Hutton Res – survivor16b

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League & Cups (Sat 25 Mar) [EOFL 22-23 27.3.23]

Image from Leigh Ramblers v Springfield last week

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 25 March, as the fixture programme made it through well despite ongoing unfavourable weather.

EOFL Cups

The two EOFL Senior Cup Semi-Final ties did take place this weekend. First, Catholic Utd made yet another final after an excellent 3 – 1 triumph at promotion-chasing Hutton. The trio of Aaron Baldwin, Liam Oliver & James Warder all netted here at Chadfields to send Simon Thomas’ side through. They will face Toby after they came through 4 – 2 on penalties after a 1 – 1 draw at home to Sungate. Harry Barham scored for the Brewers, but substitute Petrit Elbi levelled for the ‘Gate to force the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

One other Cup tie to note this week, which saw ACD Utd progess with a 4 – 2 win over Ongar Town in the Denny King Cup. Jacob Dingli struck a fine treble, along with a goal for Scott Perkins saw Michael Wade’s win. Finlay Cook got both goals for Town but their focus in back on Division Four which is approaching its final weeks.

EOFL Premier Division & Division One

The top-tier saw the focus move to the chasing pack this weekend. Rayleigh Town reduced the gap to leaders Hutton to ten points after a 4 – 1 victory over Galleywood at Thames Road. Harry Talbot, William Vile, Charlie Seaden & substitute Philip Anunwa all scored for the Town side, with Ben Smith getting the visitors’ reply, but they are now five points adrift at the bottom of the table, with nine matches left. Springfield leapt out of the bottom three after a superb 4 – 2 success at Shenfield AFC. Finlay Dorrell’s goal tally got even better, scoring a treble here which was added to by recent signing Harry Kateley. Matt Cardy’s side have 18 points now, rising above Kelvedon Hatch, who drew 1 – 1 at rivals Bishop’s Stortford Swifts. William Norris netted for Swifts, who slipped to second-bottom, two points adrift of Hatch – both teams have six matches left to avoid finishing in the bottom two.

Meanwhile, Runwell Sports continued their good form with a 3 – 0 victory at home to Old Southendian, which saw them reduce the gap to OS in fourth to a single point. Leigh Ramblers are also on 34 points in sixth, after a good 3 – 2 victory at Canning Town, who are now ninth.

In Division One, Beacon Hill Rovers ended leaders Harold Wood Athletic’s unbeaten league run, as Rovers won 2 – 0, with Bertie Whymark and replacement George Etheridge goals sealing the win that sees them stay eighth but are level on points with Herongate just above them.The loss for Harold Wood leaves them vulnerable to being caught in the title race by Old Chelmsfordians, Manford Way, Epping Town and Corinthians, who got a important tonic with a 2 – 1 win at Herongate Athletic to reduce the deficit to the leaders Harold Wood to only four points, with five matches left – the most to play in this very tightly packed top-five. Manford Way are also in the mix, as a 2 – 0 win over Harold Hill was achieved, with Joshua Owoaje notching twice to see them up to third spot, with two matches left.

EOFL Divisions Two, Three, Four & Five

In Division Two this week, promoted Shoebury Town maintained their four-point lead at the summit in the race for title, as they won 6 – 1 at AS Rawreth. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka took his tally to 24 league goals with another fine hat-trick for Town. Luke Jackson also got two goals & replacement Timi Tinubu got the other for Garry Johnson & John Galley’s side here. Rivals Wakering Sports Res also got a good win, 5 – 0 at Hashtag Utd Dev, with Connor Fardyga scoring all five goals for Jason Doyle’s team here, to also get to 24 league goals. Shoebury are in prime position for said title, and three more wins will be enough to be absolutely sure of silverware. Hashtag’s chances of a third-placed finish are also lessened by this result, as Harold Wood Athletic Res won 4 – 2 at Rayleigh Town Res, to go within four points of Utd, with four matches left. Max London, Jerry Nkoy, Cohen Hubbard & Matt Harris all scored to give Wood the points.

Finally in this division, Hutton Res won 2 – 1 against Catholic Utd Res at Polo Fields. Jake Smith & Lewis Hall scored for the Reds as they went four points clear in to sixth. Utd’s second side responded through John Nutman’s goal, they remain seventh.

Moving into Division Three, and Leigh Town Res gained ground on leaders Basildon Town Res as Leigh won 3 – 2 away at Hullbridge Res. Jay Knight & Harry Mole struck for the hosts, but a brace from substitute Callum Stone and one from Tommy Clayton meant that Leigh got the win and means that four points from their last two games will make ensure a top-two finish. Hullbridge remain fifth, ahead of Chingford Athletic Res on goal difference after Chingford won 2 – 1 at Springfield Res. Samuel May-Parrott & Bilel Benyoucef goals outdid replacement Henry Payne’s reply at Arun Park. Lastly, two of the bottom three sides faced each other at Lawford Lane, with Old Chelmsfordians Res conclusively defeating second-bottom Corinthians Res 11 – 0. There were trebles for Emmanuel Mukuka, George Prentice and Thomas Ellis, with returnee Martin Mixture grabbing a double as well.

