Despite not being anywhere near the force they were last year, Methane Boys under-14s stepped on the gas to move further along the Southend Junior League Cup glory trail with a 2-1 win.

Methane won the under-13 Cup last season, but have lost seven players from that squad since the summer. However, they took an early hold on this tie with Southend Manor thanks to two goals from Craig MacDonald in the first 15 minutes

This game was played at the Youth Ground, where Methane had already lost 9-0 to Fairfax earlier this season. However, there was to be no repeat of that disaster.

Manor themselves had problems. They hadn't played for five weeks, had their regular goalkeeper unavailable through injury, and were playing a team two divisions above themselves.

Manor captain Paul Rafferty proved an able deputy in goal by making many fine saves to keep his side in the match, but they slowly recovered their form and scored before half-time through Tom Southgate.

Chances were few and far between after the break. Manor battled for an equaliser, but the Methane defence was well marshalled by captain Lewis Florence, one of the best players on the pitch.

Fairfax Rangers under-15s were the comeback kings of the Southend Junior League this week.

Trailing 4-0 at half-time against Woodham Athletic 2nd, one of the top sides in the BDivision, they came back to win 5-4 in the dying minutes of a thrilling second-half.

Goals came from DannyMiller (two) Ryan Lawless (two) and Luke Baker.

southend junior

Wanderers enjoy festive goal feast

Stanford Wanderers enjoyed a real goal feast when they entertained Beech United in Thundermite under-16 action.

Rimmer and Coppard both recorded hat-tricks, Hibbert and Curran bagged braces and Allan rounded things off as Wanderers ran out 11-1 winners over their visitors.

Waterlogged pitches again ensured that many games were postponed, but league chiefs are hoping the situation will have improved by January 7 when the league reconvenes following the festive break.

UNDER EIGHT

Jupiter Division: FC Redwing 3 (Agombar 2, Constable),Chalvedon Boys 2 (Billington, Pettingell). Neptune Division: Essex Royals 8 (Doyle 5, J.Smith 2, Edgell), Basildon Boys 0; Stanford Boys 0, LTD Comets 1.

Mars Division: Linford Wanderers 1 (Sedgewick), Purfleet YFC 6 (Kohl, Hoddy, Pritchard, Crown 2, McDonach); Blackshots 3 (Painter, Sole, Dean), Wilburn Wanderers 1 (Tooks); LTD Stars 1 (Austin), Corringham Cosmos Utd 1 (Lewis);

Purfleet Lions 2 (Wynne 2), Corringham Athletic 1 (Harrold).

UNDER NINE

Mars Division: Billericay 9, Little Basildon Colts 1; Coombewood 0, Grovewood 1 (Brett).

Jupiter Division: LTD Flyers 2 (Norris, Kingdon), Chalvedon Boys 4 (Mustafa 2, Culleton 2).

Neptune Division: LTD Dolphins 3 (Stone 2, Carley), Purfleet Lions 2 (McConnell, Moore).

UNDER TEN

Mars Division: Corringham Cos Town 1, Grays Cos Lions 2; Ltd 0, Trinity Utd Tigers 3 (Chatting, Leary, Piggott).

Jupiter Division: Purfleet YFC 5 (Bennett, Marrow 2, Byron, Sibley), Forest Glade White 1 (Douglas); Grays Cos Tigers 1, Grovewood Sports 2.

Neptune Division: All games posponed.

Venus Division: Grays Cos Pumas 1, Vange Utd Red 0; Purfleet Lions White 0, Thunderfleet City 1 (Merrick); Redmill Rangers 4 (Suddaby 2, Curtis 1, Einchcombe), Linford Wand B 1; Wilburn Wand 1 (Carter), Corringham Cos City 1 (Still).

UNDER 11

Premier Division: Billericay Town 4 (Leonard, Haigh, Mayer, Fraser), Coombewood Rangers 1.

'A' Division: Wilburn Wanderers 3 (Lucas, Wood, Lizzimore), Little Thurrock Dynamos 3 (Sweeney 2, Hazelwood).

UNDER 12

Premier: Corstan 3 (Gill 2, Payne), Redmill 1; Grovewood v E.Thurrock - no result received from Grovewood

Division A: The Jets v Forest Glade - no result received from The Jets; Wilburn v Grovewood - no result received from Wilburn.

UNDER 14

Blackshots Colts 0, Billericay 0.

League Cup Round One: Purfleet Lions 2 (Braun, Twardochleb) Essex Royals 0; Chalvedon Boys 3 (Lawford 2, Dean), Pegasus 5 (Crosby-Emery, Hill 2, Grech 2); Fortune 6 (Buckley 2, Sopp, White, Clarke, Marley), East Thurrock 2.

UNDER 16

Fullbrook Juniors 3 (Ellis, Green, Day), Furness Juniors 4; Stanford Wanderers 11 (Rimmer 3, Coppard 3, Hibbert 2, Allan, Curran 2), Beech Utd 1.

