Essex Olympian League Premier Division, Saturday 14th November
It's been a while since I have done an Olympian fixture, and as I hadn't yet visited the new facility at Aveley's Parkside, called Parkview, I decided that this weekend was the weekend to go and watch a game there, and also check out high flying Harold Hill too who were taking on one of my local Olympian sides in Wakering Sports in a Premier Division fixture.
This was part one of a double header as over on the main pitch there was a game between Cannons Wood & Enfield Borough in the Thurlow Nunn South Division at 3pm, it's a league that Harold Hill are looking to be in next season, as long as they win promotion from this league of course, and so far Hill have began the season very well, sitting second and only a point behind leaders Shenfield AFC netting eight wins from their thirteen games so far.
In fact the leaders only loss this season had come against Hill, and the hosts were on a good run of form too, four wins in a row scoring thirteen and conceding just one, and last time out they won 6-0 away in the Essex Saturday Premier Cup, so they were bang in form let's say, and they would have fancied continuing that run against a Wakering Sports side who were down in eleventh spot and ten points worse off than their opponents today.
It's been a mixed bag for the visitors this season for sure, sixteen points have come from their thirteen games thus far, and October hasn't been too kind to them form wise either, four defeats in five in the league, and then last time out they shipped four goals at home in the Essex Saturday Premier Cup to crash out of that, making it seventeen goals conceded in those six games.
However, back in early September, they did hold Hill to a 1-1 draw at Cupid's, and they have also held leaders Shenfield AFC to a 1-1 draw too this season, so they are capable at times of putting in a decent showing, so Hill would have to be wary of that, but being at home they would have been confident of victory here and potentially take over top spot if the leaders slipped up of course.
The first half was a decent watch despite the lack of goals, but ten minutes before the break Hill got themselves in front, the superb Lindo Khumalo did well down the left hand side before squaring across goal for Charlie Morris to tap home at the far post, and it meant the home side were to go into the break a goal ahead.
And nineteen year old Kuhmalo was at it again for the second Hill goal in the second period, going down the right this time and somehow with great determination getting the ball across goal despite several challenges coming in to try and thwart him, and Archie Edwards duly tapped home the ball across goal, and Hill now had a two goal cushion and were now looking to go on and win this game comfortably.
However, that didn't happen, and from nowhere Sports got themselves back in the contest, full back Aaron Cooper fired a free kick from the half way line into the hosts box but with the keeper off his line, the ball sailed over him and into the far corner, there is no way at all it was meant to be a shot, but it ended up being a perfectly executed effort that caught out the keeper, it really was a bolt from the blue.
Hill though recovered from the shock of conceding such a goal by restoring their two goal cushion, the influential centre half Darren Phillips nodding back across goal for Sam Blackholly to nod home into the far corner, but Sports once again fought back to reduce the arrears once again, Luke Jackson with a fine finish across the keeper into the far corner, setting up a tense last few minutes.
Hill though did manage to hold on for the win, a very hard fought one against a tough Wakering Sports side, and it meant the hosts would take over at the summit of the division prior to the later games finishing in the day, and their promotion aspirations, albeit it with plenty of games still to go, and still very much alive and on track, and if they can hold onto Khumalo, they will certainly take some stopping, he is that good.
Full time Harold Hill 3 Wakering Sports 2
There were seven other games in the Premier Division on Saturday, so let's see how those went.....
ACD United 1-2 Hashtag United U23
Canning Town 0-1 Barnston
Corinthians 0-6 Bishop's Stortford Swifts
Harold Wood Athletic 3-2 Hutton Reserves
Leigh Ramblers 0-2 Catholic United
Shenfield AFC 1-2 Old Southendian
Sungate 2-3 Old Chelmsfordians
There were certainly some surprising results in the division today, Shenfield AFC lost for only the second time this season after losing at home to Old Southendian, and bottom side Hashtag United U23s stunned third placed ACD United by netting a 2-1 win there for only their third win of the season.
Barnston netted a very important win at Canning Town, and Stortford Swifts put a struggling Corinthians to the sword in Stambridge, netting six away from home, Harold Wood edged out Hutton Reserves, and Catholic United saw two goals enough to defeat Leigh Rams at Belfairs. And finally Old Chelmsfordians only just squeezed past struggling Sungate in the odd goal in five to maintain their top four position.
And let's see how that affects the table.....
With Harold Hill winning earlier in the day, and Shenfield AFC suffering a surprise home defeat, it means the former now lead the way by two points, albeit Shenfield have a game in hand on the leaders, it's a tight division though as you can see, and anyone who put's together a string of results will certainly be right up there.
Hashtag's win today means they are only a point behind Sungate now and just two behind Corinthians who both lost today, Barnston picked up a few places following their win at Canning Town who are only a point above them now, it's certainly as always a very competitive division and a fun one to follow.
Right, head over to my next blog for what happened in Part Two of my double header at Aveley.....https://pedroslocalfootiefix.blogspot.com/2026/11/cannons-wood-4-enfield-borough-3-brace.html
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