(Action from Basildon Town's 0-0 draw at home to Clapton in their Thurlow Nunn First Division South contest on December 30th at Rookery Hill)
Thought I'd pen the latest goings on in the Essex Senior League and Thurlow Nunn First Division South over the festive period and see how each league looks heading into 2024. Spoiler alert both divisions look likely to be headed for pretty exciting finishes if anything is to go by on what has happened thus for for 2023/24.....
ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE
There wasn't much in the way of action between Christmas and New Year in the ESL but there were two league games and a Tolleshunt D'Arcy Memorial Cup tie to look back at, so let's see what happened.....
Friday December 29
League
Ilford 0 Great Wakering Rovers 8
Callum Boyle netted four at Mayesbrook Park as struggling Ilford were well and truly put to the sword against promotion chasing Rovers. A fairly tight opening quarter saw the visitors take a 14th minute lead through Ben Search, but once Boylan had doubled their advantage ten minutes before the break, the game ran away from the hosts big time. Search added a third four minutes after the break before Boylan added three quickfire goals to see the visitors into a 6-0 advantage after an hour, Harry Talbot & Callum Bloss then added two late strikes to complete the rout as Marcus Bowers tenure at Rovers continued to flourish.
Tolleshunt D'Arcy Memorial Cup
Saffron Walden Town 2 Chelmsford City 2 (Chelmsford City won 5-3 on penalties)
Walden were in Charity Cup action over the festive period and they nearly completed an amazing turnaround against Chelmsford City at Catons Lane but ended up losing out on penalties after coming back from two goals down at the break. A Jones double had City cruising into the next round but a second half double from Miles saw the tie end up going to penalties, but City managed to hold their nerve to win through.
Saturday December 30
League
Stanway Rovers 3 FC Clacton 0
Rovers continued their revival after netting a three goal win over FC Clacton at The Hawthorns, the breakthrough came seven minutes before the break when Joe Debell headed home, and two minutes into first half stoppage time Debell again netted, getting on the end of a Bennet cross. And the hosts clinched the three points when adding a third goal with fifteen minutes to go, George running through before sliding an effort home.
Let's see how the ESL table looks heading into the new year.....
Tilbury lead the way and with games in hand too are the ones in the driving seat, Sporting, Romford, Woodford are all within two wins from going above them though if the Dockers have a sticky patch, and with the likes of GWR & Halstead, the latter being one of the surprise packages of the season along with Sporting, are only seven points off the lead, and with as many as a dozen teams who are believing in a play off run, it could be a pretty entertaining few months going forward.
For me it is more clear cut at the bottom, Coggeshall United & Ilford appear to be the worst two teams in the division and I believe they will be finish in those bottom two positions as the likes of Frenford, Buckhurst Hill, Takeley & White Ensign have more in terms of quality and are unlikely to be caught by the bottom two, the six point gap could widen even more over the coming weeks sadly for those two at the foot of the table. Only time will tell of course....
THURLOW NUNN FIRST DIVISION SOUTH
There was a lot more in the way of action in the Thurlow Nunn South between Christmas and New Year with twelve league fixtures over the period, let's see how those went.....
Boxing Day
Harlow Town 1 Cannons Wood 1
Two promotion chasing sides did battle in from of 369 at The Harlow Arena, and it ended all square meaning a point a piece for both. The visitors went in front ten minutes into the second half when Harry Brown scored but the hosts managed to level through Arley Barker twelve minutes later meaning the contest would end all square.
Hutton 3 Basildon Town 1
A record home crowd of 205 for hosts Hutton saw them net victory over struggling Bas Town at New Lodge to keep their promotion charge on track. David Johnson netted a brace and Harry Rawlins also netted for the hosts against a visiting side who were reduced to ten men early on when Modou Diop Gueye was sent off for giving away a spot kick, Jamie Bradbourn did net one for the visitors but there tough season continued here.
