There were two Essex Senior League games scheduled for Tuesday night, and both involved sides trying to break into the top five and the play off spots in the division, those sides were Barking & Saffron Walden Town who were both trying to replace Romford inside that top five, both needed wins this evening to do that, could either achieve this, let's find out.
Barking 3 White Ensign 2
The Blues knew that if they picked up maximum points in this one at Mayesbrook Park then they would definitely end the night in the top five, they trailed fifth placed Romford by just a point and were a point ahead of seventh placed Walden, they were taking on an Ensign side though capable of springing a shock on their opponents and were looking to cement their top ten status as well.
Well, in the 13th minute it was Ensign who drew first blood, Jon Evans converting from the spot, but Barking managed to level through Geneiro Maragh nine minutes before the break, and then five minutes into the second period The Blues had turned it around when Juwon Akintunde found the net to give the hosts the advantage.
And just three minutes after that Barking took total control of the contest when Sam Shaban added a third to increase the hosts advantage, they then could have made it three goals in five second half minutes had they not missed from the spot, and then the hosts saw themselves reduced to ten men after Henry Mabassa was sent off just past the hour mark in conceding a spot kick to the visitors, their second of the game, which Evans duly dispatched to reduce the arrears and bring Ensign right back into the game.
But, despite having that numerical advantage and an extra nine minutes of stoppage time, Barking managed to hold onto their advantage and take all three points to climb into the top five of the table.
Saffron Walden Town 3 West Essex 1
Walden knew if they could pick up maximum points and Barking failed to win their game at home to Ensign, they would end the night above both The Blues and Romford in the table and in that fifth place position, they were up against a West Essex outfit who on their day can cause problems for anybody in this league and they were looking to climb into the top ten with victory themselves.
It was Walden who grabbed the opening goal just before the half hour mark through Solomon Ofori, and then Jordon Elongo, Walden's new signing from Frenford, doubled the hosts lead in the 74th minute, and the game was sealed for sure in the 86th minute when Correy Davidson found the net for the hosts third.
The only disappointment of the evening was that the home side were unable to keep a clean sheet because TWELVE minutes into stoppage time Ramzi Mahmoudi pulled one back for the visitors, but it was really too little too late as Walden took maximum points from this game, although it wasn't enough to climb into the top five after Barking's win against Ensign, however they do climb a place to sixth and are right in the mix for the play offs still.
Let's see how the table looks after those two games:-
So, Barking and Walden leapfrog Romford in the table, with the former now into those play off places, Ensign & West Essex remain where they started the evening after those defeats.
There was also one rearranged BBC Essex Senior Cup tie involving an ESL club and also the final side left in the competition from the division, that side was Little Oakley, who had a Last Sixteen tie against Isthmian North Waltham Abbey, let's see if Oakley could spring a surprise to set up a Quarter Final tie at home to Vanarama South Chelmsford City.
Waltham Abbey 2 Little Oakley 0
This was Oakley's fourth tie of the competition having started way back in Round One, and after knocking out fellow ESL sides Athletic Newham and Romford, both at home, they dumped Isthmian North Basildon United out 3-0 at home to set up this, their first away tie in the competition this season, against another Isthmian North outfit.
Abbey of course started their campaign in the last round, seeing off fellow Isthmian North outfit in Grays Athletic 3-1 at Capershotts, and they were favourites to set up a Quarter Final home tie against Chelmsford City, which for both sides would be a very big game in the Last Eight of the county cup.
A goalless first period played out before the hosts grabbed the lead barely a minute into the second period courtesy of Nicholas Brown, but the hosts were then reduced to ten men in the 71st minute when Ollie Fernandez was given his marching orders, giving Oakley a chance to possibly force penalties or even a shock win.
However, soon after going down to ten, Abbey doubled their lead, and those two goals proved the difference as Abbey won through to the Quarter Finals, eliminating the final ESL side from the County Cup in the process.
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