Premier Division
Premier Division leaders May & Baker E.C. were beaten quite handily by defending Champions Springfield on Saturday. Joe Mayer scored twice for Springfield who went on to win the game 4-1 after further goals being supplied by Josh White and Alfie Halliday. Victory moves Springfield up to second place, only two points being May & Baker who have also now played one game more. Bishop’s Stortford Swifts move up to third after a 2-1 away win at Canning Town. Jermain Purchas and Gavin Cockman scored the goals that made sure the points went back to Hertfordshire. Michael Smith scored the Canning Town goal. Frenford had a derby day success over Manford Way winning the game 3-1 thanks to goals from Bradley Nobbs, Ashley Taylor-Forbes and Danny Driscoll. Damien Yoxall scored the Manford Way reply. Rayleigh Town also had a derby encounter with Basildon Town with both teams sitting in the bottom two at the start of play. By the end of it Rayleigh remain in the relegation zone but the 6-0 win sees them closing the gap on the teams above. Basildon remain entrenched at the bottom after being gunned down by an Alex Witham hat trick with further goals being scored by Paul Morris, George Vile and debutant Max Jobson. Leigh Ramblers and White Ensign shared a point each from a 2-2 draw. Justin Hazell and Seb Allen supplied the Leigh goals with Brett Munyard and David Limber notching for White Ensign. Ellis Sands hadn’t scored a goal for four years until Saturday; he went on to score both the Catholic United goals in a 2-1 win over Kelvedon Hatch, who scored through Lee Hamill.
Division One
Buckhurst Hill finally went in at half-time against Shenfield AFC with a slender 1-0 lead. They had wasted a host of chances before Nathan Sollosi hit the net. Two second half goals from Jose Espinoza sealed the points. Second-placed Sungate tasted their first league defeat at Hutton who went on to win the game 3-1. Nick Carpenter scored his goal from the penalty spot with the other Hutton marksmen being Chris Rowett and Brandon Stack. Jake Clarke scored the Sungate reply and they now sit five point behind leaders Buckhurst Hill. Hutton meanwhile move up to third, while Old Southendian move up to fourth after a 2-1 win over Newbury Forest. Connor Lane and Ed Gould scored the Old Southendian goals, with Jason Reynolds-Blanche providing the Newbury consolation. Dane Nelson and Ben Cross were the Great Baddow scorers in their 2-2 draw with Old Chelmsfordians. The bottom two, Galleywood and Runwell Sports, shared a point after their game ended goalless.
Division Two
Ramsden Scotia are up to second after a 6-2 win over strugglers Ryan. Jack Wiley (2), Max Corrigan and Sam Wren were amongst the goal scorers, with another coming via an own goal. Ryan scored via Krzysztof Golebiowski and Aaron Ige. Ongar Town could have returned to the top of the table had they beaten Upminster; instead defeat now sees them drop out of the promotion zone and into third. A Matthew Taylor brace, plus goals from James Lakey and Warren Taylor made sure it was a 4-3 home win for Upminster. The Ongar goals were scored by Sean Green, Ben Raven and Paul Tiffen. Adekunle Salay and Nick Read scored the Newham United goals in a 2-0 win at lowly Rochford Town. Two teams circling around the relegation water met on Saturday as A1 Sports met the team above them, Toby, knowing that a defeat for either could see them drop into the relegation zone if Rochford Town won theirs. Rochford of course didn’t and neither did A1 Sports. The 2-1 win for Toby doesn’t actually move them up the table but it does open up a five point cushion on the relegation zone. Idris Aminu and Simon Bamidele scored the Toby goals that gives them some breathing space; Rodney Wilson’s goal wasn’t enough to get anything for A1 Sports who remain a mere point above the bottom two. Benfleet finished the game with ten men after a red card was shown to Conor Hales. However they battled to a 2-2 draw with Rayleigh Town Res. Callum Jones and Taylor Lawrence scored for Benfleet with James Briathwaite and Ryan Cushway doing likewise for Rayleigh Town.
Division Three
Manford Way Res. move to the top of the table after they beat Beacon Hill Rovers 2-1 courtesy of goals from Joey Coughlin and Sean O’Callaghan. Zak Armstrong notched the Beacon Hill reply Leigh Town, who started the day as leaders, ended it dropping down to third after a 2-0 reverse at home to Harold Wood Athletic Res. Sam Perry and Perry Robinson were the Harold Wood scorers. Shoebury Town move up to second after Scott Clark and Dom Binns both contributed goals in a 2-0 home win over Frenford Res. Old Chelmsfordians Res. registered a 4-1 home win over White Ensign Res. Max Green scored twice for the OCs with Martin Mixture and George Green also on the score sheet. Conor Wells scored the White Ensign reply.