Written by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14]
Hello and welcome to another of my extended round-up pieces covering the top five tiers of the Essex Olympian League. How did your local side do this weekend?
Saturday 24th November
EOFL Premier Division
In a reduced fixture list due to Essex Premier Cup action, Harold Wood Athletic and Bishop’s Stortford Swifts took the opportunity to reduce the gap to leaders Buckhurst Hill to a single point. Athletic won 3 – 2 at Great Baddow thanks to strikes by John Bradley, Robert Whitnell and substitute Brad Foley to remain 2nd because of their superior goal difference. Swifts are right there with them in terms of points as they won 2 – 0 at Leigh Ramblers. Charlie Brown and Danny Morgan goals saw the visitors to their fourth straight win.
Meanwhile, Old Southendian powered to their third win of the season in defeating Catholic Utd 4 – 0 at Garon Park. Jon Staines and Ryan Stillwell both netted as the hosts were assisted by two OGs as Utd continued their mystifying league form. Rayleigh Town also won, 3 – 2 at home to Canning Town. Joe Hall and Kevin Songolo struck for the visitors though a Paul Morris brace, either side of a strike by former Hullbridge youngster Damien Siemienczuk aided Rayleigh to a third win in their last five and elevate them to 5th place.
Essex Premier Cup R’s
Beacon Hill Rovers 0 – 3 Hutton
Buckhurst Hill 5 – 0 Sungate
Galleywood 2 – 0 Old Chelmsfordians
Kelvedon Hatch 2 – 1 Chingford Athletic
Tiptree Heath 5 – 1 Shoebury Town
EOFL Senior Division One
Now we head into Senior One and we start with a fine win for Rayleigh Town Reserves who won 6 – 1 at bottom side May & Baker EC Res. Doubles for James Nottage and Billy Field were added to by Charlie Sullivan and Taylor Armstrong as Town rose to fourth spot in consigning their hosts to a fifth straight loss. FC Hamlets continued their fine recent form with a 3 – 2 win at Ongar Town. Tyler Sanago-Ishmael, Charlie Heatly and Farren Smith provided the goals for Hamlets and although Town responded through James Stevens and Ross Carpenter, they went down to their fourth loss in five league matches.
Ramsden Scotia had a day to remember with their 5 – 2 home win over Basildon Town. Max Corrigan got another brace with Sam Wren, Ryan Leddra and Anthony Driscoll all also netting to overwhelm Town who pulled two back through the prolific Sener Suavi. Shenfield AFC had a Robbie Hobbrough hat-trick to thank in a 3 – 0 home victory over Herongate Athletic for their fourth league win on-the-bounce which keeps them third. Elsewhere, Frenford Reserves won 2 – 0 at Snaresbrook, who lost for only the second time his season.
EOFL Senior Division Two
Next, in Senior Two, three matches saw 18 goals scored. Harold Wood Athletic’s Ressies matched leaders Runwell Sports on points with a 2 – 1 home success over Rochford Town. Jason Patmore’s goal for the visitors was outdone by Joe Pyne’s brace as Town remain 8th. Lakeside got the better of joint-leaders Toby 5 – 3 thanks to five different goal-scorers. Drew Klessa-Smith, Connor White, Matthew Vambe, Ollie Pettitt and Ryan Budd made up the five while Ben Turner, David Major and Junior Bammeke all notched for Toby who were dethroned to third due to only their second loss of the season.
Newham Utd also hit five with a 5 – 2 win over May & Baker ‘A’. Omar Jomanday secured a treble while Lisandro Tavares also netting a brace to send Newham into 9th place with only their second win this season. Runwell Sports’ match with Upminster ended in an away walkover as their hosts couldn’t field a side.
EOFL Senior Division Three
It was another goal-laden weekend in Senior Three as 23 goals flew in from five matches. First, Wakering Sports won 5 – 3 at Basildon Town’s Reserve side. A hat-trick for Mike Curtis and a brace for Nick Bettis saw them Aaron Bloxham’s side on their way to the points though Town played their part in an entertaining match with Tommy Green bagging a brace and Jake Bridgeman also netting though Sports went fourth with this result.
Laindon Orient reduced Westhamians’ lead at the summit to four points with a 2 – 1 triumph at Hutton Reserves. Jasper Read and James Shadwell’s penalty provided their sixth win in seven matches for Neil Blackburn’s side. Hutton responded through Tom Biddiss though they stay 9th. Leigh Town were held 1 – 1 by Roydon with Zac Mashford’s goal for Town being cancelled out by Charlie Rider for Roydon.
White Ensign Reserves got their fourth league win of the season with a 3 – 1 success at Old Chelmsfordians Reserves. Lubona Wyatt, Chadrack Kisoka-Domingo and Zach Somerset-Butler all netted for the visitors. Also, Academy Soccer were held 3 – 3 by third-placed Old Southendian Reserves.
Finally for the this week, here are the results from
EOFL Senior Division Four.
Buckhurst Hill Res 4 – 2 Galleywood Res
Catholic Utd Res 8 – 1 Shenfield AFC Res
Corinthians 2 – 3 Lakeside Res
Dagenham Utd 3 – 3 Old Barkabbeyans
Epping Town 10 – 3 Leigh Ramblers Res
Toby Res 4 – 3 Canning Town Res
