Non-League and Academy football writer

In a new weekly piece that I’ll be writing (mainly on a Sunday), I’ll be looking back at the week’s results and some of the statistics from the games at step 7 (I will also be covering step 8, when their league season starts next month) of the Essex Alliance Football League and the Middlesex County Football League. Two of the main leagues that I cover in non-League/grassroots football, last week produced some excellent results, and I also reported on some fantastic games of football. And there were plenty of midweek matches in the Essex Alliance Football League, during the week just gone.

The Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division (weekly roundup) for the week starting on Monday the 19th of August:

On Monday night at Oakside Stadium, I was at my first of five Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division matches, that I was reporting on last week. Lymore Gardens put in a superb performance to beat newly promoted side Ongar Town, 5-0. Ongar Town were a well structured side, who created some fine early chances, but Lymore Gardens’ pressing, intensity and passing game saw them impressively score five goals, and also keep their first clean-sheet of the new season. Braces from Tyrique Peters and Dylan Roberts, as well as a goal from Johneli Lungikisa, helped Lymore Gardens to win this fixture in style.

CSM London’s first of two league fixtures in five days, saw them record a 5-1 victory over Bakers693, at Parsloes Park Hub on Tuesday. Will Brobby’s side played some very good football throughout Tuesday night’s contest, and it was a game that saw former Walthamstow Reserves player Dylan Flynn, score four well taken goals in.

FC Petrocub London beat Kulture FC 3-1 last Wednesday night, with it being one of three league matches taking place in the Senior Division on that night. An outstanding performance from Gheorghe Cucos, saw the Petrocub forward score two well taken goals, with clinical centre-forward Ion Spinu scoring the other goal at Noak Hill Sports Complex. The excellent pace and off the ball movement of Gheorghe Cucos, made it very difficult for Kulture to defend against him, although the away side did create some fine chances during the game. Samuel McNally scored the only goal for Kenneth Boateng’s Kulture side.

Also on Wednesday night, Eny Okoro’s Walthamstow Reserves side recorded an impressive 5-2 victory over Waltham Forest Borough, at a game which was played at Barking FC’s Mayesbrook Park. The excellent Bilel Benyoucef scored two goals, with Unisa Bangura, Ethan Earnshaw and Henry Collins, scoring the other goals for Walthamstow Reserves. For Halil Hassan’s Waltham Forest Borough side, Dylan Florence kept up his impressive start to the season by scoring another goal, as did Sadiq Akanbi, who got the other goal. That was both player’s second goals of the season, going into last Saturday’s match.

My Friday night report came from Haringey Borough’s Coles Park ground, as Haringey Borough Under 23s won 3-1 against newly promoted Fairlop Rovers. Haringey Borough Under 23s were excellent in their all-round play for most of the game, but they started the game particularly well. Midfielder Louis Maffia got a brace of goals, with Alexander Nicolaides, a player who has already played for Haringey Borough’s first team, getting the other goal. Alexander Nicolaides also provided a clever assist for one of Louis Maffia’s goals. Joseph Cloake’s fine free-kick goal in the second half of the match, was Fairlop Rovers’ only goal of the match. Fairlop Rovers improved a lot in their overall play, during the second half of Friday’s match.

The other game on Friday night, saw newly promoted side Philip United score seven goals, as they won 7-1 at home to Lymore Gardens. Philip United must have put in an excellent performance to beat a very good Lymore Gardens side 7-1, at Parsloes Park Hub. Philip United were founded in 2023, and in their first season in the Essex Alliance Football League (step 8), they won the Premier Division West, scoring an incredible total of 109 goals from 22 league games. They will be a side to watch out for again during this season.

34 goals were scored in the Senior Division from Saturday afternoon’s six matches. I was at Lakeside Sports Ground on Saturday, reporting on an excellent game between the home side, AS Rapid Londra, and CSM London. It was CSM London who started the game the better of the two sides, and they found themselves leading 2-0 during the early stages of the game. However, Rapid Londra came back into the game, making it 2-2, before then making it 3-2 in the second half, courtesy of an excellent goal from distance by Bogdan Toana. However, CSM London responded well to going behind for the first time in this match, eventually drawing level, before Jesse Jones scored a very late winning goal in second half additional time. The early league leaders are already looking like a team who could do very well this season, in league and cup competitions.

It was CSM London who had won 3-1 at home to Chadwell Heath Spartans, in their opening game of the season. Player-manager Aaron Hunwicks’ side would respond in style at the same venue, during the Saturday just gone. Chadwell Heath Spartans won 9-0 against Bakers693, with Brandon Johnson scoring a hat-trick for the visiting side. Chadwell Heath Spartans (they are currently ground-sharing with step 5 side Frenford FC) are another side that will surely be up there competing for the league title towards the end of this already fascinating league season.

