Buckhurst Hill U23 – survivor16b

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge & Cups (Sat 18 Mar) [EOFL 22-23 20.3.23]

Image from Leigh Ramblers Res v Wakering Sports A this weekend

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello & welcome to the latest Essex Olympian League column, tracking the action in all divisions & Cups from Saturday 18 March, as the fixture programme was again blighted by the recent weather.

Cups

The two Essex Premier Cup ties did reach a conclusion to set up the Final at New Lodge on April 12th. Wakering Sports Res‘ dream run through the competition continued after a superb match ended in a 4 – 4 draw with EAL Senior side Woodford East at Cupid’s. Connor Fardyga & substitute Adem Beji both scored twice here for the hosts, and they held their nerve in the shoot-out, winning 5 – 4 to shatter East’s quest of making a second successive final. Sports will play Shenfield AFC after they came from behind to defeat Rayleigh Town at St Martins’. Jack Chatterway had given Town the lead but goals from Luke Williamson & Ben Absolon meant that it would be the hosts competing in an all-EOFL showpiece next month.

EOFL League Divisions

As mentioned, the fixtures were hit by weather. We start as ever in the top-tier, as leaders Hutton were held to a 1 – 1 draw at Runwell Sports. Two substitutes were crucial in this game, with David Johnson netting for the Reds and Luca Frankis responded for Rob Hodgson’s team. The result meant that Matt Singh’s team remain ten points clear of second-placed Catholic Utd, who were also held, 2 – 2 by Sungate at the Len Forge 3G. Ben Burrows & Aaron Baldwin scored for Utd to give them the lead, but goals from Solomon Asomah & replacement Petrit Elbi meant that the ‘Gate left with a point, and they are up to seventh now.

Elsewhere, Old Southendian are back into fourth place after a 2 – 1 victory at Toby. Mattias Tonking & Jordan Faulkner both netted for OS, with substitute Jake Jones replying for the Brewers, who remain 10th. There were also two key results for teams at the bottom. Firstly, Kelvedon Hatch got a vital 3 – 2 victory over Canning Town at New Hall. Drew Klessa-Smith, Luke Winter & David Hamblett got the goals for Darren Hunt’s team, as they stayed out of the bottom two. Springfield also grabbed a hugely important three points as they had a 2 – 1 success at Belfairs Park. Two goals from Finlay Dorrell outdid a late spot-kick from Ole Hunter for the Rams to give Matt Cardy’s side the win. I attended this match & if you’d like more on it, my report is available here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/s22-23-match-report-leigh-ramblers-1-2-springfield-sat-18-mar-eofl/

There were two matches in Division One this week. First, Manford Way grabbed an important 2 – 0 victory over promotion rivals Epping Town at the London Marathon Sports Ground to go three points clear in fourth, with three games left. The other game saw ACD Utd obtain a good 4 – 1 success at Wakering Sports. Jacob Dingli scored twice for Michael Wade’s team, with Shaun Farrow & Ollie Williams also netting to see Utd gain ground on the top five.

There was one match apiece in Divisions Two & Three as well. In Division Two, Shoebury Town confirmed promotion to the second-tier after they conclusively won 7 – 0 over Old Southendian Res, in a match held at Garon Park 3G. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka netted another four goals here, with Jack Woodham’s double & one from substitute Enoch Gyimah securing the points which led to celebrations for Garry Johnson’s & John Galley’s team. Congrats to them. In Division Three, Buckhurst Hill U23 are up to third spot, after a 7 – 1 win over Old Chelmsfordians Res at Roding Lane. Louie Cooper & replacement Daniel Muela both scored twice for Darren Gosnell’s team here, with Jack Barnes, Jacob Richards & Harvey Woods also on the score-sheet in Hill’s penultimate league match this term. Old Chelms will finish eighth now.

In Division Four, the solitary game saw Leigh Ramblers Res produce a fine second-half showing to defeat Wakering Sports A 4 – 0 at Belfairs, in the second game of the double-header of matches which I attended. The ensemble of Luis Bracci, Cameron Jarvis, Taylor Stewart & Jacob Mead were all on target for Terry Johnson’s team, as they went up to second spot, three points behind leaders Roydon with two further games than them to play. The Sports side remain second bottom, with five matches left.

Finally, there was only one match in Division Five, Runwell Sports Res secured a very important 6 – 1 victory at Collier Row Res. The win takes them into top spot, two points clear of Manford Way Res and the pressure is on their rivals as the Runwell second-side have completed their league campaign. Row’s Ressie side also ended their term here, and reside in fourth but can still be caught by Basildon Town A, currently in fifth.

End

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge & Cups (Sat 4 Feb) [EOFL 22-23 6.2.23]

Archive Image – Shoebury Town v AS Rawreth earlier this term

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello & welcome to another edition of the Essex Olympian League round-up. This week, we look at the action in all divisions & Cups from Saturday 4 February, as the weekend’s action in all six divisions was bolstered by Cup ties.

EOFL Premier Division

In the top-tier, Hutton continue to bolster their chances of the Premier title & promotion, as they defeated Toby 2 – 0 at Chadfields. Stephen Judge & substitute Kyle Linzell goals were enough to see the Reds to 40 points in just 14 matches. Old Southendian are up to second spot after a 3 – 0 win at Leigh Ramblers, securing their third straight League win. Catholic Utd are up third place after securing a comeback 3 – 1 victory over Runwell Sports at the Len Forge. Gianni Frankis’ goal had put Runwell ahead but strikes from Liam Oliver, Aaron Baldwin (on his 100th appearance for the club) & Tom Elliott sealled the win, ahead of a very hectic last three months of the campaign (which sees them still have 15 league games left, starting with a trip Old Southendian in midweek). Shenfield AFC’s decent season continues after they defeated Canning Town 1 – 0 at St Martins 3G. Sam Lock got the only goal there to send them up to eighth spot, while Galleywood battled to a 1 – 1 draw at Kelvedon Hatch. Freddie Bartram got the ‘Wood goal, with Charlie Nichols replying for Darren Hunt’s team. Galleywood still need at least two wins from their upcoming games to draw other teams into the relegation battle.

EOFL Divisions One & Two

Division One saw some potentially big results. First, a mention for strugglers Wakering Sports who battled to their maiden victory this term, as they defeated Manford Way 1- 0, with Nathan Roche scoring the only goal there. Epping Town held promotion rivals Harold Wood Athletic 1 – 1 at home, with Joe Rickett netting for Town & Ben Woolven doing so for Ath, who remain four points clear at the top. Beacon Hill Rovers got an important 2 – 0 success over Corinthians, which sends Hill up to 8th, and dampens the Stambridge-based side’s promotion aspirations, as they stay fourth. Finally, Herongate Athletic are only two points adrift of fourth spot, following a 3 – 0 win at home to Harold Hill. Alfie Yeend, Thomas Lambourne & George Godfrey goals made the most of their chances & notch a fine three points.

