Written by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14] – Non-League & Essex Olympian League Writer
Hello and welcome to this week’s round-up of Essex Olympian League action, covering the League action from the Premier Division to Senior Three with results from the various Cups and Senior Four & Five on the weekend of Saturday 9th November. Thanks for reading.
Premier Division
In the five matches this weekend in the Premier Division, Rayleigh Town missed a chance to extend their lead at the summit as Harold Wood Athletic returned to form with a 3 – 1 win at London Road. Bradley Foley, Max Shepherd and replacement Joe McBurney all netted for Ath who rise to 12th place. Connor Bridger struck for Rayleigh, who are now five matches without a win. Springfield took advantage of other results to rise to third after a narrow 3 – 2 win at Kelvedon Hatch. Shenfield AFC won 1 – 0 at Leigh Ramblers to rise off the bottom after Saturday’s matches.
Old Southendian defeated Bishop’s Stortford Swifts 3 – 1 at Garon Park to seal their third consecutive league win. Nick Henesy, Craig Paton and Ryan Stillwell all scored here to see them up to tenth, only three points off the Swifts in ninth. Finally, on Friday night, Hutton held Catholic Utd 1 – 1 at the Len Salmon.
Senior Division One
Moving into Senior One, with leaders Chingford Athletic getting three points without contesting their match with Ramsden Scotia due to Scotia being unable to field a side, attention turned to their rivals. Ongar Town battled past FC Hamlets 2 – 1 to keep the gap to third to four points. Lakeside stay third after a fine 4 – 1 win at Manford Way. Luke Quinton got another brace here, with Charlie Ashpole and Ollie Pettit also finding the net for the visitors. Manford replied through on-loan forward Olajide Yusuff though they still drop to seventh after this result.
Elsewhere, there was more entertainment in the division as Galleywood rose to fifth after a 5 – 3 win at home to Shoebury Town. The hefty cast of Jack Chatterway, Sam Donn, Tyler Tredgett and replacements Joe Russell and Craig Skipper all scored one each here in a great match for the neutral. Similarly, Rayleigh Town Res edged another thriller to win 4 – 3 at Herongate Athletic. Rodney Wilson led the way for Dan Williams & Lee Bunn’s side with a hat-trick, with James Nottage also on target. They sit sixth now, four points behind Old Chelmsfordians who smashed Snaresbrook 5 – 2 to stay fourth.
Runwell Sports also got their second win this term with a convincing 4 – 0 win at Toby. Caden Vine got two of them, with Charlie Adams and Pearce Clarke also netting here for Jason Emery’s side.
EOFL Senior League Cup result
Sungate 1 – 3 Buckhurst Hill | Ilford Wanderers RFC
Essex Junior Cup Results
Basildon Town Res 3 – 1 Ongar Town Res
Brentwood Utd 1 – 3 Roydon
Buckhurst Hill Res 1 – 0 Aveley U23
Corinthians Res 7 – 0 Newbury Forest Res
Great Bentley Res A – A Lakeside Res
Hutton Res 2 – 0 Galleywood Res
Tiptree Heath Res 0 – 2 Toby Res
Wakebury 3 – 4 Collier Row
Wakering Sports Res 4 – 0 Old Southendian ‘A’
Senior Division Two
In Senior Two, the Epping Town juggernaut continues as they won 5 – 0 at May & Baker Res, which sent them top as one of three teams on 19 points. Despite having a reduced squad, a brace from stand-in striker Aaron Holloway, plus one each for Daniel Garfinkle, Alex Paraskeva and George Martin sealed a win. I get the feeling some Non-League nostalgists would have been keen to see manager Billy Cove have a cameo appearance perhaps?
Anyway, away from the nostalgia, Leigh Town also got another win in a hard-fought 1 – 0 triumph over Laindon Orient at John Burrows Recreation Ground with Rhys Mosedale scoring the only goal to see Leigh rise to second. Old Southendian Res also continued their good recent form with a 3 – 1 success at Rochford Town, with Thomas Adams, Greg Molford and Oliver Tatton-Bennett all netting for Ben Manley’s team. They rise to sixth place now, seven points off the top spot. Also, Ryan were held 3 – 3 by Wakering Sports as the both sides’ struggles to win this term continued.
Finally in this division, AS Rawreth ended a six-match losing run as they defeated fellow strugglers Westhamians 5 – 1 in Fairlop Oak. Louis Hill struck twice with Daniel Hooper, Bradley Pike and Lewis Wynne all also on target for Shane Bird’s side.
Match Postponed: Harold Wood Athletic Res P – P Corinthians
Senior Division Three
In the only match this weekend in Senior Three, ACD Utd went up to third spot with a 3 – 0 win at strugglers Hullbridge Sports ‘A’. Michael Wade, Billy Rungay and Ollie Williams all struck to give the EOFL newcomers their fourth win in eight league games thus far. Sports are yet to win this term though they will be heartened that four sides are within three points of them at the bottom of the table.
Senior Division Four
Canning Town Res 2 – 4 Chingford Athletic Development
Catholic Utd Res 3 – 2 Shenfield AFC Res
Forest Glade 1 – 2 Leytonstone Utd
Laindon Orient Res 1 – 2 Old Chelmsfordians Res
Senior Division Five
Collier Row Res 5 – 1 Shoebury Town Res
Old Barkabbeyans 1 – 4 Herongate Athletic Res
Roydon Res 3 – 1 Runwell Sports Res
Springfield Res 0 – 2 Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res
Wakering Sports ‘A’ 0 – 5 Leigh Ramblers Res
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