December 27
Barkingside 2 Clapton 3
Clapton continued their unlikely charge for a play off spot as they made it back to back wins with victory at Cricklefield against Barkingside. Eraid Desa netted a brace for the visitors and Warren Kayembe netted the other as the visitors continued their remarkable turnaround under Bash and co, that's eight wins from their last ten games now.
Wormley Rovers 4 Hackney Wick 1
Reece Mosanya netted a brace as Wormley netted four in defeating Hackney Wick at Wormley Sports Club. Danny Haigh & Michael Mignot also netted for the hosts as they kept up their promotion hopes.
December 30
Basildon Town 0 Clapton 0
Dunmow Town 1 Wormley Rovers 2
Rovers made it two wins in three days after they defeated fellow promotion chasing Dunmow Town despite having to survive a second half comeback from the hosts with ten men. Ryan Stevonson & Archie Hammond both netted to see the visitors two goals up at the break, but the hosts pulled one back and saw Rovers reduced to ten, but despite a tough second period for the visitors they held on to take a big three points.
Enfield Borough 2 Clapton Community 2
Leaders CFC had to dig deep to prevent defeat in this one after they came back from two goals down to snatch a late late point. The hosts led 2-0 after an hour and looked destined for the points but Taylan Gul found the bottom corner in the 76th minute before Joel Akuwudike dinked over the keeper in the 95th minute to salvage what could be an important point come the end of the campaign.
Hoddesdon Town 1 St Margaretsbury 1
There were 126 at Lowfield for this local derby and it saw the points shared after Harrison Cage netted in the 69th minute to cancel out an earlier strike from the visitors and prevent them from having bragging rights in this one.
Hutton 1 Harlow Town 4
Another bumper crowd of 198 (seven short of that Boxing Day record) were back at New Lodge to see a big top of the table clash, and Harlow Town netted four as they put Hutton to the sword and gain some revenge for that opening day mauling against today's opponents. Ruben Santos 13th minute strike had Harlow ahead at the break but when Joshua Boxall levelled just before the hour mark, the game was back in the balance. However, Raheem Gray restored the visitors lead with just over twenty minutes remaining before Santos & Jack Zielinski netted further goals to hand Harlow a huge win.
Newbury Forest 4 Burnham Ramblers 3
To say this was an eventful game was an understatement, the hosts went ahead on fourteen minutes and then doubled their lead on the half hour, Ben Wood then reduced the arrears eight minutes before the break, only to see the hosts open up a 4-1 lead by the 55th minute. Elliot George & Aiden Brown then netted within two minutes of each other as the game was suddenly 4-3 with just over twenty minutes to go, and then Forest's keeper was sent off with fifteen minutes to go for taking out Oscar Jones when he was one on one. Ramblers came close to a great escape but could not find a leveller, and stoppage time saw Forest reduced to nine men when the player in question was booked for taking his time to walk off and then given a second yellow for saying something to the official. And in the 14th minute of stoppage time Ramblers saw one of their players sin binned before they saw Jack Morris sent off after the final whistle after a frank discussion with the officials, crazy scenes, but the points ended up with the hosts.
Southend Manor 0 Barkingside 1
Tower Hamlets 3 NW London 1
Hamlets netted a welcome three points at Mile End after a brace from Connor French & one from Solomon Asomah saw them to victory over NW London whose sole strike came from James Allen.
Let's see how the table looks heading into the new year.....
CFC lead the way but have played far more games than the teams below chasing them, many say that Benfleet are the ones to watch and if they won their games in hand would be some way ahead of the rest, but it sure proves to be a decent title/promotion race for sure.
Down at the bottom Park View have issues both on and off the field and are struggling to raise sides currently, they nearly went to the wall in September and it would not surprise me if they do not finish the season, however the rest of the sides are embroiled in one hell of a relegation battle, only five points separate 15th placed May & Baker and 21st Hoddesdon Town, so it proves to be one hell of a battle at both ends of the table for sure!!!
So, that's how both leagues look as 2023 comes to a close, Happy New Year to you all, and here is to a prosperous 2024!!! Thanks for reading as always.....
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