Into Division Two, Wakering Sports Res reduced the deficit to leaders Shoebury to four points after a 5 – 2 triumph at Rayleigh Town Res. Substitute Ciaran Sweeney netted twice, with Connor Fardyga, Charlie Smith & Steven Valente also on target for the enterprising Sports side. May & Baker are up to third after a fine 5 – 0 win at AS Rawreth, with Alfie Horan & Kane Messenger notching doubles each, with Jack O’Connor’s fine strike confirming the points. Hutton Res got a battling 1 – 0 victory at Hashtag Utd Development, with Jack Greenwood’s goal enough to push them up to ninth place, a point clear of the bottom two. Lastly, Old Southendian Res drew 1 – 1 with Catholic Utd Res. Both teams are some way off the top six, following that result.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

Moving now to Division Three, the top two were not in action but Buckhurst Hill U23 gained ground on them with a superb 7 – 1 success over Corinthians Res at Roding Lane. Ayomide Ademokun netted a treble, with Harvey Woods adding a brace, plus Jacob Richards & replacement Bailey Allen also netted for Darren Gosnell’s side, who are well-set in third. Pitsea Athletic are only a point below them in fourth after they defeated Chingford Athletic Res 5 – 0. Both of these teams have the most matches to play in the division remaining, at eight each.

In Division Four, Roydon put themselves back in pole position for the title with a 2 – 1 victory over rivals Collier Row. Connor Presland & Ross Bourke both scored for the hosts who went a point clear at the summit, with three matches in hand on nearest rivals Row. Leigh Ramblers Res are also in the promotion shake-up after a fine 4 – 0 win at Shenfield AFC Res. Jacob Meads netted twice for the Rams, with Dominic North & substitute Taylor Stewart also on target at Warley Fields in a win which keeps them third. Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res had a real battle before coming away with a 4 – 3 victory at Galleywood Res. The hosts got goals through Ebenezer Fasoranti, Aryan Tathgar and Ashley Merritt but they were outdone by Matthew Allen’s brace for Swifts, compiled with strikes from Archie Gerard & Jordan Trott to give the visitors another three points and they remain fourth.

Lastly in this division, a big day for Leytonstone Utd as they notched their first win of a tough campaign, winning 3 – 2 against Ongar Town at Forest Row. The trio of James Medlock, Billy Wallace & George Welsh got the crucial Leytonstone goals. Ongar got goals from Jude Collins, and replacement James McLean but it wasn’t enough to prevent Utd from finally savouring a win – they are only four points behind Wakering Sports A & Galleywood Res directly above them.

In Division Five, Basildon Town A edged to a 3 – 2 victory over Collier Row Res at Basildon Sports Club. Donnel Kujinga netted yet another double to further endorse his good season, while Alex Smith got the other goal, the win takes them up to fourth place. Also, Runwell Sports Res are into second place after a resounding 8 – 0 victory at home to AS Rawreth Res.

Cups

We start the Cup action with mentions of the two Senior Cup games. First, Sungate ended Rayleigh Town’s run in the competition as the ‘Gate had a Arif Mustapha goal to thank in their 1 – 0 win. Also, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts were given a stern test before coming through 4 – 3 on spot-kicks, after a 0 – 0 draw at Silver Leys, In the Denny King Cup, ACD Utd progressed with a narrow 1 – 0 victory over Basildon Town Res, with Jamie Alexandrou getting the only goal there.

Moving on into the Reserve Cup, and Herongate Athletic Res triumphed with a 5 – 1 win at Springfield Res. Kemston Allen got a super treble, added to very well by Habeeb Apatira’s double to see the visitors through. Finally, in the Reserve Trophy, Old Chelmsfordians Res progressed with a 3 – 0 victory at home to Pitsea Athletic Res and Harold Wood Athletic Res sailed through with a 4 – 1 success at Wakering Sports A. Max London netted twice for Wood, with Thomas Butler & Kieron Moynihan also on target for them. Carl Sutton replied for Wakering, but their attention focuses now on remaining in Division Four.

End

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge (Sat 28 Jan) [EOFL 22-23 30.1.23]

Archive image – Runwell Sports v Shenfield AFC from earlier this term

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello & welcome to the another edition of the Essex Olympian League round-up. This week, we look at the action in all divisions & Cups from Saturday 28 January, as the weekend’s action was for the most part restored following the restrictive weather conditions in the ladt month.

EOFL Premier Division

In the top-tier, Hutton retained their 14 point lead at the summit, following a 5 – 1 victory at Galleywood. Substitute Matthew Price netted twice here, with Luke Ricketts, Joshua Seal & Connor Hammond also scoring for Matt Singh’s side. Ronnie Edwards replied for ‘Wood, who remain three points adrift at the bottom. Rayleigh Town produced a terrific display in an 8 – 0 success over Bishop’s Stortford Swifts at Thames Road. There were trebles for Jack Long and George Vile, along with strikes for William Vile and substitute Lewis Robson to give Town a much-needed win, given the race for second spot in gathering pace. They went back into second after Toby defeated Leigh Ramblers 2 – 0 at the Nursery Sports Ground. Sonny Leeks’ brace confirmed a big win for Mark Jones’ side, which takes them five points clear of the bottom two.

Elsewhere, Old Southendian are up to fourth spot following a fine 5 – 1 victory over Kelvedon Hatch at Garon Park 3G. Callum Ludlaim had arguably his best day this season, scoring a fine treble, with Mitchell Ali & Nico Dubouchet also scoring for Altar Ali’s side. Joe Newson netted reply after coming off the bench for Darren Hunt’s side, who drop to 11th. Catholic Utd had a battling 2 – 1 victory at Canning Town, with Joe O’Kane & Louie Hay goals sending them sixth, with several games in hand on most of the teams around them. Shenfield AFC remain ninth after a 3 – 0 victory at Springfield, with Jack Maleary, Ben Absolon & Ben Carroll all scoring for AFC. Springfield boss Allan Fenn has also elected to step down, and I wish him well for the future.

Finally, Runwell Sports stay eighth after an excellent 4 – 2 success at Sungate. James Dalton netted two goals for Rob Hodgson’s side, with Gianni Frankis & Owen Barratt adding further goals. Runwell are now ten points clear of the bottom two, as they seek to have a second consecutive campaign at Step 7.

EOFL Divisions One, Two & Three

Division One this week saw some key results. First, Epping Town battled hard before securing a 5 – 3 victory over Herongate Athletic at Billericay Road. Joe Rickett’s superb treble was added to by goals from Scout Bown & Abdul Kamara as Stuart Hoskins’ side remained three points clear in second. Alfie Yeend scored twice for Ath, with Thomas Lambourne also scoring. Old Chelmsfordians remain third at this juncture, following a 2 – 1 win at home to Beacon Hill Rovers, with Jack Walker netting for Rovers. Manford Way also got an important victory, 2 – 1 at home to Corinthians. Dawid Potoczek & replacement Harry Davison both scored for Colin Dobson’s team, who go up to sixth, while their opponents lost ground on the top three.

