(Photo by Neil Hunwicks)

Friday 22^nd March

Essex Senior League

Woodford Town 0 Hullbridge Sports 2

Saturday 23^rd March

Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy Quarter Final

Barkingside Res. 1 Ilford 1 (Barkingside Res. Win 3-1 Pens)

Essex Senior League

Barkingside 2 Saffron Walden Town 3

Enfield 1 Stansted 0

Southend Manor 2 Sawbridgeworth Town 0

St Margaretsbury 0 Hoddesdon Town 1

Stanway Rovers 1 Leyton Athletic 0

Takeley 2 Tower Hamlets 0

Walthamstow 1 Clapton 0

West Essex 2 Redbridge 0

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The Weekend’s action saw eight ‘keepers keep clean sheets, with Lewis Greene earnign one as Hullbridge Sports beat Woodford Town on Friday evening; the goals coming via Yemi Adelani and Timo Monsheju. Then on Saturday Jayden Hocking-Rising kept Stansted out, with Jimmy Cox’s goal at the other end handing Stansted a 1-0 defeat. That means Stansted now lead the table by a mere point, with Hullbridge Sports playing their game in hand on Tuesday, before the top two then clash next weekend at Hargrave Park in what could be a potential Title decider. Down at the bottom and Southend Manor’s 2-0 win over Sawbridgeworth Town sees them make a step closer to safety. Second half goals from Michael Ogboin and Harry Rogers, alongside Joshua Harrison’s clean sheet, means that Manor now need only 2 more points to see them safe. The bottom two both lost, as firstly Barkingside lost at home to Saffron Walden Town, while Leyton Athletic lost at Stanway Rovers. Side were trailing 2-0 to the Bloods after Charlie Portway and Lewis Francis both scored withing two minutes of each other. But Dan Jones then pulled one back from the penalty spot; two minutes later he had levelled up but Portway then added his second of the afternoon in the 70^th minute to win the game 3-2 in favour of Saffron Walden Town who now sit 3^rd and close enough to land the title if the top two falter in the run-in. Barkingside remain at the foot of the table after this. Leyton Athletic lost to a solitary Scott Kemp goal which keeps them in the other relegation spot. Time is running out for both teams and in any case they could soon be relegated if the teams above them reach the safety threshold. Tower Hamlets are still not safe after they lost 2-0 at Takeley. Michael La Ronde opened the Takeley account in the 15^th minute, Nick Barrett closed it with a penalty in the 52^nd minute, with Ronnie Yates keeping his 10^th clean sheet of the campaign along the way. James Bransgrove collected his 8^th clean sheet as Walthamstow beat Clapton 1-0; Kieran Bishop’s 22^nd minute goal securing the points that see Stow now sit 4^th. A solitary goal also secured all the points for Hoddesdon Town, who beat St Margaretsbury 1-0 courtesy of a Joss Lillis goal in the 65^th minute.  Aron Bull collected his 7^th clean sheet; meanwhile Jack Coker was collecting his 6^th clean sheet as West Essex shut out Redbridge at one end, while scoring twice at the other end. Samraj Gill fired the Stags into a first half stoppgage time lead which was then doubled in the 69^th minute when Michael Mignot struck.

There was one Cup game played over the weekend, as Barkingside Res. entertained Ilford in the Quarter Final of the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy. Lamarr Douglas handed the Foxes a 5^th minute lead from the penalty spot, but Jamie Pooley levelled up in the 23^rd minute. With no further goals meant that the game went to penalties which Barkingside Res. won 3-1.