ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE - THE SEASON SO FAR

ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE 

CURRENT TABLE - TOP TEN ONLY 

TEAM	P	GD	PTS	PPG
STANSTED	15	+26	36	2.40
HULLBRIDGE SPORTS	16	+16	34	2.13
SAFFRON WALDEN TOWN	15	+28	33	2.06
SPORTING BENGAL UNITED	14	+18	28	2.00
WALTHAMSTOW	15	+14	27	1.80
TAKELEY	13	+8	24	1.85
WOODFORD TOWN	14	+15	23	1.64
HODDESDON TOWN	16	+5	22	1.38
ILFORD	15	+3	22	1.47
ST MARGARETSBURY	16	-5	21	1.31

CURRENT FORM TABLE
TOP FOUR ONLY 

TEAM	P	GD	PTS
STANSTED	6	+11	15
SPORTING BENGAL	6	+10	14
SAFFRON WALDEN	6	+9	14
STANWAY ROVERS	6	+3	12

Stansted currently lead the way in the Essex Senior League with twelve wins and three defeats from their fifteen games played. Their defeats have come against fellow title challenger's Saffron Walden Town (L 0-1) on Tuesday 16th October and Hullbridge Sports (L 1-2) on Saturday 18th August along with local rival's Takeley (L 0-2) Tuesday 7th August. 

Takeley were one of the pre-season favourites for the title and currently placed in fifth place could still be involved but five defeats in nine games after winning their opening four games has put a big dent in their hopes. 

Hullbridge Sports, Saffron Walden Town and Sporting Bengal United make up the current top four in the table. United are in great form winning seven of their last ten league games - Could it be their best season since joining step five football and the Kent League in 2003? Since then they have finished 17th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 17th, 17th, 15th, 15th, 10th, 11th, 14th, 20th, 12th, 19th and 10th. 

Stanway Rovers were also expected to do well after switching from the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division over the summer under the management of Lee Fisher who joined the club from Braintree Town Reserves. Following a poor start to the campaign Fisher parted company with Rovers in mid October and they have made the appointment of former Redbridge, Aveley, Maldon & Tiptree and Thamesmead Town boss Terry Spillane. He was also boss with Stansted when they won the ESL title in 2010 and is probably most well known for leading Redbridge (then of the Isthmian Division One North) to the FA Cup Second Round Proper where they played League Two side Crawley Town. I expect to see Stanway move up the table from their current thirteenth position.

LEADING GOALSCORERS 
LEAGUE GAMES ONLY (appearances in brackets) 
Jay Knight (Sporting Bengal United) - 13 goals (9) 
Callum Ibe (Stansted) - 12 goals (13) 
Dwade James (Leyton Athletic) - 12 goals (14) 
Charncey Dash (St Mags) - 11 goals (15) 
Lewis Francis (Saffron Walden) - 11 goals (14) 
James Peagram (Walthamstow) - 11 goals (15) 

Jay Knight of Sporting Bengal United is currently top of the scoring charts with an impressive total of thirteen goals in just nine league games played. Perhaps former Tilbury striker Dwade James is the stand out player scoring twelve games in fourteen games for Leyton Athletic who are struggling second from bottom in the table winning only two of their fifteen games played. 

FORTHCOMING LEAGUE FIXTURES 

Monday 12th November

Barkingside v Takeley 

Woodford Town v Stansted 

Tuesday 13th November

Clapton v Hoddesdon Town 

Hullbridge Sports v West Essex 

Stanway Rovers v Ilford 

Wednesday 14th November  

Leyton Athletic v Redbridge 

Sporting Bengal United v Southend Manor 

Saturday 17th November

Hoddesdon Town v Takeley
Ilford v West Essex 
Leyton Athletic v Sawbridgeworth Town
Saffron Walden Town v Clapton
Southend Manor v Barkingside
St Margeretsbury v Hullbridge Sports
Stansted v Tower Hamlets
Stanway Rovers v Redbridge
Walthamstow v Woodford Town

SOME FACTS AND STATS ABOUT THE SEASON SO FAR 

WITHOUT A WIN - Barkingside
It's been a difficult start to the season for the East London side. They have drawn five and lost eleven of their sixteen league games played. Their last result was an impressive 2-2 draw at Saffron Walden Town so maybe their first win will come soon! Their next league games come against Takeley (H), Southend Manor (A) and then a run of local derby games against Redbridge (Home and Away), Ilford, Walthamstow, Sporting Bengal United, Tower Hamlets and Leyton Athletic.

MOST GOALS SCORED - Saffron Walden Town 47 
The Bloods have scored a massive 47 goals in their sixteen games played which equates to 2.98 per game. They are closely followed by Sporting Bengal United who have hit the net 42 times in their fourteen games which a slightly better average per game of 3.

NO HOME WINS - Redbridge and Barkingside 

NO AWAY WINS - Barkingside, Tower Hamlets and Enfield 
A comparison of Tower Hamlets and Enfield's home and away form shows a real difference - they certainly currently don't like playing on their travels. Both teams have scored just one goal each away from home. 

ENFIELD 

P	W	D	L	GF	GA	PTS	PPG
7	4	1	2	15	9	13	1.86
5	0	2	3	1	14	2	0.40

TOWER HAMLETS 

P	W	D	L	GF	GA	PTS	PPG
8	3	1	4	14	13	10	1.25
8	0	2	6	1	18	2	0.25