Local (Essex/London) Non-League Football New Years Day 2019 Round Up

(Orient's Macauley Bonne celebrates his goal with his teammates, a goal that was enough to defeat Dagenham & Redbridge at Brisbane Road to go four clear at the top of the Vanarama National) 

With there being no Essex Senior League or Eastern Senior League South fixtures on New Years Day I thought I’d do a round up of the local Essex/London non-league games that took place instead, so here are those below:-

Vanarama National League

Braintree Town 0 Ebbsfleet United 4

The Irons 2019 started in awful fashion as they crashed to a heavy home defeat at the hands of Ebbsfleet United.  The visitors grabbed a third minute lead through Cody McDonald, heading home from a corner, and they doubled their lead midway through the half when Michael Cheek headed home another corner, despite the best attempts of defender Amaluzor to clear it off the line.  And just past the hour mark it was three for Fleet when Cheek netted from the spot for his second of the afternoon, and the rampant hosts made it four with eleven to go when a great passing move ended with Corey Whitley sending a back-heeled effort in off the post.  It leaves Braintree bottom of the table and eight points from safety now with only eighteen games remaining.

Leyton Orient 1 Dagenham & Redbridge 0

League leaders Orient gained revenge for their boxing day loss at Victoria Road to net a narrow win over Dagenham & Redbridge at Brisbane Road.  The hosts netted the only goal of the game in the 33^rd minute when a header into the box found Macauley Bonne who nodded at goal and saw it trundle past Justham and into the net.  The hosts had chances to make it more comfortable after the break but they did pick up the three points to send themselves four clear at the summit, whilst D & R see their unbeaten run ended and are 15^th although they are nine points clear of the relegation zone, or twelve off the play-off zone, depending if your glass is half empty or half full.

Vanarama National League South

Billericay Town 0 Chelmsford City 1

Chelmsford are up a place to fourth after they completed a festive season double over their near neighbours Billericay Town.  City won the boxing day derby 5-1 but this contest was unsurprisingly much much tighter, but it was City who grabbed the only goal of the game with just over fifteen minutes remaining when boxing day hat-trick hero Rhys Murphy netted after being allowed to run through and pass the ball home and see him celebrate with the travelling fans behind the goal.  It’s been a festive season to forget for the Blues, and defeat sees them drop to seventh and clinging onto the last play-off position on goal difference. 

Concord Rangers 1 East Thurrock United 1

Tom Derry netted an 84^th minute equaliser to deny hosts Concord all three points at the Aspect Arena.  Concord got their noses in front after seventeen minutes when Sam Blackman headed home, but the visitors grabbed an equaliser through Derry with six minutes remaining to make sure the struggling visitors picked up what could be a vital point.  The hosts remain third although there is a seven-point gap to second placed Woking now, whilst United’s point sees them second bottom and only three points from safety and with a much better goal difference then fourth bottom Hungerford Town.

Bostick League Premier

Wingate & Finchley 0 Haringey Borough 4

League leaders Haringey Borough kept their long unbeaten run going, increasing their lead to seven points over second placed Dorking Wanderers too, after they thrashed struggling Wingate & Finchley at Summers Lane.  The hosts actually were the better side until the 29^th minute when the pivotal moment came, as after hosts player Eade was shown a Red Card for a challenge on Tosin, the resultant free-kick fell to Rakim Richards who slotted home to give Boro the lead.  And the visitors took control of the contest thereafter and added a second on the hour when Anthony MacDonald headed home at the far post, and then it was three five minutes later when Olu Durojaiye smashed home from twenty yards.  And the visitors added a late fourth when a ball in from the right was headed home by Mark Kirby and sealed another good day at the office for the visitors.  Wingate are in 18^th, only one place and one point above fourth bottom AFC Hornchurch, and with a much worse goal difference to boot.