Into Division Two now and the stand-out result saw Catholic Utd Res defeat Hashtag Utd Development 3 – 1 at St Thomas More Sch. James Warder’s brace & a goal for Daniel Williams secured a win that takes them four points clear of the bottom two. Hashtag’s youth side lost ground on the top two and are also vulnerable to being caught by Harold Wood Athletic Res, who have matches in hand. Leaders Shoebury Town are now seven points clear, following a comeback 4 – 2 win at Wakebury. Finlay Dorrell & Louis Yuille both netted for Matt Cardy’s team but a double for Jack Woodham plus goals for Mechack-Kisoka Asuka & Enoch Gyimah secured Town’s 10th win this term. Finally for this division, Rayleigh Town Res also notched an important 5 – 0 success at home to AS Rawreth.

Now into Division Three, Basildon Town Res emerged with a terrific 8 – 0 win at Corinthians Res, with Louis Hill scoring a hat-trick, added to by Jamie Bradbourn’s brace and one each for Keith King, Daniel Okah and replacement Harry Johnson. Town remain eight points clear at the summit now. Buckhurst Hill U23 also got the three points, with a 3 – 1 victory over Pitsea Athletic at Roding Lane. Harvey Woods struck twice for Darren Gosnell’s team, plus Joe Marjason’s additional goal which secured the win which takes them above Pitsea & into fourth. Elsewhere, Chingford Athletic Res narrowly defeated Springfield Res 3 – 2 at Town Mead 3G. Conor Medhurst’s double & Luke Dimond’s strike outdid goals by Liam England & replacement Adam Jackson for the visitors. Finally, Leigh Town Res got a 2 – 1 win over Toby Res at John Burrows Rec, with Chris Pope and Spencer Izatt the scorers for Josh Burrage’s side, who rise to second spot.

EOFL Divisions Four & Five

Moving into Division Four, and Leigh Ramblers Res grabbed a convincing 7 – 0 triumph at home to Galleywood Res. Charlie Batchelor notched twice for the Rams second-side, with Joe Howson (pen), Luis Bracci, Dominic North, Ethan Nunn & substitute Cameron Jarvis all also scoring here. That result takes them up to fourth & strengthens their chances of being in the promotion race. Ongar Town also won this week, with a 2 – 0 success over Herongate Athletic Res at Marks Hall. Jude Collins & Mason White both netted for Tony West’s team. Also, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res drew 1 – 1 with Roydon at Silver Leys. Matthew Allen netted for Swifts, and Connor Riddoch replied for Roydon. The visitors there dropped to second by virtue of Collier Row’s Walkover win over Pitsea Athletic Res, which takes Row two points clear but they have played three games more.

In Division Five, Basildon Town A went back up to fifth after a 6 – 0 victory against Shoebury Town Res. Donnel Kujinga led the scorers with a fine treble, with Jamie Miller scoring two & replacement Bradley Pike also notching in this win which takes them up to fifth. Also, Manford Way Res extended their lead to seven points at the summit after a 7 – 2 win at Canning Town Res.

Cups

There were three Cup matches this week. Firstly, in the EOFL Reserve Cup, Hutton Res prevailed with a 4 – 1 victory over Runwell Sports Res at Polo Fields. Rodney Wilson, Luke Haydon & substitutes Thomas Price & Ronnie Richardson-Cook got the goals for the hosts there. In the Reserve Trophy, Sungate Res progressed with a 4 – 2 success at AS Rawreth Res. Justin Burrell & Bradley Giles got the goals in reply for the AS side.

Finally, Wakering Sports powered to a 5 – 0 victory over Leytonstone Utd at Cupid’s, in the Denny King Cup. Ryan Curtis & Paul Wines both netted doubles here for Sports, with Mekhi Weekes adding the other goal there.

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge (Sat 10 Dec) [EOFL 22-23 12.12.22]

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello & welcome to this weekend’s round-up from the action in the Essex Olympian League. This week on Saturday 10 December, we look at the action in all divisions, the weekend’s ‘big freeze’ heavily reduced the amount of fixtures played. Even so, some teams earned big wins in their respective divisions.

Image from Old Southendian v Rayleigh Town this weekend

EOFL Premier Division, Divisions One & Two

In the top-tier this week, the only game that survived the freeze was at Garon Park 3G, where Rayleigh Town grabbed a late winner to win 2 – 1 at Old Southendian, in the match I attended this weekend. Goals from Jack Long & William Vile ensured Paul Higgins’ side went back up to second, eleven points adrift of leaders Hutton. Connor Burrows’ fine strike on the hour had given Altar Ali’s side the lead but they remain in sixth. If you’d like more on this game, my report is available here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2022/12/11/s22-23-match-report-old-southendian-1-2-rayleigh-town-sat-10-dec-eofl/

In Division One, the only surviving game was at Cupid’s (Main pitch) where Corinthians secured a 3 – 1 victory over Wakering Sports. Bailey Moss netted twice to reach 14 league goals this term, with Max Jones netting the other goal as the Stambridge-based side when within one point of second-placed Epping Town. Luke Winter got the goal for Sports but they remain bottom, without a point, with ten matches remaining this term.

In Division Two, Catholic Utd Res gained a useful three points as they overwlmed Old Southendian Res 7 – 1 at St Thomas More Sch. Franklin Craik netted four goals here himself, with Dominic O’Kane, Daniel Williams & substitute Thomas Kearney adding one each to add to the visitors’ pain. The win takes the Utd second-side up to seventh, while the OS side remain bottom, with Hutton Res only above them on goal difference.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

In the fourth-tier, Buckhurst Hill U23 put in a superb performance to win 8 – 1 over Toby Res at Roding Lane. Harvey Woods struck four goals here to raise his goal-tally to nine league goals thus far, with substitute Jack Ferris netting twice. Charlie Cole & Eden Reyes alao netted for Darren Gosnell’s talented side. Jamie Sparkes’ consolation goal meant Toby had something to take from the game but they remain three p[oints adrift at the bottom.

Into Division Four now, and Collier Row had to fight hard to win 3 – 2 at Wakering Sports A. Freddie Donkor, Elliott Barrow & Benjamin Whomersley strikes were enough to claim the points & overhaul goals a double for James Loudon for the hosts. Row ‘s revival this term continues as they are now level on points with leaders Roydon, and are 11 points clear of nearest rivals Herongate Athletic Res, having played three games more.

Finally, there were two matches in Division Five. First, Manford Way Res increased their lead at the summit to five points after a 5 – 0 success over strugglers Sungate Res. Luke Bennett powered in another treble to reach 15 league goals (congrats to him) this term, with Rakim Janneh added the other two goals. The Sungate remain eighth of the now nine active sides (see news below).

In the other game, Collier Row Res went up to third after a convincing 6 – 1 triumph at home to Wakebury Res. First-half goals by Ryan Costello & Aloisio Dos Santos were added to by Harry Potts, Jordan Lee & substitutes Danny Gilley & George Coker after the break to ensure the win. Replacement Alfie Stone got the goal for the berries second-side, who drop to fifth spot.

Also, it was announced this week that Epping Town Res have become the latest side to withdraw from the league this term. Hopefully, they will return in due course.

