(Photo by Philip Lindhurst)

Friday 17^th December

Essex Senior League

Woodford Town 2 Enfield 3

Saturday 18^th December

Essex Senior League

Clapton 4 Sporting Bengal United 1

Ilford 0 Walthamstow 4

Little Oakley 4 Southend Manor 0

Saffron Walden Town 4 Cockfosters 0

Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Hoddesdon Town 0

St Margaretsbury 0 White Ensign 5

Stanway Rovers 3 Athletic Newham 3

Takeley P FC Clacton P

West Essex 2 Stansted 2

The final weekend before the Christmas break started off with a Friday night encounter at Ashtons where Woodford Town went into the break 2-1 up with George Thompson and Richard Asamoah notching for the Woods. However George Essuman pulled one back just before the break and it was to be the E’s that were to build on their first half tally, adding a further two in the second half to seal a 3-2 win. Dwade James provided the leveller just past the hour mark, before Samrai Gebrai struck three minutes from time to win the game for the E’s, who go into the break occupying 5^th, with Woodford Town now down in 14^th. The Saturday games saw a delude of goals, so Christmas cheer for some, despair for others, with Walthamstow having more to cheer about than most as their 4-0 away win at Ilford saw them open up a twelve point lead over the chasing pack. The Foxes were able to hold the leaguers to a goalless first half. However a Jason Hallett brace, alongside goals from Adalberto Pinto and Jason Beck meant it was a totally different story by the end of the game. Sporting Bengal United are finding themselves in serious problems at the half way stage. They had an East London derby with Clapton, themselves not in the best of form of late, however the Tons finally gave themselves something to cheer about as Kirk McPherson, Michael Pindy, Jonathan Adebayo and Jermaine Baptiste all notched in their 4-1 win which moves them a step further from the relegation waters. Bengal’s goal came via Oscar Onuorh but luckily for them the club above them in the table, Southend Manor, also lost at a canter over at Little Oakley. Harry Mann, Dan Garrad, Samuel Cooke and Jamie Dobkin all scored in the 4-0 win which sees Little Oakley move to 11^th, while Southend Manor remain 20^th, with a seven point advantage over Sporting Bengal. Sawbridgeworth Town have ended the year putting a few results together; their 2-0 win over Hoddesdon Town yesterday means that the three league games in December brought home two wins and a draw. Teddy Bell scored both Sawbo goals yesterday afternoon, with the win seeing them remain 19^th but with a twelve point advantage over the bottom relegation position. Hoddesdon Town remain 15^th. White Ensign could have dropped down the table after Brett Munyard left to take up the reins at Brightlingsea Regent. New managers Jack Maleary and Carl Conway steadied the ship, their charges continued to pick up points, and they had a bit of a Christmas cracker at St Margaretsbury as they scored five without reply that sees them 9^th and ready to push on for a top six finish as we go into the second half of the season. Jake Chaplin opened the White Ensign account in the 30^th minute, but it took until the 56^th minute for White Ensign to score again. Luke Woodward made it 2-0 and three minutes later George O’Connell made it 3-0. The lead was further extended in the 73^rd minute when Jason Reynolds-Blanche netted, with the final goal coming via an own goal nine minutes from time. For St Margaretsbury it is now eleven games without a win, which is something for them to ponder on as they occupy 18^th spot and could get sucked into the relegation abyss if they don’t turn that around in the new year. And in a weekend of goal Saffron Walden Town made sure they got more than a fair share, scoring four times to brings cheers to their fans, whilst also playing party poppers as they didn’t allow their opponents Cockfosters any. Olli Miles, Gavin Cockman, Scott Piggott and Charlie Dicker bagged a goal each, with the win moving the Bloods up to 6^th, while Cockfosters drop to 8^th. Stanway Rovers and Athletic Newham shared the spoils after their game ended in a 3-3 draw. Ernest Okoh, Jordan Barnett and Harry Norman scored for the hosts, with the visitors notching through Anderson Baro, Jailson Seidi and Richard Kone. Stanway Rovers go into the break sitting 4^th, three places below them are Athletic Newham. West Essex and Stansted also shared the points after the hosts had a bit of charity thrown their way as they were presented with two first half penalties, the first coming in the 28^th minute, and then the other four minutes later: Reece Clarke taking and scoring both. Stansted had only taken five minutes to break the deadlock, with Michael Salako grabbing the opener, before the penalty incidents changed the complexion of the game. Stansted levelled up two minutes into the second half courtesy of a Jack Mitchell goal, and the result means Stansted remain 3^rd, on goal difference over Stanway Rovers, while West Essex are 12^th.