Bostick League North

Basildon United 1 Canvey Island 4

A Jose Figura brace helped Canvey Island to victory in their mid-table derby against Basildon United as the visitors netted four at the Ho-Ho Stadium.  Canvey took a 21^st minute lead when Frankie Merryfield played a through ball to Figura who ran onto it and curled home, but the hosts soon levelled when Steve Carvell chipped a ball over the top of the visiting defence for Callum Taylor to run onto and find the bottom corner. Canvey managed to re-take the lead twelve minutes into the second period though thanks to a close-range finish from Josh Hutchinson, and they had the chance to extend their lead on the hour mark but home keeper Olajide managed to save Tuohy’s penalty, keeping his side in the contest.  But midway through the second period it was three for the Islanders as Figura netted his second of the contest, slotting home after the ball had fallen to him inside the box.  And the visitors made it four with nine minutes to go thanks to Adam Vyse to seal the deal and see Canvey into tenth, just a point and one place behind their opponents in ninth.

Coggeshall Town 0 Heybridge Swifts 1

Elliott Ronto netted a brilliant overhead kick fifteen minutes from time to settle this huge New Year’s Day top of the table clash against Coggeshall Town at West Street, sending the visitors into second spot.  Both sides knew they could go second with a win, but the deciding moment came in the 75^th minute when thanks to that brilliant overhead kick from Ronto, and it sees Swifts six points behind leaders Bowers & Pitsea, whilst Coggeshall sit in fourth spot, a further two points back after this defeat, only their second at West Street all season too.

Romford 1 Grays Athletic 0

Hosts Romford netted a massive win in their New Year’s Day derby against Grays at Rookery Hill.  The only goal of the game came after just eight minutes when Ayo Olukoga netted and it saw the hosts pick up an important three points, taking them three clear of bottom side Dereham Town and up three places to fourth bottom, whilst defeat for the visitors sees them fail to make up ground to the top five as they remain in eight spot.

Here are this weekend’s local non-league football fixtures:-

Vanarama National League

Dagenham & Redbridge vs Boreham Wood

FC Halifax Town vs Braintree Town

Leyton Orient vs Salford City

Vanarama National League South

Chelmsford City vs Hampton & Richmond Borough

East Thurrock United vs Gloucester City

Hungerford Town vs Concord Rangers

Weston-super-Mare vs Billericay Town

Bostick League Premier

AFC Hornchurch vs Dorking Wanderers

Corinthian Casuals vs Harlow Town

Enfield Town vs Lewes

Haringey Borough vs Whitehawk

Merstham vs Wingate & Finchley

Bostick League North

AFC Sudbury vs Aveley

Barking vs Basildon United

Canvey Island vs Mildenhall Town

Felixstowe & Walton United vs Coggeshall Town

Grays Athletic vs Bury Town

Great Wakering Rovers vs Maldon & Tiptree

Heybridge Swifts vs Bowers & Pitsea

Soham Town Rangers vs Romford

Tilbury vs Dereham Town

Witham Town vs Brentwood Town

Bostick League South Central

FC Romania vs Uxbridge

Northwood vs Cheshunt

Westfield vs Waltham Abbey

Bostick League South East

VCD Athletic vs Ashford United

Whyteleafe vs Greenwich Borough

Essex Senior League Premier

Barkingside vs Tower Hamlets (Friday)

Woodford Town vs Ilford (Friday)

Clapton vs Leyton Athletic

Enfield vs Hoddesdon Town

Hullbridge Sports vs Sawbridgeworth Town

Redbridge vs Takeley

Southend Manor vs St Margaretsbury

Sporting Bengal United vs West Essex

Stanway Rovers vs Stansted

Walthamstow vs Saffron Walden Town

Eastern Senior League South

Braintree Town Reserves vs Harwich & Parkeston (Friday)

Brightlingsea Regent Reserves vs Hackney Wick

Coggeshall United vs Lopes Tavares London

Fire United Christian vs Hashtag United

Holland vs Burnham Ramblers

Little Oakley vs Wivenhoe Town

May & Baker vs Newbury Forest

White Ensign vs Benfleet

Wormley Rovers vs Frenford