End

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge & Cups (Sat 12 Nov) [EOFL 22-23 14.11.22]

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League Writer

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the action in the Essex Olympian League. This week on this Rememberance Weekend or Saturday 12 November, we look at the action in all divisions, plus an extra section on the various Cup competitions this weekend. Lest we forget.

AS Rawreth’s Sonny Newcombe (13) jostling for the ball v Shoebury this weekend

EOFL Premier Division

Firstly in the top-tier, Runwell Sports flew up into seventh spot with a 4 – 1 victory over visitors Bishops Stortford Swifts. Charlie Little & Gianni Frankis both notched doubles to see Rob Hodgson’s side to a big win. Alex Scott-Bell got an eventual consolation for Swifts, who remain a point clear of the bottom. Old Southendian got an good 2 – 0 win at Springfield, with Nico Dubouchet & Jack Lelliott both on target for Altan Ali’s side who for the moment go into sixth spot. Finally, Canning Town missed the chance to gain ground on the top two (who were in Cup action) as they lost 4 – 3 at Sungate, who rose to fourth, behind Canning by virtue of the latter scoring more goals.

Shoebury & Rawreth observe minute’s silence before KO

EOFL Divisions One & Two

In the only game in Division One this week owing to Cup action, second-placed Epping Town are seven points adrift of leaders Harold Wood Athletic after drawing 2 – 2 with mid-table Harold Hill. Scout Bown got both goals for player-boss Stuart Hoskins’ team there.

Moving into Division Two, Harold Wood Athletic Res kept up the pressure on the top two with a 5 – 1 triumph at Old Southendian Res. Chay Saggers scored for the OS side but Ath went three points clear in third, thanks to braces for Matt Harris & Thomas Butler, with Nazarij Bilanovszkij also on target. The bottom six clubs are seperated by only three points after Catholic Utd Res defeated Hutton Res 2 – 1 and Rayleigh Town Res held May & Baker EOFL 1 – 1, with Byron Down netting for the home side at London Road.

In the match I attended this week, Shoebury Town were given a test initially before powering to a 6 – 2 victory over AS Rawreth at Ekco Sports Club. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka netted a fine treble to lead the scorers, with captain Callum Merenda, Suhail Yasin & Ryan Galley all also scoring for John Galley & Garry Johnson’s side, who are now three points clear at the summit. Sonny Newcombe & captain Muntizir Hussain netted for Shane Bird’s side. If you’d like more on this match, my report can be viewed here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2022/11/12/s22-23-match-report-shoebury-town-6-2-as-rawreth-sat-12-nov-eofl/

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

Into Division Three now, Basildon Town Res are five points clear at the top after a 4 – 1 success at Old Chelmsfordians Res. Keith King netted a fine treble, with Antony Aylett also on target to make it 35 league goals already this term (at an average of 3.88 goals per game) for Bas. Buckhurst Hill U23 are also well-placed, moving up to third after a 2 – 0 victory at Hullbridge Sports Res. Jacob Sember Richards & Olaobajuwan Olagbaju both scored for Darren Gosnell’s side. Finally, Springfield Res are up to fifth after a 3 – 2 win at Corinthians Res. Billy Headland, Edward Coggins & replacement Michael Loannou all scoring for ‘Field there.

In Division Four, Leigh Ramblers Res strengthened their fourth position with a 3 – 1 victory at Ongar Town. Alex Goodson, Dominic North & Ethan Nunn all netted at Marks Hall to leave Town in eighth. Galleywood Res got their first win this term, winning 3 – 2 at strugglers Leytonstone Utd. An OG, Alfie Hooper & Joshua Lapidus goals saw them to a vital win. Elsewhere, Roydon were held 1 – 1 by Herongate Athletic Res, with Nader Benzid getting the goal for the leaders. Collier Row are up to a second spot, a point behind Roydon after a 2 – 0 win at Shenfield AFC Res. Jake Skeet’s seventh league goal this term & substitute Freddie Donkor’s goal confirmed the points for Row. Finally, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res celebrated a big 6 – 1 triumph over Wakering Sports A at Silver Leys. Matthew Allen’s treble plus strikes by David Falzon, Ewan Rockell & Huey Reid saw them to victory & up to fifth. James Clark hot the solitary reply for the Sports’ third-side.

In Division Five, Wakebury Res became the first league side to beat leaders Basildon Town A & they did so in some style, winning 6 – 2 at Basildon Sports Club. Ross Barnes netted a hat-trick here for Joe Creak’s side, with Tommy Wolfe netting two more & Luke Abbott also ontarget. Luke Soley & substitute Alex Shields got replies for Bas but they now only lead the table on goal difference. That is because Runwell Sports Res got a 2 – 2 draw at Manford Way Res. Max Harrington & Benjamin See got the goals for Sports, while Manford’s goals came from Luke Bennett’s double. The other game in the division saw a huge win for Sungate Res as they won 8 – 2 at AS Rawreth Res, which earned them their first win this term.

Essex Premier Cup – Round Three

In the first of our ‘in-focus’ matches in the EPC, Shenfield AFC got back to winning ways with a hard-fought 3 – 2 victory over Essex Senior Reserve side White Ensign Res at St Martins’ 3G. Marlon Stratford, Luke Williamson & Courtney Justin got the goals for the home side in that tie as AFC went through. Catholic Utd also made the fourth round with a 2 – 0 victory over Heybridge Swifts Res at the Len Forge. Aaron Baldwin getting both goals for Utd with gives them a much-need confidence boost ahead of their other Cup fixtures this month. At Belfairs, Leigh Ramblers powered to a terrific 5 – 2 victory over Border League side Dedham Old Boys. Scott Clark continued his good season with a double here, while Callum Morris, Billy Field & an OG rounded out the scorers for the hosts.

Ellsewhere, Toby put in a clinical display to defeat Chelmsford City Res 5 – 0 at the Nursery Sports Ground. Jamie Simpkins & Oliver Dingli both got doubles, with Ben Picton getting the opener there for Mark Jones’ side. Harold Wood Athletic put in another excellent display to defeat Essex Alliance Senior side Frenford Development 4 – 3 at the Rec. Billy Gray, Billy Spencer, Mitchell Prue & Max Shepherd all notched as Ath progressed.

Rayleigh Town also progessed with a 6 – 0 trouncing of Galleywood at Slades Lane. Sonny Woodward netted a treble here to lead the way, with George Vile, George Aston & substitute Harry Talbot also netting. Wakering Sports Res also got a big 5 – 1 win ag home to Alresford Colne Rangers at Cupid’s, with Connor Fardyga again leading the scorers with a double here, with Billy Cottrill, Charlie Smith and a thunderbolt from David Watson adding more pain to the visitors. Finally for this section, Corinthians won 3 – 2 at Hashtag Utd Res, with a brace for Bailey Moss & one for Max Jones proving enough to win at Barleylands.

