Essex Senior League
The weekend schedule starts on Friday evening when leaders Redbridge take on Woodford Town 2017. The hosts have a two point lead which they will be looking to extend to five before the chasing pack play their Saturday games. The Woods sit twelfth but come into the game on a run of four straight defeats so the Motormen have to be the favourites in this match-up.
The pick of the Saturday fixtures has to be Basildon United v Takeley. The hosts are fifth but a win would move them even closer to the summit; they are in good form too having won four from their last five league engagements. Takeley are second, having had a slight dip in form when games against Waltham Forest and Sporting Bengal United garnered only a solitary point. Since then Takeley have picked up a 6-0 win over Southend Manor; plus a midweek 3-0 derby win over Stansted. It’s a fifty-fifty game which either team can win and need to win if they want to keep the pressure on Redbridge.
FC Romania have hauled themselves into the title mix-up and they currently sit fourth. They visit a Hackney Wick side that also need the points – as they currently sit twentieth. The Wickers are in a bad run at the moment, and whilst they play attractive football, recent results in the league have seen them record only one league win from their last five games. The Wolves can certainly hurt any side on their day and should have enough in the locker to post a win that keeps their hand in the title chase.
Waltham Forest have picked up points that have seen them lift themselves off the bottom spot into fourteenth. They will be looking to continue that upward trajectory on Saturday as they entertain a Sawbridgeworth Town side that have dropped into the bottom three.
Barkingside’s game against Hullbridge Sports is also a match-up between two teams down at the bottom end of the table. Hullbridge are currently in the bottom position but are unbeaten in four games in all competitions. Reaching the 4th Round of the FA Vase and beating highflying Great Wakering Rovers in the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy means that Darren Manning has started to get results. A win over freefalling Barkingside would continue their good form and maybe act as a catalyst to get themselves moving up the table. Barkingside are winless from their last six games and defeat here would see them edge even closer to the relegation zone.
Friday 8th December
Premier Division
Redbridge v Woodford Town 2017
Saturday 9th December
Premier Division
Barkingside v Hullbridge Sports
Basildon United v Takeley
Burnham Ramblers v West Essex
Enfield 1893 v Wadham Lodge
Hackney Wick v FC Romania
Southend Manor v Clapton
Stansted v Ilford
Tower Hamlets v Sporting Bengal United
Waltham Forest v Sawbridgeworth Town