In Division Four, Leigh Ramblers Res continued their good run with a 5 – 2 win over Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res to send them top on goal difference. Jacob Mead scored twice with goals for Luis Bracci, Matthew Pooley & Stuart Greaves ensuring Terry Johnson’s side are in pole position for another promotion. Samuel Brown & Fraser Bush netted for Swifts but their own promotion aspirations took a dent here. Collier Row grabbed a 2 – 0 win at Galleywood Res, which gives them a chance of a top four finish but they have played more games than all their rivals. Lastly, Leytonstone Utd got another point in their relegation six-pointer as they held Wakering Sports A to a 3 – 3 draw at Forest Row. Carl Sutton, Charlie Cottrill & Jason Lewin all scored for Sports in that game.

Finally, in Division Five there was a big win for Basildon Town A as they defeated bottom side AS Rawreth Res 6 – 1. Donnel Kujinga grabbed another three goals, to add to strikes by Billy Falco, Alex Smith & Shaun Watkins and confirm the points which sees Town still well in with a shot at a top-three finish. Justin Burrell got the solitary goal for Rawreth there. Manford Way Res went back to the summit after a 5 – 0 success at Shoebury Town Res, which means they will be champions & promoted to Div Four with a match to spare. Many congrats to them.

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge & Cups (Sat 11 Mar) [EOFL 22-23 13.3.23]

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

Hello & welcome to the latest Essex Olympian League action, tracking the action in all divisions & Cups from Saturday 11 March, as the total action was about halved by the extension of winter weather that has prevailed in the last week which will only add to fixture cingestion for some teams in the top three tiers.

Cups

In the Cup action this week, Catholic Utd exited the Anagram Records Trophy after they traveled to Luton to face Chipperfield Corinthians, who came away with a 3 – 2 victory. Utd had goals from Harrison Day & Liam Oliver to thank for keeping it tight but ultimately their focus now turns to League & the EOFL Senior Cup. In the Essex Premier Cup, the one surviving Semi-Final between Shenfield AFC & Rayleigh Town had to be abandoned after a serious injury sustained by Town’s Ben Baxter. I’d like to wish Ben well in his recovery. The other cup tie was in the EOFL Reserve Trophy, which saw a goal from Jack Ewing seal a narrow 1 – 0 win for Manford Way Res over Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res.

EOFL Premier Division

In the top-tier, with their nearest rivals in Cup action, Hutton did get the three points. They were made to sweat for them though as Matt Singh’s side defeated Bishop’s Stortford Swifts 3 – 2 at Hanakins Farm Centre 3G. Goals from Stephen Judge, Tom Stephens & one from replacement Billy Chilcott were enough to claim the points to see them extend their lead to ten points. Swifts battled hard and goals from Daryl Doolan & William Norris saw them close to claiming a point but they succumbed to a third straight loss. Toby have surely sealed their spot for next season, as they had a late winner to thank for a 2 – 1 victory at Canning Town. Albert Perry opened the scoring & Harry Barham’s superb winner saw Mark Jones’ side go nine points clear of the bottom four, with ten matches still to play. Canning ‘s goal came from Napat Pattanawanitkitkul but their fifth loss on the trot sees them in ninth, ahead now of the Brewers on goal difference only.

Elsewhere, Runwell Sports got their fourth win on the spin with a 4 – 0 victory over struggling Kelvedon Hatch at St Luke’s. There were doubles for Charlie Little & James Dalton, the latter seeing his goal tally rise to 11 league goals this tern now. Runwell have also reached the thirty point mark & have eight games left to sneak into the top four, which would be some acheivement. Old Southendian went back up to fourth spot after a 2 – 1 win over bottom side Galleywood at Garon Park 3G. Callum Ludlaim netted twice here for Altar Ali’s side to give OS their 10th league this term.

EOFL Divisions One & Two

One match was played in Division One, and it saw Herongate Athletic draw 2 – 2 with mid-table rivals Beacon Hill Rovers. Alfie Yeend & Thomas Lambourne both netted for Joe Nightingill’s team. Herongate remain sixth and Rovers are in 8th.