Other Results In EPC:

Colne Athletic 2 – 1 Old Chelmsfordians

Hutton 2 – 1 Kelvedon Hatch

May & Baker Res (EAL side) 1 – 1p ACD Utd (3 – 5 on pens)

Pitsea Athletic 1 – 2 Beacon Hill Rovers

EOFL Senior & Reserve Cups

In the single match in the EOFL Senior Cup, Wakebury progressed with a very good 4 – 1 victory over goal-hungry Chinford Athletic Res at Cupid’s. Finlay Dorrell again netted twice for Matt Cardy’s team, with Junior Lawrence & Isaac Bello also on target for the hosts. Leighton Hughes-Franklin got the reply for Ath but they exited the competition here.

In RLC: Shoebury Town Res 1 – 0 Toby Res

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge (Sat 5 Nov) [EOFL 22-23 7.11.22]

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League Writer

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the action in the Essex Olympian League. This week on Saturday 5 November, we look at the action in all divisions, plus an extra section on Senior League Cup games this weekend. Image below taken by Peter D, used with thanks.

Image from Harold Hill v Waering Sports [Image by Peter D]

EOFL Premier Division

Firstly in the top-tier, Kelvedon Hatch got a good 2 – 0 victory at Leigh Ramblers, with Drew Klessa-Smith and Reece Simpson the scorers for Darren Hunt’s side. Other results in the division were Canning Town’s 5 – 0 win over Galleywood, Old Southendian’s fine 3 – 1 success at Catholic Utd and Sungate getting another way win with a 2 – 0 victory at Shenfield AFC.

EOFL Divisions One & Two

The second tier saw plenty of goals & a few surprises. First up there was no shock at Henderson’s though but Harold Hill did have to come from behind to defeat Wakering Sports 4 – 1. Ryan Curtis had given Sports an early lead, but a double from Jack Suters, plus goals from Ashley Blackburn and Joel Sampson swiveled the match in Hill’s favour, which sees Billy Cove’s team rise up to sixth spot. If you’d like more on this match, my erstwhile Non-League colleague Peter D was there & his report is viewable here: http://pedroslocalfootiefix.blogspot.com/2022/11/harold-hill-4-wakering-sports-1.html

Elsewhere, Epping Town got an important 4 – 2 victory over Beacon Hill Rovers to leap yp to second. Substitute Scout Bown nabbed a fine treble along with a Chris Gormley goal to see Stuart Hoskins’ side to the points. ACD Utd were also triumphant following a 2 – 1 win at home to Herongate Athletic at Westlands. Harry Payne & Jacob Dingli both netted for Michael Wade’s side, with this win taking them up to third. Old Chelmsfordians got a big 4 – 1 success at fellow top five side Corinthians while Manford Way drew 2 – 2 with leaders Harold Wood Athletic, with James Pottle & Leroy Griffiths both netting for Ath there.

In Division Two this week, Shoebury Town went top of the table with six wins from six after a 3 – 2 win at Hashtag Utd Development at Barleylands. Kian Bradshaw, Luke Jackson & Aaron Marshall got the goals for Garry Johnson & John Galley’s side as they kept up their terrific start to the season. Harold Wood Athletic Res are third after a 4 – 0 home win over Rayleigh Town Res. Joe Eldridge’s brace allied with strikes by Chris Dixon & Freddy Shepherd secured the points there while Wakebury are now fourth after a 3 – 1 victory at Hutton Res. Will Wheeler, Finlay Dorrell & Mark Frostick all netted for Matt Cardy’s team there as they notched their fifth win this term. David Johnson replied for the Reds’ second-side. In the other game, AS Rawreth got a rare away win, prevailing 1 – 0 at Old Southendian Res at Garon Park 3G to lift them into mid-table.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

Into Division Three now, Buckhurst Hill U23 got back on form with a 2 – 0 victory at Old Chelmsfordians Res, thanks largely to a double from Jacob Samber Richards for Darren Gosnell’s side. Hill stay fifth after this win. Hullbridge‘s Ressie side won 3 – 1 at Toby Res thanks to a Jay Knight double & one from Joe Tuskin, which takes them up to second. Basildon Town Res are still two points clear after a big win in a fantastic game, 7 – 4 at Chingford Athletic Res, while Springfield Res also won, 3 – 1 at home to Leigh Town Res.

In Division Four, Roydon are now three points clear at the summit following a 6 – 0 success at home to struggling Leytonstone Utd. Nader Benzid scored twice here, with the supporting cast of Mike Hayes, Connor Riddoch, Connor Presland & OG rounding out the scorers as Roydon remain unbeaten this term. Leigh Ramblers Res won 1 – 0 at Galleywood Res to go up to fourth, while in the other game, Pitsea Athletic Res drew 4 – 4 with Shenfield AFC Res.

Finally in the only match in Division Five, Runwell Sports Res got back to winning ways with a 3 – 1 triumph at Sungate Res in East London. The result puts Runwell’s second side back to second while the Sungate side are winless so far this term.

EOFL Senior League Cup

There were just the two matches in the Senior League Cup this weekend. Firstly, Rayleigh Town went through uin a rare first-team game this term back at London Road. Town defeated May & Baker EOFL 5 – 2, with George Vile and Phil Anunwa both netting two goals each, with other goal coming from Sonny Woodward. Alfie Horan and Frankie Worboyes got the goals for M & B there. In the other tie, top-tier Hutton had a scare before overcoming Division Four side Collier Row 3 – 2 at Forest Row.

Essex Junior Trophy Results

Ashingdon Res 2 – 3 Basildon Town A

Collier Row A 0 – 1 Manford Way Res

and Collier Row Res 4 – 0 Harold Hill Res

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge (Sat 24 Sept) [EOFL 22-23 26.9.22]

Written by Scott W [@ScottMHC14] – Non-League Writer

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the action in the Essex Olympian League. This week on Saturday 24 September, we look at the action in all six divisions, plus an extra section featuring the various Cup competitions.

Image from Rayleigh Town v Leigh Rams last weekend

EOFL – Saturday 24 September

EOFL Premier Division & Division One

In the top-tier, Catholic Utd remain in second after a 4 – 1 win at Kelvedon Hatch. Liam Oliver grabbed a fine treble to lead the way for Simon Thomas’ side, with Harrison Day also notching at New Hall. Sungate also got a super win, 5 – 1 at home to Springfield with Josh Addinall and Solomon Asomah both netting twice here, alongside substitute Jake Willis’ strike. Rayleigh Town remain in the early promotion race after a 2 – 0 win at Canning Town. Sonny Woodward and Philip Anunwa strikes were enough to see Paul Higgins’ side to the win, despite goalkeeper Mark Brown being sent off.

In the other results this week, Runwell Sports won 4 – 0 at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts and Leigh Ramblers were held 1 – 1 at home by Toby. Scott Clark’s goal for the Rams were cancelled out by another goal for Oliver Dingli.

In Division One, Harold Wood Athletic‘s fine start continued as they powered past Harold Hill 6 – 1 in their local derby. James Pottle netted twice, with the supporting cast of Ben Woolven, Billy Gray, Max Shepherd & Dan Spittle all also on target for John Field’s team. Herongate Athletic were held 3 – 3 by Old Chelmsfordians at St Clere’s Sch 3G. Matthew Keiller, George Godfrey and Benjamin Clarke’s spot-kick accounted for the hosts’ goals, but a brace from Joe Murphy and one from Shane Pritchardmean the OC’s left with a point. The other result this week was ACD Utd’s 1 – 1 draw with Manford Way.

