(Photo by Neil Hunwicks)
Friday 15th March
Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy Quarter Final
Barkingside 0 Sporting Bengal United 2
Saturday 16th March
Errington Challenge Cup Semi Final
Clapton P West Essex P
Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy Quarter Final
Tower Hamlets 0 Aveley Res. 2
Premier Division
Hoddesdon Town 0 Stansted 1
Hullbridge Sports 0 Southend Manor 2
Leyton Athletic 1 Sawbridgeworth Town 0
Saffron Walden Town 5 Enfield 2
There was Cup action over the weekend; a few twists and turns in the Title race in the league matches, while Clapton and West Essex were not able to get their Errington Challenge Cup Semi Final played due to the weather rendering the Old Spotted Dog pitch as unplayable.
Barkingside played their Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy Quarter Final tie with Sporting Bengal United on Friday evening. However a 20th minute strike from Kamarl Duncan was added to in the 88th minute by Jay Knight to give Sporting Bengal United a 2-0 win. Then on Saturday Aveley Res. won by the same score line at Tower Hamlets; Jamie Price and Wyan Reid both notching and now setting up a Semi Final tie at home to Sporting Bengal United.
Stansted had their lead at the top cut to a single point after Hullbridge Sports won 5-2 at Enfield in midweek. However Stansted were able to once again lead the table with a cushion after a solitary Paul Clayton goal provided the Airportmen with a 1-0 away win at Hoddesdon Town. Meanwhile Hullbridge Sports had to decamp to Tilbury FC to get their game played with Southend Manor. Having closed the gap, Sports then failed in their quest as Southend Manor won the game 2-0, both goals coming from Michael Ogboin penalties. Those valuable three points mean that Southend Manor have a ten point lead over Leyton Athletic, who now occupy the second from bottom position after they eked out a 1-0 win over Sawbridgeworth Town. Nyron Dyer’s goal secured Leyton Athletic’s third win of the season, their first in twenty-two games and lift them off the bottom spot, with six games left to secure their Step 5 status. Enfield lost 5-2 to Hullbridge Sports and lost by the same score line at Saffron Walden Town on Saturday. However the E’s were looking in good shape as Michael Opoku and Matt Thoma handed them a 2-0 lead. The Bloods were able to pull one back via Ashley Skeggs just before the break, Lee Sawyer levelled two minutes into the second period, before Lewis Francis gunned down the E’s with a hat trick that turned the game on it’s head and handed Saffron Walden Town a 5-2 win that keeps them 3rd.