In Division Two, the solitary match saw Hutton Res grab a big 5 – 0 victory at home to AS Rawreth at Polo Fields. The cast of scorers included Will Marlowe, Thomas Price & substitutes Isaac Gee and Jake Smith. An OG rounded out things as the Reds’ second-side went up to sixth spot. Rawreth’s horrid run continues, though they are still (just) in the relegation battle they realistically need to win both their remaining matches to avoid finishing bottom.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

In Division Three, two matches were completed. Chingford Athletic Res edged to an important 4 – 3 success at home to PItsea Athletic at Town Mead. Luke Dimond netted twice here, with Samuel May-Parrott & Sonny Clarke also netting to see their slim chances of a top-three finish remain. Pitsea are still in third spot, with both teams having three matches remaining. Springfield Res made it four consecutive victories with a 3 – 0 triumph over Corinthians Res at Arun Park. Their scorers were led by a double for Rhys Ofori & one from Liam England. The win in their penultimate match of the league term secures them at least a seventh-placed finish.

There was no action at all in Division Four this week, with all three set matches suffering from the wrath of the recent weather.

In Division Five, one match did survive and Shoebury Town Res bagged the win in a stellar 7 – 5 success at Sungate Res. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka netted five goals himself here for the visitors, with Luke Jackson & Dawid Gabor also on target for Michael Hood’s side.

End

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian Lge (Sat 18 Feb) [EOFL 22-23 20.2.23]

Image from Rayleigh Town v Canning Town in EOFL Premier

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

Hello & welcome to the latest edition of the Essex Olympian League round-up. This week, we look at the action in all divisions & Cups from Saturday 18 February, as the weekend’s action in all six divisions was scattered a bit as the divisions below the top-tier start to reach their conclusion.

EOFL Premier Division

In the Premier, leaders Hutton retained their unbeaten run this term but were held 0 – 0 by in-form hosts Old Southendian at Garon Park 3G. The chasing pack did take full advantage and second-placed Catholic Utd stayed there after a 4 – 0 success against Bishop’s Stortford Swifts at the Len Forge 3G. Aaron Baldwin, Liam Oliver, Tom Elliott & Louie Hay all scored for Simon Thomas’ team, and they are now 11 points adrift of the leaders. Rayleigh Town are a point further back in third after an entertaining 5 – 1 triumph over Canning Town at Thames Road, in the match I attended this weekend. George Vile’s treble & goals for Jack Long and Harry Talbot confirmed an important win. Stephen Ikumelo’s spot-kick had levelling things for Canning early on but they remain sixth. If you’d like more of this game, my report is here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2023/02/19/s22-23-match-report-rayleigh-town-5-1-canning-town-sat-18-feb-eofl/

Elsewhere, Runwell Sports got a big 2 – 1 success at fellow mid-table side Shenfield AFC. Strikes by James Dalton & Damian Siemienczuk secured the points which took them up to seventh & AFC drop to ninth. Leigh Ramblers are still enjoying a fine season, after a 2 – 0 win at strugglers Galleywood sent them up to fourth. Ryan Lowe & substitute Owen Reynolds got the goals for Mark Hunter’s side at Slades Lane. Springfield also got the first win of manager Matt Cardy’s reign as they battled to a hard-fought 3 – 2 victory at home to Kelvedon Hatch. Teenager Finlay Dorrell’s treble was enough to claim the win and go level on points with Kelvedon. Wayne Semanshia & replacement Charlie Bott got goals for Darren Hunt’s team but they & Bishop’s Stortford Swifts have been dragged back into the relegation scrap. Toby gave themselves a three point cushion from the bottom four after they won 3 – 0 at Sungate.

EOFL Divisions One & Two

In the second-tier this week, the key result was achieved by Old Chelmsfordians as they won 3 – 1 at ACD Utd. Goals from Shane Pritchard, substitute Liam Landers & an OG outdid Ollie Williams’ reply for ACD and launch themselves up to second spot, two points clear of Epping Town in third. Manford Way are up to fourth spot after a tough 2 – 1 win at home to Beacon Hill Rovers. David Alele & Richard Kadima got the goals which keeps them in the race for a top-four finish. Herongate Athletic are up to sixth after a 1 – 0 victory at Wakering Sports, with George Godfrey netting the decisive goal. The result means that Wakering will finish bottom of the 10 active sides in the division (Leigh Town First’s folded earlier in the season).

