Written by Scott W (Twitter: @ScottMHC14)
Hello & welcome to another of my round-up pieces, this time looking at the Essex Olympian League action on Saturday 26th January, with a firm round-up of the Premier Division, all the way to Senior Division Four. Also including results from the Essex Junior Cup action this weekend. Thanks to Scott Lanza & the clubs for the data used in this round-up.
EOFL Premier Division
In the top-tier, with the top-two of Buckhurst Hill and Kelvedon Hatch deprived of their clash due to weather, third-placed Harold Wood Athletic missed a chance to go joint-top as they lost 2 – 1 at strugglers Sungate. Bishop’s Stortford Swifts suffered no such slip-up as they edged to a 1- 0 home win over mid-table Hutton, courtesy of a Sam Cole strike. They stay fourth, five points adrift of leaders Buckhurst Hill.
The chasing pack of Leigh Ramblers and Catholic Utd both won this weekend. Leigh Ramblers fought back to win 3 – 2 over rivals Old Southendian. Nick Henesy’s brace for OS was outdone by strikes by Justin Hazell, Luke Read and Andrew Webster as Leigh went 5th. Catholic Utd are only a point behind them in 6th, thanks to a 7 – 2 home success over out-of-form Springfield. Aaron Baldwin led the ‘Super Hoops’ scorers with a brace, while Simon Thomas, Jamie Salmon, player-boss Dan Trenkel, substitute Tom Hollingsworth and Tom Kearney all netted as well in Utd’s sixth win in their last seven matches.
Rayleigh Town slipped up as they lost 2 – 1 at Manford Way. Dillon Southgate’s goal for Town was outdone by strikes from Ruben Carvalho and Lee Lashley as Manford got their third straight win to cut the gap to Great Baddow to two points. Canning Town put Baddow further in the mire with a 4 – 1 success over the strugglers. Sulaiman Massaquoi got another double, which Dan Bonny and Fraser Ferguson added to give the Beckton-based side the win and stay 8th.
EOFL Senior One
Now heading into Senior One, which was headed by a terrific display by FC Hamlets in their 7 – 0 home win over mid-table Frenford Res. Charlie Heatley led the way with a hat-trick, while Faron Smith got two goals plus strikes from John Gilroy and Ajibola Orilonishe sealed their eighth win of the season which seems them remain in fifth.
Galleywood rose to seventh after a convincing 5 – 1 success at Old Chelmsfordians. Tom Lakin, Sean Lander, Jack Chatterway, Luke Osborne and Freddie Bartrum got the goals for the visitors. OC remain in the bottom two despite Martin Mixture’s solitary goal for them. Shenfield AFC won 1 – 0 at Herongate Athletic, thanks to Ben Absolon’s strike – they stay second, a point shy of leaders Snaresbrook. Ramsden Scotia got an unchallenged win, by virtue of an away walkover as May & Baker Res failed to fulfil the fixture.
Also, EOFL sides (In bold) were involved in Essex Junior Cup action this weekend, here are the results:
Extreme Utd 7 – 2 Lakeside Res
Jolof Sports 1 – 2 Westhamians
Leigh Town 3 – 1 Brentwood Utd
Old Southendian Res 3 – 0 Stanway Pegasus
EOFL Senior Two
The stand-out match in Senior Two was another goal glut for Toby in a 10 – 1 home success over out-of-form Rochford Town. Des Gallen, Justin Clarke,Ryan Morgan and James Coleman made it a four-pronged ‘brace club’ here for the hosts with Peter Spicer and Sam O’Sullivan also netting as Toby went three points clear at the summit. Lakeside defeated former pace-setters Shoebury Town 4 – 2 with Matt Bearman, Ryan Budd, Luke Quinton and the ever-reliable Drew Klessa-Smith netting. Bearman later got dismissed for the hosts but they crucially held on for the win to go above Shoebury into 5th. Meanwhile, second-placed Runwell Sports were held to a goal-less draw by Beacon Hill Rovers, who remain 3rd.
Harold Wood Athletic Res won 2 – 0 at home to strugglers Ryan as two Joe Pyne strikes were enough to send Ath’s second side level on points with Shoebury. In fairness, the top seven is separated by only eight points at present.
Chingford Athletic won at Newham Utd, courtesy of an away walkover as the hosts unfortunately couldn’t field a side I believe.
EOFL Senior Three
In Division Three, one match was blighted by weather but in three matches that did happen, 13 goals were scored. Hutton Res defeated fellow strugglers Old Chelmsfordians Res 4 – 1 at Polo Fields to rise one place to ninth. Conor O’Regan struck twice, with Chris Skingley and substitute Charlie Nichols also netting, Mikey Romaine got the consolation for OC Ressies, who are now seven points adrift at the bottom.
White Ensign Res got a good 3 -2 win at fellow mid-table side Roydon with Billy Diack, Perry Osbourne and Lewis Brown netting for Jack Caten’s side. The hosts responded through goals from Darren Williams and Ezra Folan though it wasn’t enough on this occasion.
With leaders Westhamians in cup action, Wakering Sports strengthened their hold on second spot with a 3 – 0 win at Laindon Orient….
EOFL Senior Four
Finally for this week, in Division Four the goals continued to flow – not least at Stonards Hill where Epping Town plundered eleven goals in a huge 11 – 2 win over second-placed Dagenham Utd. Liam Clifton and Glen Warwick both grabbed trebles with Alex Paraskeva adding a brace and Skirmantas Bulauka, Daniel Garfinkle and Eamon Payne also notching. Utd hit back through the division’s top scorer Jacob Dingli and Scott Gormer though Epping stay third, seven points shy of leaders Corinthians, who were held 1 – 1 by Shenfield AFC Res at the Stambridge Memorial Ground. Former Essex Alliance League player Corley Ross netted for AFC, with the proflic John Bolton-Smith got the home side’s strike.
In other action, Buckhurst Hill Res were held 3 – 3 at strugglers Old Barkabbeyans, mid-table Canning Town Res won 5 – 3 at Galleywood Res and Catholic Utd Res won 6 – 1 at home to Toby’s second side.
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