On Saturday afternoon FC Petrocub London were looking to record back to back home league wins, but it was Wayne Phillips’ Frenford Development side who continued their unbeaten start to the league season, by winning 3-0 at Noak Hill Sports Complex. Frenford Development’s goals came from Bilal Hussain (Bilal got two goals on the day) and one goal from Isima Iguisi.

Ongar Town responded to losing 5-0 to Lymore Gardens last Monday, by getting a point against Kulture FC, at the Mark Hall Sports Centre, on Saturday afternoon. This game from Harlow, sounded like a very good game, with Ongar Town scoring a late equalising goal against Kulture, in second half additional time. Tony West’s Ongar Town side have already recorded four points from three league matches this season. Next up for the club from Essex is a trip to Woodford Town FC, on Saturday, to take on Woodford Town Reserves. 

Walthamstow Reserves recorded their second emphatic win of the week, when they won 6-0 against Sporting Hackney (Walthamstow were the away side for this fixture) on Saturday afternoon at Wadham Lodge. A hat-trick of goals from last season’s league top scorer, Issa Sidibe, two goals from Bilel Benyoucef and one goal from Edward Mavakala, all helped Walthamstow Reserves to this win. The current holders of the Senior Division Cup, Walthamstow Reserves play terrific football under Eny Okoro and his coaching staff, and up for them next (on Saturday) is a big game with Lymore Gardens, at Wadham Lodge.

The final game last Saturday, was between Woodford Town Reserves and Waltham Forest Borough, at Ashton Playing Fields. Playing their first season in the Senior Division, Mick McEvoy’s Woodford Town Reserves side recorded an impressive 3-2 victory over Waltham Forest Borough. Woodford Town’s goals came from Jacob Samber Richards, Louie Cooper and Phorell Brooke, helping them to continue their impressive unbeaten start to the season.

The Middlesex County Football League Premier Division (weekly roundup) for the week starting on Monday the 19th of August:

The only midweek game in the Premier Division of the Middlesex Football League, came from Northwood FC, as Hayes & Hillingdon won 3-1 against newly promoted side SL Benfica, on Tuesday night. Among the Hayes & Hillingdon goal-scorers was the inform Jamie Gourey, who has scored four goals in four league appearances this season (following Saturday’s match). This was a good win for Hayes & Hillingdon, as although SL Benfica have just been promoted to the Premier Division, I’m sure that Ricky Nelson’s treble winning side from last season, will be right up there challenging for the league title later on this season. Hayes & Hillingdon are another side who could well be challenging for promotion to step 6 this season, and they are a very technical side, who have started the season well.

Eagles Land Cricklewood welcomed Camden & Islington United to Vale Farm on Saturday afternoon. This was Camden & Islington’s opening league fixture of the season, and they would win the game 2-1, thanks to goals from Johnny Ding and Karl Usher-Williams. I was very impressed with Eagles Land Cricklewood, in their opening league match of this season (away to Hayes & Hillingdon) and I’m sure that they will respond well to their last two defeats, which they have only lost by one goal. Camden & Islington United will be looking to improve even further on a fantastic debut season, in 2023/24.

Hilltop Reserves won 3-2 at home to last season’s league champions, Pitshanger Dynamo, on Saturday afternoon at Club Des Sports, following on from the previous Saturday’s narrow defeat away to Hayes & Hillingdon. And the previously mentioned Hayes & Hillingdon won 3-2 away to Larkspur Rovers, at Lord Halsbury Playing fields, on the Saturday just gone. In what sounded like a great and very competitive game of football, the current league leaders’ goals came from Jamie Gourey, Tobi Shodipo and Samuel Baigent. 

In Southall at the London Tigers Sports Complex, London Tigers got their first win of the league season, as they won 2-1 against Indian Gymkhana Club. Denton Emegbo got both of London Tigers’ goals in that league win. One of the games of Saturday came from Preston Park, as Danny Brissett’s Jolof Sports side recorded their second league win from their first two league matches of the season, against a very good Shepherds Bush side. The east London club won this match 5-0, in what was the second game in a row (they won 5-1 away to Larkspur Rovers, on the opening day of the season) that they had scored five goals in. Among Saturday’s goal-scorers was the league’ top scorer Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo, who scored two goals against Shepherds Bush. The Jolof Sports forward already has five goals from two league appearances so far this season.

Newly promoted side Soccer Stars Fennecs faced Kensington Dragons, in their first ever game at the Terrence McMillan Stadium, on Saturday afternoon. This game finished 2-2 in east London. And the final match that took place in the Premier Division on Saturday afternoon, also came from east London. As Stonewall won 3-2 against SL Benfica, in what sounded like a great game at the West Ham Memorial Ground. Stonewall’s goals came from Mike Sholly, Shane McCullough and Daniel Whitehouse. Stonewall have both of their opening two league fixtures of this season. Finally Camden United’s home league match with Kodak (Harrow) didn’t take place on Saturday afternoon, as it was postponed.