Into Division Two this week, Hutton Ressies are up to seventh spot after a hard-fought 3 – 2 victory at Harold Wood Athletic Res. Matthew Harris & replacement Josh Portway netted for Ath, but strikes by Rodney Wilson, Chris Skingley and Hector Beta all sent the points the Reds way. Hashtag Utd Development took full advantage of Ath’s slip-up & leapt above them into third with a 3 – 0 triumph over Old Southendian Res at Barleylands. Samuel Pratt was back on the score-sheet with a brace for Denis Simpson’s team, and Tommy Green’s goal secured the points. Finally in Division Two, Shoebury Town extended their lead at the summit to seven points following a comfortable 4 – 0 victory over Rayleigh Town Res at the Ekco Sports Club. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka returned with some style, bagging a treble and Aaron Marshall got the other goal for Garry Johnson & John Galley’s team. Rayleigh’s Ressie side are in a four-team tussle to avoid finishing second-bottom.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

In Division Three, we start with Pitsea Athletic who are still in with a chance of catching the leaders after a 5 – 0 win at Corinthians Res, a result which will likely relegate the later side. Ath had Jason Stanhope, Joshua Oteng, Joseph Berry, Iku Adjarho & substitute Sean Devlin all scored a goal each for them, as they reduced Basildon Town Res’ lead at the summit to eight points as Bas were held to a goalless draw by fourth-placed Leigh Town Res. Springfield Res got an important 4 – 0 victory at rivals Old Chelmsfordians Res, with Liam England’s two penalties were added to by Joshua Hubble & Billy Headland goals. Also, Hullbridge Sports Res drew 4 – 4 with Chingford Athletic Res, in a result which sees Hullbridge in third & Chingford remain sixth.

In Division Four, Herongate Athletic Res were the big movers as they went up to third after a 4 – 2 victory over Collier Row at Billericay Road. The ensemble cast of Habeeb Apatira, Paul Hine, Billy Markham & substitute Kai Redmond’s penalty all netted to send them only four points behind Row, with Ath also having three matches in hand on their opponents here. Roydon maintained their unbeaten season but were still held 1 – 1 at Leytonstone Utd, with Connor Presland on target for the visitors & James Medlock scoring for Leytonstone. Utd do inch closer to their relegation rivals, and Roydon can still be caught by Leigh Ramblers Res, who have three additional matches to play compared to the leaders. Pitsea Athletic Res drew 2 – 2 with Wakering Sports A at Basildon Sporting Village. Aidan Lewis scored twice for Sports’ third-team here, with Sean Chiimba & replacement Ben Austin netting for Athletic. Both sides are not entirely safe from relegation just yet. Lastly, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res have confirmed a top-five finish after they defeated Shenfield AFC Res 4 – 1 at Silver Leys. Matthew Allen netted twice here, with Ewan Rockell & substitute Chris Gibbs also netting.

In Division Five, Runwell Sports Res elevated themselves to second spot after a 3 – 0 success at Shoebury Town Res. Harry Ford, Max Harrington & substitute Jimmy Cox all scored to send Ryan Stoker’s team to the win. Wakebury Res are up to fourth spot, following a 2 – 1 victory over Canning Town Res at Shoebury Park. Luke Abbott & Alec Monk both scored for Joe Creak’s team. Basildon Town A are also in with a glimmer of a chance of a top-two finish after a 2 – 2 draw at Collier Row Res. Donnel Kujinga & Benjamin Farrant both scored for the Town side there, who are fifth but crucially have at least two games in hand on the teams above them.

Cups

There was one Reserve Cup tie this week, which saw Catholic Utd Res progress onwards with a 5 – 1 victory at Leigh Ramblers Res. Adam Sargent netted twice for Utd to lead the way, with Daniel Williams, Dominic O’Kane & substitute Matthew Oni also scoring as the Super Hoops team progressed.

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 League & Cups (Sat 7 Jan) [EOFL 22-23 9.1.23]

Archive Image – OS v Rayleigh Town from last month

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

Hello & Happy New Year to the readers of this column. Welcome to the first edition of the Essex Olympian League round-up series in 2023. This week, we look at the action in all divisions from Saturday 7 January, plus the Cup ties this week.

EOFL Premier Division

Firstly in the top-tier, Hutton extended their seemingly unassailable lead at the top to 14 points after a 5 – 0 victory at Springfield. David Johnson netted twice here for Matt Singh’s side, with Jude Keeling, Tom Stephens and substitute Connor Hammond also netting here. The hosts remain second bottom, two points adrift of Toby. Sungate are in third on goal difference, despite being held to a goal-less draw by Bishop’s Stortford Swifts. Leigh Ramblers are up to fourth after a gritty 1 – 0 victory at home to Runwell Sports at Belfairs. Scott Clark again got a crucial goal for Mark Hunter’s team.

