Current Premier Division leaders Buckhurst Hill had to work very hard against an organised Old Southendian outfit on Saturday. The hosts went into the game at the foot of the table with no points on the board; but for eighty minutes it looked like they were about to rectify that. However Sonny Shilling burst that bubble in the final ten minutes to maintain Buckhurst Hill’s one hundred percent winning record. Old Southendian, despite their hard battle against the Premier Division leaders, remain at the foot of the table and are now winless in five. Manford Way have also made a winless start to the campaign and lost 2-1 at home to Great Baddow this weekend. Dan Gage scored a brace for Great Baddow which moves them up to tenth; Lee Lashley scored for Manford Way who remain in the bottom two. Catholic United have not made the start that they, or indeed anyone, was expecting. Last season’s Premier Division Champions seems to be suffering a hangover as they were gunned down at Rayleigh Town who won the game 3-1 with Max Jones notching a hat-trick. Catholic United have drawn one and lost the remainder of their opening four games and sit one place above the drop zone. Rayleigh Town sit fourth after this success. Harold Wood Athletic were beaten 3-2 by Bishop’s Stortford Swifts which keeps them in second place, but now three points behind Buckhurst Hill. Robert Whitnell and Joe Stevens provided the Harold Wood goals, but a Charles Brown brace plus a goal from Mark Nougher secured the points for Swifts which moves them up to fifth. Kelvedon Hatch remain third after a 2-1 win at Leigh Ramblers. Dan Gilliard and Mike Daniels scored the Kelvedon goals with Matt Brinklow the Leigh scorer. Sungate provided Canning Town with one of their goals, the other one was supplied by Tom Quinn as Canning Town came over with a 2-0 away win.

Report by Scott Lanza