EOFL Divisions Two & Three

In the Division Two matches of the week, Shoebury Town got their second consecutive victory with a hard-fought 4 – 3 win at Catholic Utd Res. Enoch Gyimah scored twice for Town, with Aaron Marshall & Takondwa Maosa also on the score-sheet. Hutton Res stayed third after a 2 – 2 draw with Rayleigh Town Res at Polo Fields. David Johnson scored both goals for the hosts, with John Hanrahan & substitute Jack Taylor levelling things up for Dave Barker’s side. May & Baker‘s EOFL side got their first win with a 3 – 0 victory at Wakebury. Darren Seymour, Jack O’Connor & an OG were enough to deny the Berries a chance to climb into the top three.

The other results were leaders Wakering Sports Res winning 2 – 0 at home to Hashtag Utd Dev at Cupid’s and AS Rawreth’s 3 – 2 success over Harold Wood Athletic Res, which sent the hosts into mid-table.

In Division Three, Buckhurst Hill U23 emerged with a 4 – 3 victory at Chingford Athletic Res at Town Mead. Bradley Croft scored a fine treble for the visitors there, with Enis Demirbala adding the other Buckhurst goal. Despite having Jack Barnes sent off and Luke Dimond bagging yet anotyer hat-trick for the hosts, the Hill development side held on to stay third in the table. Leigh Town Res also kept up their decent start with a 3 – 2 success at Corinthians Res. Tehm Vapiwala, Callum Keys and Steve Birnie all netted for Josh Burrage’s side, who ended the game with ten men after Patrick Szabo’s dismissal.

Elsewhere, Hullbridge Sports Res were denied going joint-top on goal difference as they were held 1 – 1 at strugglers Old Chelmsfordians Res. George Prentice got the important goal for the hosts at Lawford Lane, while Joe Ives replied for Hullbridge, who stay second. The other game saw Toby Res held 0 – 0 by leaders Pitsea Athletic. Both of the top two sides are still unbeaten.

EOFL Divisions Four & Five

In the solitary Division Four match, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res got a decent 2 – 0 victory at Ongar Town. Goals from Lewis Wake and David Falzon meant the visitors leapt into mid-table.

In Division Five, Manford Way Res went up to fourth spot after a 2 – 1 home victory over Wakebury Res. Luke Bennett notched two goals here to outdo Luke Abbott’s reply for Joe Creak’s side. Epping Town Res got their first win of the season afs they defeated AS Rawreth Res 3 – 2 at Roding Valley Sch 3G. Joe Bothwell scored twice for the hosts, which Paranveer Sethi added a third for Epping. Lucas Winzar kept up his decent scoring record by scoring both goals for the Rawreth second-side. The other result saw Canning Town Res win 3 – 0 at home against Shoebury Town Res.

Essex Premier Cup R1

So the EPC had one more fixture this week with Shenfield AFC winning 3 – 1 at Basildon Town Res. Jack Shaw, Aaron Lang and Alfie MacKay all netted here for the visitors as they progressed.

Essex Junior Cup

In the Junior Cup, Roydon put up a strong fight but are out after a 4 – 3 loss at Sheering after extra time. Connor Presland scored twice for the EOFL side, with Nicholas Costagliola adding the other strike but a double for Matt Coe, plus goals from Jordan King & Dan Bryant saw the hosts through. Galleywood Res are also through after a 2 – 0 triumph at South Woodham Ferrers Utd. Diogo Viveiros & Ashley Merritt both netting there.

Other Results in EJC:

Barkingside A 0 – 6 Collier Row

Harold Wood Athletic A 0 – 1 Leytonstone Utd

Pitsea Athletic Res 0 – 4 BKS Sports

In the Essex Junior Trophy,

Glendale 0 – 4 Collier Row Res

Harold Hill Res 5 – 1 Sungate Res

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 20 Aug) [EOFL 22/23 22.8.22]

Written by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14] – Non-League writer

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the second week of action in the Essex Olympian League for the 2022-23 season. This week, we look at the action in all six divisions, as some teams began their campaigns here.

EOFL Premier Division

As usual we begin with the top-tier, and Rayleigh Town got a fine 4 – 0 victory over Toby at Concord Rangers’ Thames Road. Harry Talbot got a fine treble with George Vile’s penalty securing the points. Leigh Ramblers began their 125th Anniversary season with a good 3 – 2 win in their local derby at Old Southendian. Tom Franks got a brace while stalwart Ryan Lowe got the other goal. Mattias Tonking and Jack Lelliott both notched for OS there.

The two other matches were narrow wins for the home side. Firstly, Catholic Utd defeated Canning Town 1 – 0 at Len Forge, with Louis Robinson the goal-getter. Also at Chadfields, Hutton had a goal from substitute Jude Keeling to thank for a 1 – 0 win against Kelvedon Hatch.

EOFL Division One

In Division One, Corinthians made it two wins from two as they hammered Leigh Town 9 – 0 at Stambridge. Bill Wilton got four goals for the hosts, with Jake Hodder, Max Jones, Bailey Moss and Connor Summerhill also on target, along with an OG. Beacon Hill Rovers edged to a 2 – 1 success over Wakering Sports, with Bertie Whymark and a penalty from Jack Walker enough to seal the three points. Elsewhere, Harold Wood Athletic made it two wins from two games with a 3 – 2 triumph over Herongate Athletic at Harold Wood Park. James Pottle, Zach Holding and Billy Gray’s penalty were enough to overhaul Ath goals from Matthew Keiller and Callum Palmer.

In the other action, Epping Town bagged a 4 – 2 win over Old Chelmsfordians, with Abdul Kamara scoring twice for Epping along with one goal each for Scout Bown and Chris Gormley. Also, Harold Hill drew 4 – 4 with Manford Way in their first meeting in this division. The scorers for Hill were lack by Jack Suters’ brace and one apiece for Connor Donnelly and Jack Stevenson.

EOFL Divisions Two & Three

Into Division Two now, and Harold Wood Athletic Res also won at home, with a 2 – 1 success over Wakebury. James Jenkins and Ollie Portway goals were enough for them. Harry Kateley got the goal for Matt Cardy’s team. Elsewhere, Hashtag Utd Development were held 1 – 1 at home to Catholic Utd Res. Substitute Chandler Wray netted for the hosts with Dominic O’Kane scoring for Utd’s second-side.

The other results in the division were AS Rawreth’s 3 – 1 triumph over Old Southendian Res, and Wakering Sports Res defeated Hutton Res 5 – 2 at Cupid’s.

Moving onto Division Three, Hullbridge Sports Res got a 4 – 2 win over local rivals Corinthians Res at Lower Road. There were doubles for Jay Knight and Joe Tuskin for the hosts to outdo strikes by Chevon Bryan and Agelos Alla for the visitors. Buckhurst Hill U23s had strikes by Cameron Lyttle and Louie Cooper to thank for a 2 – 1 win at Basildon Town Res. Tyler Fowles got the goal back for Town there.