Meanwhile, Catholic Utd started the calendar year with a 4 – 1 triumph at home to Kelvedon Hatch at the Len Forge 3G. James Burt scored for Hatch, but a team effort turned the tide as Franklin Craik, Aaron Baldwin, Tom Kearney and replacement Harrison Day all scored to keep Simon Thomas’ side in sixth, but are only two points adrift of Sungate in third. Shenfield AFC also picked up a big home win, as they triumphed 4 – 0 over Galleywood at St Martin’s Sch 3G. Jack Maleary, Ben Absolon, Jack Panons & Ben Carroll all netted here to send them three points clear in ninth, with matches in hand over most of the teams around them. ‘Wood’s tough season continues, as they are five points adrift of exiting the bottom two. Finally, Old Southendian got back to winning ways in some style as they won 6 – 0 at home to Toby at Garon Park, which sent them up to fifth on goal difference in what is a very tight chasing pack.

EOFL Divisions One & Two

Division One only saw three matches this week because of the weather but Epping Town got a huge 6 – 1 victory over strugglers Wakering Sports. Scout Bown netted four goals here for Stuart Hoskins’ team, to take his season’s league goal tally to 16. Edirin Eghwrudje and Abdul Kamara also scored here to add to the visitors’ pain and reduce leaders Harold Wood Athletic’s lead at the summit to four points. Beacon Hill Rovers also got a cucial victory, defeating Herongate Athletic 3 – 2 at Wickham Bishops. Bertie Whymark took his goal tally to seven this term with a double here, with William Strutt also netting for the hosts. Manford Way also drew 1 – 1 with Old Chelmsfordians, with Daniel Demain coming off the bench to score for the hosts there, with the point gained seeing them up to seventh in the table.

Into Division Two, there were some big results for the top four sides. Leaders Shoebury Town are four points clear at the top after an important 3 – 0 victory over Hashtag Utd Development, who dropped to third. Mechack-Kisoka Asuka scored another two goals to take his league goal tally to 13 this term. Substitute Enoch Gyimah added the other goal for Garry Johnson & John Galley’s side here. Wakering Sports Res are up to second spot after a 5 – 0 win against AS Rawreth at Cupid’s. May & Baker‘s Olympian side had to battle hard before completing a 4 – 3 victory at Catholic Utd Res, in a match moved to Waterside Farm Centre on Canvey. Carl Patten struck twice for Josh Lowbridge & Antony McDonald’s side, with Darren Seymour and Alfie Horan also scoring for the visitors there, who stay sixth but are only four points behind Wakering Sports Res in second, which endorses how tight the top half of the table is.

Elsewhere, Hutton Res moved up to eighth following a big 3 – 2 win at Wakebury. Thomas Price, Billy Chilcott and Ronnie Richardson-Cook all netted here for the visitors. Finlay Dorrell & Ben Perry responded for Matt Cardy’s team here but they lost ground on the top two. The other result saw Old Southendian Res win 4 – 2 at Rayleigh Town Res.

EOFL Divisions Three, Four & Five

In Division Three, Basildon Town Res are eight points clear at the summit after a 2 – 1 victory over local rivals Pitsea Athletic Res. Jamie Bradbourn’s brace sealed the points for the hosts, overturning Ath’s goal by substitute Carlos Dias. Ath fell to their first defeat this term & dropped to fourth. Hullbridge Sports Res are up to second after a comprehensive 8 – 0 victory at strugglers Corinthians Res. Jay Knight, Harry Mole and substitute George Mole all got doubles here, with Joe Tuskin and Joseph Gray strikes adding further gloss to the score-line.

Leigh Town Res are now third after a 5 – 2 success at home to Springfield Res at John Burrows Rec. Chris Pope netted twice here for Town, with Jack Pearman, Steve Birnie and Joshua Dalton all on target to render Liam England & William Roe goals for Springfield as consolation goals. Chingford Athletic Res grabbed a 4 – 1 victory at Old Chelmsfordians Res, with the ensemble cast of Luke Dimond, Bilel Benyoucef, George Miller and replacement Conor Medhurst all scoring for Ath.

Moving into Division Four, and Leigh Ramblers Res gained ground on second-placed Collier Row with a 1 – 0 victory at Forest Row. Luis Bracci got the decisive goal there, to raise his side up to third in the table. In the only other game in the division, Bishop’s Stortford Swifts Res were held 1 – 1 by Ongar Town at Silver Leys. Matthew Allen scored for Swifts, with Benjamin Adams responding for Ongar. Swifts drop to fifth, while Ongar are in eighth.

Finally for the League action this week, In Division Five the leaders are Manford Way Res, who won 4 – 1 at AS Rawreth Res. Callum Thomas, Luke Bennett, Charlie Ewing & Rakim Janneh all netted to extend their lead at the top to five points. Justin Burrell got the solitary goal back for the Rawreth team, who are three points adrift at the bottom. Wakebury Res moved into second spot following a 3 – 1 triumph over Basildon Town A at Shoebury Park. Ross Barnes’ treble saw Joe Creak’s side to their seventh win this term. Jamie Miller got the reply for Bas, who are now in sixth.

