Upminster Men’s 5 (6 v 0) Waltham Forest 5 – Emerson Park
Upminster 5s opened the new season with a comprehensive 6-0 win against Waltham Forest 5, in blistering heat at Emerson Park. Buoyed by returning club legends, John Daltrey, Steve Woods, and Oliver Peck, and the youthful combination of Alex Cutmore and Sam Burdett in midfield, Upminster took a 4-0 lead in the first half with goals from Lester Farrant, Peck, and a brace by Matt ‘Shakes’ Beth. A spirited Waltham Forest team refused to lie down, and applied significant pressure in the second half culminating in goalkeeper Daltrey being called into action on several occasions (including saving a penalty flick), and team captain Patrick Carroll clearing a goalbound effort off the line. However, with five minutes to go Peck completed his brace with a reverse strike to the top corner of the net, and moments before the final whistle Paul Scott added his name to the scoresheet with a close range finish. Upminster 5’s will look to consolidate their position as Division 6SE frontrunners as they travel to Witham next Saturday.
Upminster Men’s 5 (1 v 1) Witham 5 – Witham Sports Centre
Upminster 5’s followed up their demolition of Waltham Forest 5 with a battling draw, away to an attack-minded Witham team. Against the run of play, Upminster opened the scoring when Alex Cutmore crossed to find Lester Farrant, who struck for his second goal of the season. Unperturbed by this setback, Witham took the game to Upminster on an almost relentless basis, with goalkeeper John Daltrey making several diving saves. On the stroke of half time, Witham finally breached the Upminster defensive wall from a well worked short corner routine. The second half contained in the same vein, as Witham created numerous chances. However, Daltrey, centre-half, Phil Banks, and debutant Thomas Cargill proved impervious in Upminster’s defence, as the away team held on for 1-1 draw. Upminster will travel to Brentwood next Saturday, as they look to preserve their unbeaten start to the season.