Also, Pitsea Athletic edged to a 2 – 1 win over Leigh Town Res with Precious Aminu and replacement Reece Stone seeing Ath to victory. Springfield Res won 3 – 1 at Toby Res, with Liam England scoring all three goals for the Chelmsford-based side there.

EOFL Divisions Four & Five

There were two games each in Divisions Four and Five. Firstly, in Division Four there was a fine away win for Pitsea Athletic Res as they won 4 – 2 at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res. Lewis Brown scored two, plus Rinor Zeqiri and substitute Jay Seeley-Hanson were also on target. Ewan Rockell and Lewis Wake got consolation goals for Swifts. Shenfield AFC Res also won away from home, winning 2 – 1 at Collier Row. Ross Riding and replacement Paul Constable Jr both netted for AFC there, with Jack Bird also scoring after coming off the bench.

Division Five there was a good start to Miki Hood’s tenure as Shoebury Town Res boss as his side won 3 – 2 at Collier Row Res, at the Forest Row Centre. Substitute Kyle McAlindon scored twice, with Chadrack Kisoka also netting. Charlie Quant and Harry Potts both struck for Row’s second team but they fell to defeat. Also, Runwell Sports Res were held 2 – 2 by Manford Way Res at St Luke’s Park.

S21-22 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 30 Apr) [EOFL 21/22 1.5.22]

Image still from Rayleigh Town v Sungate this week [Image by Scott W]

Written by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello and welcome to this week’s extended round-up of the action in the Essex Olympian League this week, including the midweek action In League & Cups and the action on Saturday 30 April. The focus this week is on the League action in the top three divisions. Thank you for reading & thanks to Pete Dudley for allowing links to his reports to be added.

Essex Olympian League – Midweek [Mon 25 – Thurs 28 April]

The midweek action began with the EOFL Reserve Trophy Final held at Basildon Utd FC. May & Baker A got the silverware after a 2 – 0 triumph over Ongar Town Res, with Abraham Jairette and Ryan Mugera getting the job done, much to the felight of all at ‘Bakers, congrats to them. On Tuesday night, Rayleigh Town maintained their push for a minimum top-three finish with a gritty 1 – 0 over Sungate at London Road. Captain George Vile’s free-kick was enough to claim the win. Fellow Non-League writer Pete Dudley [@ped1980] was there & here’s his report: http://pedroslocalfootiefix.blogspot.com/2022/04/rayleigh-town-1-sungate-0.html

On Wednesday night, Galleywood Res got a good 2 – 1 victory at Sungate Dev, with Ben Smith and an OG overcoming James Oderinde’s reply for the hosts there. The win keeps ‘Wood in ninth. Finally on Thursday night, Runwell Sports added the EOFL Denny King Memorial Cup to their Division One Promotion as they won 09 – 8 on penalties following a 1 – 1 draw with Snaresbrook. Ife Ogunbayo netted for the East London side, but Charlie Little replied for Robert Hodgson’s side. Congrats to all at Runwell & Pete Dudley was also there, here is his report: http://pedroslocalfootiefix.blogspot.com/2022/04/runwell-sports-end-season-with.html

Essex Olympian League – Saturday 30 April

Now onto the weekend’s action, Ongar Town still lead the way on goal difference following a 3 – 2 win away at Catholic Utd. Harry Rawlins, Joe Lilly and Freddie Mattock got the goals to outdo replies from John Nutman and Carl Read for Utd to grab a vital win. Ongar host the same opponents in their last game on May 14th. Basildon Town are also still in contention after a 2 – 1 success over Sungate at Gardiners Close, with Rhys Willson and replacement Rhys Fatt grabbing the important strikes. Marcus Bowers’ team visit Hutton next weekend in their last game. Rayleigh Town have almost secured a third-placed finish now after a 2 – 1 victory at Hutton, with George Vile and substitute Philip Anunwa both netting to give them another important victory.

In the race to avoid relegation, Leigh Ramblers got a massive 6 – 0 victory at Harold Wood Athletic in their last game of the season. Jack Unwin netted a fine treble here, with Ryan Lowe netting twice and Jacob Meads adding the other goal to give the Rams a good chance of staying in the division, while ‘Wood will compete in Division One next term. Galleywood also got a 2 – 0 win at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts, with Thomas Watling’s 16th league goal this term & Matthew Crick’s strike giving them the points. ‘Wood need two points to mathematically secure safety. Lastly, Old Southendian still harbour a chance of a top-seven finish after a 3 – 1 success at Shenfield AFC.

In Division One, Snaresbrook took a big step towards safety with a 6 – 2 triumph over Epping Town at Hackney Marshes. Ife Ogunbayo netted twice for Rob Caine’s side, with Lee Lashley, Rajpal Bumbra and substitutes Saxon Shine & Youssef Moumen all netted also to take them to with fine points of safety, with three matches left to play. Epping will finish no lower than seventh in what has been a decent season for Stuart Hoskins’ side.

In Division Two, Hutton Res got a huge 3 – 1 win at relegation rivals AS Rawreth to extend the gap between the two sides to five points. A draw in the Reds’ second side’s last game may be enough to ensure they avoid a bottom two finish whereas Rawreth have to win in both games. May & Baker A also got a walkover win over Old Southendian Res which means they end their season in mid-table.

Moving now into Division Three, and Hashtag Utd Development got a big 1 – 0 triumph at Wakering Sports Res to secure the Division Three title. Jay Knight’s early goal was enough to claim the points and congratulations to Denis Simpson’s side on their elevation. Catholic Utd Res got second spot after a convincing 5 – 0 victory at Hullbridge Sports Res meant they ended the season on 50 points, congrats to Eamonn Kearney’s side there who have now secured back-to-back promotions. Wakering Sports finish third in this division and have still had a fine season, but will have to wait to see if they do get elevated as well. The other game in D3 saw Buckhurst Hill U23 grab a 2 – 1 victory over Leigh Town Res to end their season in seventh spot, with substitute Enis Demirbala got both goals for Darren Gosnell’s side here. Leigh end in 9th, five points above the bottom two. & Josh Burrage’s side will seek to improve next term.

Lastly this week, in Division Four there was still promotion to be settled and Old Chelmsfordians Res moved into the lead position for that second spot after a 4 – 1 victory at home to Roydon. A win in their last game will undoubtedly secure elevation to the fourth-tier. Southend Manor Dev also ended their season in seventh after a 3 – 2 win at Sungate Dev. Jack Mead scored twice for the visitors here, with replacement Thomas Roser also on target. The Sungate side have to win both remaining games with a large goal swing to rivals Leytonstone to avoid a bottom two finish now. Chingford Athletic Res also got a walkover win against Wakering Sports A who will finish in eighth spot.

EOL Division Five season has now been completed.

That’s all for this week, the EOFL round-up will continue into May.

S21-22 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 26 Mar) [EOFL 21/22 21.3.22]

Written by Scott W [Twitter: @ScottMHC14] – Non-League & EOFL Writer

Hello all and welcome to my round-up of the action in the Essex Olympian League, on Saturday 19 March. This weekend saw a promotion all but confirmed in Divisions Two & Four. The focus remains on the League action and we will have additional sections on Divisions Four & Five. Thank you for reading.