Elsewhere, Runwell Sports Res are up to fourth after they won 1 – 0 at home to Sungate Res. Daniel Hobbs got the only goal there at St Luke’s Park. The other result saw Shoebury Town Res draw 1 – 1 with Collier Row A at the Ekco Sports Club (Pitch 2).

In the Cup action this weekend, Canning Town emerged with a 4 – 3 win on penalties in the Senior League Cup after drawing 1 – 1 with Division One side Harold Hill in the early kick-off at Noak Hill 3G.

In the one match in the Reserve League Cup, Herongate Athletic Res got a morale-boosting 2 – 1 victory over Harold Wood Athletic Res, thanks to goals from Kemston Allen and replacement Jasper Stuckey. Josh Portway got the reply for Harold Wood’s Ressie side there but they exited the Cup here.

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 3 Sept) [EOFL 22/23 4.9.22]

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

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the fourth week of action in the Essex Olympian League season. This week on Saturday 3 September, we look at the action in the top four divisions in-focus, with a round-up from Divisions Four & Five.paigns here.

Action still from OS v Canning Town (Image by Scott W)

EOFL Premier Division

The Premier Division begins with a fabulous 6 – 1 win for Rayleigh Town at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts. Paul Higgins’ team have continued their good early season form with this big win, which saw Harry Talbot and Jack Long both score two goals each, with substitutes Sonny Woodward and Lewis Robson also finding the net. Replacement Alfie Bowen got a consolation goal for Swifts here. Catholic Utd also got a big win, despatching Galleywood 5 – 0 at the Len Forge. Aaron Baldwin & Franklin Craik both scored braces for Simon Thomas’ side, with Matt Wilson also notching to give the ‘Super Hoops’ their third consecutive win.

Also, Leigh Ramblers got a important 1 – 0 victory at Shenfield AFC, with Scott Clark getting the decisive goal for Mark Hunter’s team. At Chadfields, Hutton were held to a goal-less draw by Runwell Sports but Matt Singh’s side remain top because of their unbeaten record. Kelvedon Hatch were held 2 – 2 by Sungate at New Hall with Charlie Nichols and replacement Joe Cull getting the goals for Darren Hunt’s team.

In the match I saw live on Saturday, Canning Town made the most of a strong first-half as they won 4 – 3 at Old Southendian. Nabil Musah’s fine hat-trick allied with Napat Pattanawanitkitkul’s goal was enough to edge them to their third win of the campaign after OS came back strongly in second half through goals from Ed Gould, Jordan Faulkner and a pearler from Callum Ludlaim. If you’d like more on this game, my report is available here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2022/09/03/s22-23-match-report-old-southendian-3-4-canning-town-sat-3-sept-eofl/

EOFL Division One

In Division One, ACD Utd continued their decent season with a good 3 – 2 trimuph at Beacon Hill Rovers. Samuel Payne, Jamie Alexandrou and Shaun Goddard netted for Michael Wade’s side, but had to deal with a Rovers comeback which saw Lewis Sherwood and Bertie Whymark reply for the home side there. Epping Town got a superb 5 – 0 win at Wakering Sports, with Chris Gormley and Abdul Kamara both getting two goals apiece, while Joe Rickett contributed the other goal to add to Sports’ pain at Cupid’s Country Club.

In the other action in the division, Harold Hill defeated Herongate Athletic 2 – 1 at Noak Hill, while Corinthians were held 2 – 2 by Harold Wood Athletic. Bailey Moss got both goals for the hosts with James Pottle’s goal and another Billy Gray spot-kick giving John Field’s team a share of the points at Stambridge Memorial Ground, Ath also remain top.

EOFL Divisions Two & Three

In Division Two, Shoebury Town began their campaign with a 2 – 1 victory at Harold Wood Athletic Res. Kian Bradshaw & Dominic Walton got the goals for Garry Johnson & John Galley’s side, though Charlie Portway did get an added-time reply for Wood at Harold Wood Rec. Hutton Res also triumphed this weekend, as goals from David Johnson and Jonathan Hillard saw them to a 2 – 0 win at AS Rawreth to join a chorus of four teams on six points at the summit.

Hashtag Utd Development were also in action and got a important 2 – 1 success over Wakebury at Barleylands. Chandler Wray got both goals in the first half for the Tags’ youth side to render Harry Kateley’s goal in response a consolation for Matt Cardy’s team. In the other match in Division Two, Wakering Sports Res narrowly defeated May & Baker EOFL 3 – 2 at Cupid’s to continue their decent start to the season.

