The last weekend in October saw nine Essex Senior League contests scheduled to take place, it got under on Friday night, let's take a look at what happened in those match ups:-
Friday 25th October
Barking 2 Buckhurst Hill 4
The Blues were looking for maximum points in their quest to catch the top five and those play off spots, they had three games in hand at least on sides above so winning those would take them past those sides, but they had dropped points at home to Ilford last time out and they were up against a Buckhurst Hill outfit who after a slow start were now heading in an upwards direction and knew a win here would take them above their opponents as their eyes were now certainly pointing upwards now and not downwards. And it was the visitors who got their noses ahead after just seven minutes thanks to Suley Zuhdu, and Zuhdu was on target again when striking home from outside the box with twelve minutes of the first half remaining as the visitors went into the break with a two goal cushion. And just before the hour mark Zuhdu completed his hat trick when he fired in on the half volley and surely that was that in terms of the contest. The Blues though almost mounted a comeback, Juwon Akintunde pulled one back just past the hour mark and then Micah Jackson made it very interesting with just over twenty minutes remaining and the game was suddenly in the balance, but a diving header from Lucas Willison sealed the points for the visitors with just over fifteen minutes to go and hand Buckhurst Hill a very impressive win.
Saturday 26th October
Athletic Newham 2 West Essex 2
Hosts Newham were doing their upmost to cling onto hopes of making the top five, after a brilliant start to the season they have fallen off the waggon so to speak and have slipped eight points off those play off spots, they were up against a West side who were down in 13th but had performed very well in midweek and held top five Takeley to a goalless draw. Well, it was the visitors who struck first in the 33rd minute when Jaedon Phillips gave them the lead, Newham though levelled four minutes before half time when Alex Kozak found the net, the hosts then grabbed the lead after Leonardo Luis De Carvalho Pedro struck just past the hour mark, and this seemed enough for the hosts to grab a much needed three points. But, one minute into added on time at the end of the game, Yemi Adelani netted a leveller for the visitors to see this one end all square.
Great Wakering Rovers 1 Frenford 0
Wakering knew they would have to keep on winning to keep tabs on the top two who were threatening to open up a sizable gap at the top, Rovers were four points off second placed Woodford & eight behind leaders Stanway as they welcome a Frenford side they had beaten 3-0 only recently in the corresponding fixture at The Drive, the visitors themselves were in 12th and looking to get into the top ten with a win. One goal proved to be the difference in this one too as Callum Boylan, who netted in the corresponding fixture, struck a 73rd minute winner to see the hosts claim all the spoils in this one.
Ilford 1 Hullbridge Sports 0
This was a big game towards the bottom of the division, The Foxes were only out of the bottom two on goal difference whilst opponents Hullbridge were only a further three points and two places above their opponents and desperate to try and record a victory to give them some breathing space between themselves and the ones below. Well, one goal proved enough to settle this contest, and it came from the hosts as Greg Akpele tapped home with twenty minutes remaining to hand Ilford a huge three points.
Saffron Walden Town 1 Romford 3
This proved to be a rather interesting clash between two sides chasing at least a play off place and sat in 6th and 5th respectively and only separated by four points too, and of course Walden have the majority of Romford's winning FA Vase side from last season too, after manager Dan Spinks made the switch to Catons Lane and took some of his squad with him, no doubt adding some extra spice to this contest which was already a big game anyway. It looked good for the hosts at half time after Correy Davidson had given them the lead three minutes before the break, but Romford roared back in the second period, firstly when Chris Millar equalised just before the hour mark and then in the 74th minute Millar struck again to hand Romford the advantage. And then in the fifth minute of stoppage time Jake Gordon sealed a superb win for the visitors to put seven points between themselves and their opponents in the final play off spot.
Sawbridgeworth Town 2 Halstead Town 5
As games go this one was a pretty big deal down at the foot of the division, Sawbo sat one point and two places above the bottom two, Halstead were that side two places and a point below their opponents so a win for either here would certainly help their cause, both had recorded points in midweek as well, Sawbo with a remarkable late comeback to earn a point, Halstead managing to pick up only their second win of the season, so both were coming into this one with confidence. The hosts had the perfect start, Kieran David handing them a third minute lead, however, Halstead then struck twice in a minute around the midway point of the first period, Matt Travell levelling before Dean Agar handed the visitors the lead, the visitors though then saw defender Theo Duffin cautioned twice in six minutes to be sent off late on in the first half. Sawbo then levelled in first half stoppage time through Jehovany Kinzonzi meaning it was 2-2 at the break, but the ten man visitors managed to regain the lead though James Eveleigh ten minutes after the break, and they sealed the win with two goals in stoppage time, Lewis Owiredu netting a fourth before Alfie Lambert added a fifth soon after as Halstead made it back to back wins for the very first time this season.
Stansted 0 Woodford Town 4
The Airportmen were looking to build on only their third win of their season in midweek and pull themselves futher away from the bottom two as a result, they were five points clear of that as they came into this contest against a Woodford side who dropped points in midweek against bottom side FC Clacton to see the gap to leaders Stanway increase to four points as a result, so they knew no more slip ups were allowed to happen. Well, the visitors got their noses in front after just fifteen minutes, Miles Mitchell-Nelson finding the net, and then Nathan Sollosi doubled the visitors lead seven minutes before the break, Sollosi was then on target again with just under twenty minutes remaining before they capped a fine day Luke Steele added a fourth with ten minutes of the ninety to go and see the second placed side bounce back after their midweek disappointment and bring Stansted back down to earth with a hefty bump in the process.
Stanway Rovers 2 Benfleet 0
League leaders Stanway came into this one after a decent midweek where there gap at the top increased to four points after they won and Woodford could only draw, Rovers have now won ten of their fourteen league games so far and they welcomed a Benfleet side to The Hawthorns who after a decent start to life in Step Five have slipped somewhat lately and are down to 11th in the division as a result, and their latest loss saw them lose at bottom two side Halstead. It only took the hosts two minutes to break the deadlock, Jamie Bennett calmly slotting home after a long throw from Ricky Tarbard was flicked on into his path, and they doubled that lead eleven minutes into the second period when Joe Turpin tapped home, and it was enough to see the league leaders take the spoils and maintain their four point lead at the top.
Takeley 4 Little Oakley 0
Hosts Takeley were looking to put Tuesday's disappointing goalless draw at home to West Essex behind them and take maximum points in this one, despite that draw they did go up to third on goal difference, four points off second place and eight off top spot though, and they were welcoming a Little Oakley side who were tenth and some eight points off the top five, so they knew that a win was important too. The hosts managed to grab an early lead as a cutback found Charlie Allum who slotted home, and then Oakley were reduced to ten men on the half hour mark after Adrian Cant was sent off for a late challenge and then saw Jack Mitchell played in to fire home a second for the hosts a minute into first half stoppage time. Connor Clarke then added a third in the 58th minute, driving a low and hard effort into the corner of the net, and then it was four on the hour mark when Coby Miles found the net to all but end this contest and hand the hosts a very comfortable win over the ten man visitors.
Let's see what that has done to the table:-
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