Essex Olympian Lge – Saturday 26 March

Image from Wakebury v Harold Hill earlier this campaign

EOFL Premier Division, Divisions One & Two

In the Premier Division, Basildon Town gained ground on leaders Ongar Town (who were not in action this weekend) by claiming a narrow 2 – 1 victory at Sungate, with Rhys Fatt grabbing both goals for Marcus Bowers’ team. They are four points behind Ongar with two matches in hand. Rayleigh Town were held 1 – 1 by battling Leigh Ramblers at Belfairs, with Ryan Lowe netting for the Rams, and George Vile equalised from twelve yards for Town. Rayleigh remain second, but are three points adrift of the leaders, while the Rams rise one place to twelfth, but are one of four sides still in relegation danger. Another match with ramifications at both ends of the table saw Hutton emerge with a 4 – 1 triumph at Harold Wood Athletic, in another game played at Robert Clack 3G. Luke Ricketts struck twice for Matt Singh’s side, with James Gardner and replacement Abraham Eze also on target as they stayed fourth but in the title hunt with matches in hand. Harold Wood remain bottom, six points adrift of the third-bottom Galleywood.

Elsewhere, Old Southendian won their local derby with Catholic Utd 3 – 2, with Callum Ludlaim scoring two goals at Garon Park 3G, and Nick Henesy also netting as they went up to seventh spot with six matches remaining. Utd got their goals via Jack Thompson and player-boss Simon Thomas and stay ahead of their opponents by goal difference only, in sixth. Also, Springfield drew 2 – 2 with Canning Town in the early kick-off at Arun Park. Ryan Kelland and Reece Simpson scored for the hosts but Canning responded to claim a precious point and stay in touch with their rivals. Finally, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts drew 0 – 0 with Kelvedon Hatch, which means Swifts stay tenth and Kelvedon remain in fifth, twelve points clear of Catholic Utd and Old Southendian.

In Division One, the solitary match saw Toby grab a 3 – 0 win against strugglers Leigh Town in Newbury Park. The trio of Harry Barham, Albert Perry and Ben Picton all netted again for Mark Jones’ side to ensure the win which means a point in their last game next month will ensure a top-two finish, but a win would give them the title.

Moving into Division Two now, and ACD Utd took a big step towards the title after a narrow 1 – 0 win against May & Baker A at Westlands. Michael Wade’s 23rd league goal this term ensured the win which takes them five points clear at the summit, needing only five points to mathematically seal the league championship. That was because Harold Hill were held 3 – 3 at Shoebury Town. Player manager Garry Johnson, Kyle McAlindon and Cassidy Day all scored for Shoebury who rose to fifth with this decent result. AS Rawreth also got a vital win to aid their battle against relegation as they won 3 – 2 at home to Wakebury. Harry Kateley and Shaun Lewis-Evans replied for the Berries but their chances of a top-two finish took a dent here. Rawreth climb one spot to second-bottom after this victory.

Finally, Hutton Res were held 2 – 2 by Harold Wood Athletic Res at Polo Fields. Josh Portway got both strikes for the visitors there, who will probably be safe provided they grab one more win in their last three matches. The Hutton side will need as many points as possible as Rawreth behind them have an extra match left to play.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

Into Division Three, and Wakering Sports Res have moved right into contention for a top-two finish after a brilliant 6 – 2 victory at leaders Catholic Utd Res. Scott Clark took his season’s goal tally to fourteen with a double here, with Ashley Sexton also netting two along with one goal each for the division’s top-scorer Connor Fardyga and Ciaran Sweeney. Daniel Williams got both goals for Utd’s second side as they will likely need to win their last three games to stay in contention. Third-placed Hashtag Utd Dev were held 3 – 3 at a spirited Basildon Town Res. Jack Main got two goals for Bas, with Nathan Fisher also on the score-sheet. Matthew Gauci, Tommy Green and Samuel Pratt’s 16th league goal this term meant that Denis Simpson’s side claimed a point which importantly keeps them only two points away from the top two and have one game in hand on both of them. Town will finish fourth after playing their last league game here and have a 12-point lead on their nearest challengers Pitsea Athletic.

Speaking of the newcomers, Buckhurst Hill U23 continued their fine form by defeating Pitsea Athletic 3 – 1 at Roding Lane, which meant Darren Gosnell’s side rise up to sixth spot, with three matches left to play. Also, Collier Row ended their campaign with a fine 2 – 1 win at Leigh Town Res. Despite this result, they will finish in the bottom two and will likely face relegation.

Now into Division Four, and Chingford Athletic Res sealed the title (for all intents & purposes) in style with a 7 – 2 win at nearest challengers Roydon. Nader Benzid and substitute Jack Bayley-Etheridge got the goals for Roydon here. The Ath second-side will be in Division Three next term and Springfield Res might yet join them there after a 5 – 2 triumph over Canning Town Res in the late kick-off meant they went level on points with Roydon but stay third. The ensemble cast of scorers included Liam England, Jordan Denyer, William Roe, substitute Reece Simpson and fellow replacement Thomas Bloomfield. The Town side look set for a demotion as they will be unable to avoid finishing bottom.

Elsewhere, Leytonstone Utd had a James Medlock goal to thank for a 1 – 0 success at home to Galleywood Res. The result means they have a decent chance of avoiding a bottom two finish but their rivals have matches in hand. Also, Ongar Town Res defeated Wakering Sports A 2 – 1 to go up to fourth in the table.

In the sixth tier, the season is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and leaders Leigh Ramblers Res ended their campaign with a narrow 1 – 0 victory at Runwell Sports Res. Alex Goodson’s seventh league goal gave them the win which for now keeps them at the summit, although they could yet be overhauled. One of those sides in prime position to do that is Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res, who won 3 – 0 at Wakebury Res. Callum Blair Park, Henry Harnack and Lewis Wake got the goals here which means one more win for the Swifts second-side will secure them the Division Five title. The Wakebury side will finish bottom as they completed their campaign here and after the game, Reece Upcraft stood down from his role as Wakebury Res boss, I’d like to wish him well for the future, he will be replaced next season by Joe Creak (Source: Wakebury’s Twitter).

Elsewhere, Herongate Athletic Res got a terrific 7 – 2 win against Collier Row Res at Billericay Road. Lee Glynn scored twice here, with the array of other scorers being Jack Sparrow, Kurt Smith, Thomas Northwood, Jonathan Packer and substitute Benjamin Clarke. Ath went up to fourth spot with this win and still have a chance of a top-three finish as they have three matches left. Emmanuel Akinte and Mark Lee scored for the Row side here. Also, Snaresbrook Res defeated AS Rawreth Res 5 – 0 at Nutters Lane to go up to sixth in the standings, while Epping Town Res got a walkover win against Old Barkabbeyans, meaning they will finish ninth as this was their last game of the term as well.

EOFL Denny King Cup Result

Old Chelmsfordians 1 – 2 Manford Way

Thanks again for reading.