Moving now into Division Three, Basildon Town Res got a 2 – 1 victory at Toby Res, with Joshua Hales scoring both goals at the Nursery Sports Ground. Pitsea Athletic lead the table at this very early stage after a 4 – 0 win at home to Corinthians Res at Basildon Sports Club. The ensemble cast of scorers fir the hosts were Precious Aminu, Kwadwo Asante, Emmanuel Ampaabeng and substitute Joshua Ledger.

Also, Collier Row got a 2 – 0 success at Leytonstone Utd in the ‘Forest Row derby’. Buckhurst Hill U23 are still unbeaten after three matches and reside in second spot after drawing 1 – 1 with Leigh Town Res at Roding Lane. Substitute Divine Ngonye netted for Buckhurst’s developmental side there.

Lastly in Division Three, Springfield Res were held to an entertaining 3 – 3 draw with Hullbridge Sports Res at Chelmer Valley School. Jay Knight got two goals for Jason Mole’s side, plus Harry Mole also netted but it was not enough to get the points.

EOFL Divisions Four & Five results

Division Four

Galleywood Res 3 – 4 Herongate Ath Res

Roydon 3 – 1 Ongar Town,

Shenfield AFC Res 2 – 0 Pitsea Athletic Res,

Wakering Sports A 1 – 4 Leigh Ramblers Res

Division Five

Collier Row Res 1 – 2 Canning Town Res,

Epping Town Res 0 – 8 Manford Way Res,

Runwell Sports Res 4 – 0 Wakebury Res,

and Sungate Res 3 – 5 Basildon Town A

End

S22-23 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 27 Aug) [EOFL 22/23 28.8.22]

Image from Wakebury’s (in blue) win over OS Res this weekend

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

Hello & welcome to the round-up from the third week of action in the Essex Olympian League season. This week on Saturday 27 August, we look at the action in all six divisions, as some teams began their campaigns here. Photo taken by Pete Dudley [@ped1980], used with thanks.

EOFL Premier Division

In the top-tier, Hutton lead the table after a 2 – 0 victory at Bishop’s Stortford Swifts. The Reds have only conceded one goal in their three matches so far, of which they have all won. Galleywood were held 1 – 1 by Kelvedon Hatch at Melbourne Park 3G. Bradley Taylor netted for the hosts, but Chris Denham replied for Hatch as they took a point. Both teams are in mid-table, having yet to win so far this term.

At Chelmer Valley High School, Springfield also drew 1 – 1, with Leigh Ramblers. Replacement Antony Connor got the goal for Franco Zabotti’s team. Other results in the division were Canning Town‘s 2 – 1 win over Sungate in Beckton and Toby got a massive win in their new surroundings in Ramsden Heath, as they prevailed 6 – 2 against Runwell Sports.

EOFL Division One

In Division One, ACD Utd got their first win of the new term with a 3 – 1 success at Herongate Athletic. Frankie Markham netted a super treble in this comeback victory for Michael Wade’s team. Harold Wood Athletic made it three wins from as many games after they defeated Manford Way 1 – 0 at Harold Wood Rec. Sam Tampkins got the decisive goal that saw Ath go top of the early table.

In tbe other games, Old Chelmsfordians had an away day to remember as they won 6 – 1 at Beacon Hill Rovers. Substitutes had a big part to play in the win for OC’s with Billy Duke netting a hat-trick after coming off the bench. Jordan Boden also scored twice and replacement Jonny Waskett also netted for Scott Fleming’s team. Bertie Whymark got the consolation goal for Rovers. And Wakering Sports drew 0 – 0 at home to Leigh Town at Cupid’s, which means both teams are yet to win so far this term.

EOFL Divisions Two & Three

In Division Two, Wakebury leapt to the top of the table with an impressive 7 – 2 success over Old Southendian Res, at their new home of Cupid’s in Shoebury. Harry Kateley netted four goals here for the Berries, with Will Wheeler, Mo Sesay and Tommy Pinkerton all adding further pain on the visitors. Fellow Non-League writer Peter Dudley was there, here is his take on the game: https://pedroslocalfootiefix.blogspot.com/2022/08/wakebury-7-old-southendian-reserves-2.html

Elsewhere, Hutton Res defeated May & Baker EOFL 3 – 1 at Polo Fields. David Johnson struck twice for the Hutton second-side in that game. Replacement Benjamin Rose got the other goal too for the hosts. Also, Catholic Utd Res got their first win of 2022-23 as they defeated Rayleigh Town Res 3 – 0 at London Road. Franklin Craik netted twice for the visitors with Ben Burrows also on target there to secure the win.

Moving onto the only game in Division Three, Corinthians Res were held 1 – 1 by Buckhurst Hill U23 at Stambridge. Cameron Lyttle scored again for Darren Gosnell’s team, but Matt Lee’s reply meant that Alan Frost’s team took a point.

