Written By Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14] – Non-League & ESL Writer
Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up of the Essex Senior League action from the weekend of the 4th & 5th October, which saw 40 goals scored in league games. We also round-up the solitary ESL side left in the FA Cup as Hadley made the trip to Havant & Waterlooville.
Friday 4th October
Tower Hamlets 1 – 4 Takeley | Mile End Stadium | Att: 55
Takeley made the tricky trip to Mile End and came away with their third straight win. Hamlets got the opening goal in this one though as young starlet Yoan Edoukou struck after just five minutes. Bryn Thorpe levelled for the visitors on 28 minutes, before an OG put Takeley ahead. Thorpe netted again seven minutes before the break to really send Marc Das’ team into the interval with the initiative. Thorpe completed another treble ten minutes after the break to send Takeley up to third after Saturday’s action, five points off the leaders.
Saturday 5th October
Cockfosters 7 – 2 Clapton | Chalk Lane | Att: 55
Cockfosters produced a stunning goal-laden display to send the Tons to another heavy defeat at Chalk Lane. Reuben Campbell broke the deadlock in the hosts’ favour on 14 minutes, though Mario Gjini soon restored parity for Glen Kendall’s team two minutes later. However, three goals in the lead up to half-time changed the course of the match. First, Billy Healey restored the ‘Fosters lead on 31 minutes before Ceykan Karagozlu struck twice [33’ & 40’] to give Ryan Wade’s team a commanding 4 – 1 half-time lead.
Karagozlu more than ended the contest as he took his own tally to four with further strikes on 54 & 57 minutes. Francesco Cicconi pulled one back with a spot-kick for the visitors though Harley Haag completed a resounding win for the hosts in added-time. The hosts ended a three-match losing streak here and go into 9th spot while Clapton’s fourth loss in five matches sees them fall to third-bottom.
Enfield 5 – 2 Sawbridgeworth Town | Woodside | Att: 86
The E’s pulled off a fine win over Sawbridgeworth in this battle of the strugglers, despite playing with ten men for nearly 80 minutes. Matt Hanning’s side were fortunate to name well-travelled & prolific striker Jamie Cureton in their line-up though his cameo only lasted 11 minutes before he was dismissed for a high foot.
That hardly does the game justice though as Enfield led with 20 minutes played, as Olly Miles netted. Sawbo did take their opportunities as Evaristo Kitoko [42’] & Angus Poole [45’] goals saw them lead at the break. The introduction of Josh Sykes from the bench was key for the hosts as he levelled things up with ten minutes remaining. Sykes then completed a dizzying hat-trick soon after [80’ & 85’] to shock the bottom side and Sykes himself was brought down in the area in added-time with Alfie Mason converting the resulting spot-kick as the E’s ended a six-match winning run while consigning Sawbo to a ninth straight defeat.
Hoddesdon Town 4 – 4 St Margaretsbury | Lowfield | Att: 88
This local derby really produced an enthralling spectacle as Hoddy denied St Mags the win late on. It was the Lilywhites who took the lead as quick-fire goals from Jordan Halls five minutes in and Jack Lee two minutes afterward set the tone for the entire match. Daniel Palmer struck on the half-hour for the visitors before Isaac Marfo-Jacobs netted on 35 minutes to see Hoddesdon regain their two-goal lead at the break.
The second-half arguably belonged to one man though. Kyle Roberts continued his superb scoring run for St Mags with his opener four minutes after the interval to bring it back to 3 – 2. A subsequent penalty on 62 minutes saw Roberts level things up before the forward completed a fine treble eight minutes later and give the visitors the lead for the first time at 3 – 4. Marfo-Jacobs has been a key source of goals for Town so far this term and his second of the afternoon in added-time denied newly-appointed permanent co-managers Tony Wild & Ray Bartlett’s team all three points. Simon Riddle’s Hoddesdon drop to fourth, while St Mags sit 12th – both sides are unbeaten in their last five matches now.
Saffron Walden Town 3 – 0 Ilford | Catons Lane | Att: 197
Walden got another three points to keep their lead at the summit to five points with victory over Ilford at Caton Lane. Jack Leachman got the opener on the stroke of the hour, before Charlie Cole got another brace [62’ & 72’] to give Jason Maher’s side a fourth straight win here. The Foxes ended the match with ten men and fell to their fifth consecutive defeat here. They drop to fourth-bottom.
Southend Manor 0 – 2 Redbridge | Southchurch Park | Att: 40
Redbridge got their first win in three matches here at Southchurch Park. Taylor Tombides’ close-range finish on 36 minutes was added to by Dean Hall’s header shortly before the interval. I attended this match and you can view my report here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2019/10/05/match-report-southend-manor-0-2-redbridge-sat-5th-oct-esl/
Sporting Bengal Utd 2 – 4 West Essex | Mile End Stadium | Att: 20
West Essex continued their goal-hungry run with a fine win at Mile End. It didn’t start so well though as Curtley McIntosh put Sorting ahead after ten minutes for his fifth goal in the last four league & cup games. West responded two minutes later through Symeon Taylor. A perhaps crucial moment came midway through the half as West ‘keeper Jack Coker saved a second penalty in as many weekends, this time from Sporting midfielder Charles Gregory. Three goals in eight second-half minutes turned the tide though as Brad Russell netted on 67 minutes to give the Stags the lead for the first time at 1 – 2.
Russell then set up Michael Mignot five minutes later before Taylor got his second on 75 minutes to see Kwame Kwateng’s side lead 4 – 1. Steven Carvell thundered home a free-kick late on for Imrul Gazi’s team though West got their third win in their last four games to rise to 8th spot while Bengal stay in 6th.
Stansted 0 – 2 Hashtag Utd | Hargrave Park | Att: 214
Hashtag extended Stansted’s stuttering start to the season as they claimed another three points at Hargrave Park. Jesse Lassen has been in good goal-scoring touch recently and broke the stalemate on the half-hour, before getting what turned out to be a decisive second four minutes after the interval. The Tags’ sixth win on-the-spin sees them rise to second, level on points with Takeley while the Airportmen third loss on the trot means they are in 15th.
FA Cup Third Round Qualifying (ESL sides)
Havant & Waterlooville 3 – 0 Hadley | Westleigh Park | Att: 550
Essex Senior League side Hadley’s FA Cup adventure ended but not before they showed what they are about at National League South side Havant. Joshua Ayenga and Alfie Rutherford goals after the interval pretty much ended realistic hope of progression for the Bricks. Ryan Seager made the game safe for Paul Doswell’s team late on though credit to travelling army of Hadley fans, which the hosts noted as well on social media.
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading.
survivor16b 