley, Tommy Harber, Oscar Gibson and Ryan Rodwell.

It would have also been a morning to remember for Ping City Phoenixes who secured their first ever competitive victory with a 3-0 away win at Masterman. James Jobber scored two of their goals and Jack Flood once to confirm the victory, elevating their side up to seventh in the table in the process.

Thames Ironworks Community were seeking to bounce back from a last gasp opening day defeat last weekend as they faced West Essex in Highams Park, the latter also looking to kick start their campaign. Thames goals from Jason Turner, Billy Scott, Micah Walters and Reece Lewis proved the difference between the outfits as the visitors ran out 4-0 winners on the day.

DIVISION FOUR

In Division Four, Grey Area still lead the way after the first three weeks of the season, topping the table by just a single goal after an emphatic 6-1 home win against Custom House Community, their first game at their new home ground. Connor Frost continued his bright start to the season with another hat-trick, accompanying a Moyo Oba double and a Khadean Campbell onto the scoresheet.

Not far behind the leaders are Woodford AFC who continue to knock in the goals, also completing a 6-1 for themselves at the weekend as they faced Monkhams. George Burton scored for Monkhams but a Jake Silk hat-trick and goals from Luke Barrow, Cory Rider and Charlie Saywood earned the hosts another victory.

In third place so far are the ever-improving Newham Athletic who could prove a real threat this season. They were up against Alliance United in Beckton on Sunday with Alliance looking to get their season kick-started with some points. But Newham goals from Leon Anderson, Lee Archer, James Farmer, Vinesh Kurup and Jason Taylor put paid to United hopes as they fell to a 5-1 defeat. Robert Ashdown was the man accredited with the Alliance goal in response.

Maintaining their unbeaten starts to the season were both East Ham Inter and AC Milano Reserves at the weekend as the two sides met at Wanstead Flats, both having made an unbeaten start so far. Barjinderpal Singh and Myles Ball each got on the scoresheet for Inter to help their side take home a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw.

Asianos Reserves’ start to the new season has been solid so far and they made the jump to fifth in the table following a 3-1 win at home on Sunday against Thames Ironworks Community Reserves. That victory maintained an unbeaten start for the Wanstead-based side with Thames remaining pointless so far from their opening two fixtures.

ESSEX SUNDAY PREMIER CUP

It was an early start for East London Old Boys on Sunday who opened their maiden Essex Sunday Premier Cup campaign with a long trip up to the Braintree area to face CFC Shalford. What they lost in fuel would have certainly been made up with in goals as they ran out 3-0 winners on the day to book their place in round 2 against Academy Soccer.