(Action from Mayesbrook Park on Tuesday as Romford & Ilford played out a 1-1 draw, photo courtesy of Richard Brock (@Beckton86))
Tuesday and Wednesday saw one league game each take place, both were also on the good old artificial surfaces at Mayesbrook Park and Parsloes Park, so neither would be affected by the weather, so without further ado lets see how those two games panned out:-
Tuesday November 26th
Romford 1 Ilford 1
The hosts had had a slight wobble over the last week or two which saw their play off spot coming under threat, they were only in fifth spot on goal difference now with Barking & Saffron Walden Town breathing down their necks, so a positive result against Ilford was a must to try and build a gap once again. Ilford though would be a hard nut to crack, they were churning out some decent performances of late which has seen them open up a nine point cushion down to bottom side FC Clacton and were only six points off the top ten, and with Ilford once tenants at Mayesbrook Park, this was a very familiar venue for them indeed.
Ilford were the ones to strike first in this contest too, only three minutes had gone when a good press from The Foxes saw Ahmed Dousa steal the ball off a defender on the right hand wing and flick a pass to Greg Akpele who drove into the box and although he saw his shot saved eventually by Romford keeper Qamil Dervishaj, the ball eventually found it's way back to Dousa who fired an effort through a crowded penalty area into the far corner.
Romford though would level three minutes before the break to send the sides into the half time interval all square, a corner from the right was headed out before a long range effort was fired back into the box and it deflected though to Derek Feyi who with just the keeper to beat fired into the roof of the net on the stretch for a very good finish indeed.
There were to be no further goals though in the second period meaning the points would be shared, Romford now with a one point gap to sixth placed Barking and two to seventh placed Walden having played more than the two below (two more than barking & three more than Walden) so they will be hoping that those two start slipping up otherwise Romford will find themselves outside those top five spots, for Ilford they rise a place to 16th and are starting to look up at the top ten rather than towards the foot of the table as their decent performances continue.
To watch highlights of this contest click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjJf4sNQ4EQ to check out Ashley Hanson's brilliant work, make sure to like and subscribe to his You Tube channel. You can also find him at @AshleyJHanson
Wednesday November 27th
Athletic Newham 2 Great Wakering Rovers 3
After a scintillating run of form which saw Great Wakering Rovers get right into the title race and automatic promotion, back to back defeats to promotion rivals Barking and league leaders Stanway Rovers have rocked the Burroughs Park side somewhat as their almost nailed on play off spot was now under threat from the likes of Barking & Walden who were coming up on the rails and with games in hand too. They were up against a Newham side who you didn't know what one would turn up, one who thrashed a resurgent Halstead and also held league leaders Stanway without conceding, or the one who were soundly beaten at Benfleet at the weekend.
Wakering had been the first team in the Essex Senior League this season to inflict defeat on the hosts, ending their unbeaten start to the league with a 3-1 win at Burroughs Park in early September, would history repeat itself and see the visitors complete a double over their opponents, they certainly wanted to get back to winning ways after the last two outings, but Newham would certainly pose some questions themselves, they were still in ninth spot and could maybe get back into the play off equation with a decent run of form.
Well, it didn't take long for the deadlock to be broken, the visitors finding the net after just five minutes through Dominic Locke, and in the 33rd minute Rovers took a firm grip on proceedings when they doubled their lead courtesy of an Harold Adu-Poku own goal to go into the break with a two goal cushion and seemingly well on their way to a welcome three points. And twelve minutes into the second period Rovers felt they had all but ended the contest when Locke added his second of the game although the visitors then saw Jack Dickinson sin binned on the hour mark meaning the hosts would at least have ten minutes to try and make their numerical advantage count and and reduce the deficit to give themselves a sniff perhaps.
Well, in the 67th minute the hosts did just that by pulling one back through Leonardo Luis De Carvalho Pedro, and then in the 78th minute it was very much game on after Victor Ferrini pulled another one back, momentum was now all with the hosts, maybe that sin bin had cost the visitors dear. In the end it did not as the visitors managed to see out the remainder of the contest and take a very useful three points and end that small run of losses, whereas the hosts have now lost back to back contests in the division.
Let's look at the latest table then as we head into another round of fixtures this weekend:-
Wednesday night's win for Great Wakering Rovers was important as you can see, they now open up a seven point gap to sixth are reduced the gap to leaders Stanway Rovers as well, Athletic Newham remain ninth and are some way off a top five position as things stand.
Romford as said above are nervously looking over their shoulders after dropping points at home to Ilford, whereas the Foxes are looking up rather than down now and are in touching distance of a top ten position.
Let's have a brief look at this weekend's fixtures:-
Friday November 29th
Woodford Town Vs West Essex
Saturday November 30th
Athletic Newham Vs White Ensign
Barking Vs Hullbridge Sports
Frenford Vs Romford
Great Wakering Rovers Vs FC Clacton
Halstead Town Vs Buckhurst Hill
Little Oakley Vs Ilford
Saffron Walden Town Vs Stanway Rovers
Stansted Vs Sawbridgeworth Town
Takeley Vs Benfleet (2pm)
No doubt about game of the day, it comes from Catons Lane as Walden host Stanway, these two were the pre season favourites for winning the division, well Stanway have certainly been the better so far and have a fourteen point cushion to Walden, however Walden do have four games in hand and if they can win this one could well believe they can still catch the leaders at some point, however a win for Rovers would certainly harm those thoughts and beliefs, so a big game indeed.
Woodford, Takeley, GWR & Romford all have games against sides in the lower half of the table so would fancy picking up maximum points, but it isn't always as simple as that in this division as we know, Romford need a result otherwise they could lose their top five position if either Barking or Walden take maximum points.
And there is an important game down at the bottom of the division as third bottom Stansted host second bottom Sawbo Town, the sides are only separated by three points, and with it being a derby too it certainly has some added spice to what is already an important game, so that should be tasty!!!
Anyway that's all for now in the ESL, thanks for reading and take care!!!
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