EOFL Divisions Four & Five

There were three games each in Divisions Four and Five this week. Firstly, in Division Four there was one big win for Herongate Athletic Res as they won 4 – 0 at Wakering Sports A. Kai Redmond scored two goals for Ath, with Makenna Brooke & Dan Webb joining him on the score-sheet.

Elsewhere, Pitsea Athletic Res achieved a narrow 1 – 0 win over visitors Galleywood Res at Basildon Sports Club, with Rinor Zeqiri getting the crucial goal. Finally, Collier Row were held to a goal-less draw by Roydon at the Forest Row Centre.

In Division Five, Wakebury Res began their campaign with some style with a 7 – 1 victory at AS Rawreth Res. Arry Hardy scored four goaks for Joe Creak’s team at the Warren. Tommy Wolfe added two more goals for the Berries’ second-team, plus Charlie Kernott also got on the score-sheet for the visitors.

Collier Row Res are the leaders of the division after a 3 – 1 triumph over Sungate Res. George Coker, Jordan Lee & Raheem Bravo all netted for the Romford side to secure the points. And finally, Runwell Sports Res drew 3 – 3 with Canning Town Res at St Luke’s Park.

End

S21-22 Round-ups: Essex Olympian League (Sat 14 May) [EOFL 21/22 15.5.22]

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 14 May. The focus this week is on the League action in the top three divisions. Thank you for reading.

Photos by Trevor Robinson Photography [@TrevRobPhoto] & Scott W

Image from Basildon Town’s 1 – 0 win at Hutton last week, Image by @TrevRobPhoto

Essex Olympian League – Midweek [Tues 10 May]

The solitary midweek match this week was the EOFL Senior League Cup Final, which saw Canning Town grab a surprise 3 – 2 triumph over Sungate at Woodside. Goals from Dominic Lewis, Karl Harms and Jack Williamson confirmed a memorable evening for Canning. Jake Willis and Petrit Elbi both netted for Sungate but they will have to be content with their Essex Premier Cup success this term.

Essex Olympian League – Saturday 14 May

Now moving on to the weekend action, and Ongar Town got a big 4 – 0 victory over Catholic Utd to confirm the EOFL Premier Division title for the first time. Second-half goals from Evernage Nyahunda, Joe Lilly, Mitchell McCabe & a Fred Mattock special secured a memorable day (and evening) of celebrations for Richard Ponsford’s team as they won the title on goal difference. Utd will finish no worse than seventh and have one more match to play at home to Canning Town next weekend. If you’d like more on this match, my report is here: https://survivor16b.wordpress.com/2022/05/15/s21-22-match-report-ongar-town-4-0-catholic-utd-sat-14-may/

A Champions’ Guard of Honour for Ongar Town yesterday post-match by Catholic Utd

Continuing with the Premier Division, Galleywood secured their divisional safety for another season with a 3 – 0 success at Springfield. Matthew Crick scored twice for the visitors there, with Thomas Watling again on target in this win against their local rivals. Canning Town retained their slim hopes of avoiding a bottom two finish with a 3 – 0 home victory over Bishop’s Stortford Swifts in Beckton. Town will have to win all three of their remaining matches to do that, and two of those games are against Sungate. Swifts fell to 11th but are out of immediate danger.

Finally in the Premier, Old Southendian grabbed a 2 – 0 win at Sungate, with two Daniel Frimley goals giving Altar Ali’s team the points, they will likely finish in eighth in what has been a good season in the main for OS.

In Division One, Beacon Hill Rovers confirmed their safety for another season with a superb 3 – 2 win away at rivals Snaresbrook at Hackney Marshes. ‘Brook need at least a point to avoid a bottom two finish from their last match – against rivals Leigh Town next weekend.

In Division Two, Manford Way got given the points from a recent match after an infringement from the opposition and that boost assisted them to a runners-up finish (and promotion so congratulations to them) as they won 4 – 3 at AS Rawreth. James Dobson, Alfie Smith and substitutes Samuel Oramadike and Dawid Potoczek all netted to secure the win for the East London side. Harold Hill finished third as they lost 1 – 4 to Hutton Res at Polo Fields, which also ensured the Hutton scond-side will avoid a bottom two finish and likely avoiding relegation along with it. With Division One short of clubs, Hill might still get elevated. Rawreth & Rochford Town are the bottom two clubs and will likely be demoted.

Finally, in Division Four Old Chelmsfordians Res secured their promotion as they grabbed a 4 – 1 victory over Ongar Town Res. They will finish second and congrats to them as well. Champions Chingford Athletic Res also ended their season with a home walkover win against Sungate Development, who finish bottom and will be relegated.

The last edition of this round-up for the season will be online on or soon after Monday 23 May. Thank you for reading.

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.