RESULTS

Under 11

League Cup Round 1: Ekco Whitecaps 4 (Daniels 2, Walkinshaw, Giles), Elmwood Colts 0

League Cup Round 2: Canvey Orient 8 (Cook 4, Gregan, Walker 2, Griffin), Kingdown Rangers 2nd 1 (Jacobs); Island Boys 10 (Vince 4, Dainty, Noakes 3, Hawkes, Ferrer), Trinity Jnrs 3rd 1 (Haycock); Dons Academy 1 (O'Neill), Hullbridge Sports 2 (Joy, Ogolvie)

Division A: Shoebury Boys 1 (Smith (pen)), Chalvedon Boys 9 (Few 4, Fosh, Morton 2, Muncer 2); Trinity Utd 1 (Bambridge), Rockets 2 (Tindell, Sperring)

Division B: Dons Acad 2nd 2 (Irvine, Khan), Gt Wakering Colts 2 (Pavitt, Porter); Fairfax Rangers 2 (Rushiti, Ali), Hamlet Court 2 (own goal, Dear); Rayleigh Boys 2nd 1 (Hood), Beech Utd 2nd 7 (Bedford 3, Hatt 3, Cross);

Division C: Hamlet Court 2nd 5 (Ball 3, De Veuve 2), Ekco Whitecaps 2nd 0; Kingdown Rangers 3rd 12 (Cleasby 5, Guiton, Moxom 4, Griffiths 2), Elmwood Colts 2nd 0

Division D: Dons Academy 3rd 1 (Clark), Young Cannons 5 (McDonnagh, Miller, Day 2, Gatfield); Rayleigh Boys 3rd 0, Allstar Colts 7 (Westwell 5, Ashdown, Clayton); Allstar Colts 2 (Westwell, Solly), Trinity Jnrs 3rd 2 (Bagdas, Haycock)

Easy Cup, Round 2: Britsec Corinthians B 1, Blackshots Colts 13 (Cariello, Fraser 2, Nelson, McGinity 2, Sole 2, Nicholls 5)

Under 12

League Cup 2nd Round: Westering Tigers 2 (Patch 2), Benfleet Youth 7 (Underhill 3, Fisher, Smith, Caine, Roberts); Rayleigh Boys 12 (Hamilton 6, Connery, Tryrell 3, Gomes 2), Canvey Island Youth 2 (Bath 2); Falcons Youth 1 (Williams), Trinity Jun 0; Echo Whitecaps 0, Island Boys 2 (Bruce, Collisson)

Premier Division: Felmore Youth 1, Regis Boys 3

Division B: Elmwood Colts 3, Vange United Boys 8; Hamlet Court 2, Island Boys 3rd 5; Southend Manor 0, Rockets 5

Division C: Catholic United 8, Rochford Town 2

Division D: Trinity Juniors 3rd 1, Outwood Common 8; Fairfax Rangers 5, Benfleet Villa 2

Under 13

League Cup, Round 2: Chalvedon Boys 2, Trinity Juniors 1 (Richards 3, Hoskins); Ekco Whitecaps 9 (Williams 3, Trenkel 2, Farmer 3, Hawkes), Benfleet Villa 1; Island Boys 1 (Catlan), Elmwood Colts 5 (Gosnell 2, Hermans 3)

Premier Division: Rockets 2 (Hibbert), Fairfax Rangers 2 (Keane, Stobbart);

Division A: Hawkwell Athletic 1 (Robertson), Hullbridge Sports 1 (zimmer); Corinthian Scorpions 0, Rayleigh Boys 6 (Beaumont 3, Delgarno, Weyell 2); Castledon Colts 2 (Green, Harris ), Westering Tigers 1 (Bedford); Wickford Town Youth 0, Hawkwell Athletic 2nd

Division B: Canvey Orient 3 (Harris, Loughlin, Sharpe), Rayleigh Boys 2nd 2 (Norton, Baynes); Parkside Swifts 1 (Williams), Thorpe Athletic 0; Great Wakering Colts 0, Rockets 2nd 4 (Rollins, Sharpe, Edmeads, Sparing)

Division C: Whitmore Rangers 2 (Anderson, Green), Great Wakering Colts 3 (Cripps 2, Kirby); Trinity Juniors 3rd 5 (Kyprianou 4, Camp), Westering Tigers 2nd 2

Under 14

League Cup Round 1: Woodside Colts 3 (M Smith, Bailey, O'Meera), Kingdown Rangers 9 (Moore 4, Kernock 3, Jay 2)

League Cup Round 2: Vange Utd 1, Elmwood Colts 5; Trinity Juniors 8 (West 2, Pleasant 2, Smith, Saunders, Downes 2), Castle Colts 0; Gt Wakering Colts 4 (Brown 2, Al-Shaar, Reeves), Whitmore Rangers 2 (Brown, O'Sullivan); Methane Boys 2 (McDonald 2), Southend Manor 1

Division A: Leigh Ramblers 1 (Lambourne), Canterbury Harriers 5; Ecko Whitecaps 2nd 1 (Redding), Canvey Island Youth 2 (M Edwards, McGuire);

Division B: Blackgate Gunners 5 (Harris, Hird 3, Spillet), Fairfax Rangers 2nd 6; Trinity Juniors 2nd 10 (Whittaker 5, Ward 2, Bowell 2, Baptist), Parkside Swifts 3 (Purvis, Machin, Ratcliff)

Division C: Benfleet Villa 11 (Dorey, Wall, Ekers 4, Fisher 2, Pryce 2, Thurley), Ashingdon Boys 2nd 2 (Berry, Wood); Shoebury Boys 4 (Isaacs, Crowe, Koher 2), Benfleet Youth 2nd 3 (Crane, Evers, Nicholls)

Under 15

League Cup, 1st Round: Ashingdon Boys 0, Woodland Boys 7 (Gosnall 3, Cheesewright 2, Bass, Foyer)

League Cup, 2nd Round: Tritan Youth 4 (Myall 2, Welsh, Noble), Island Boys 1 (O'Connor); Blackshot Colts 3 (Cox, West, Roast), Woodland Boys 2 (Tindall, Gosnell); Gt Wakering Colts 3 (Coulson 2, Evans), Beech United 3 (Hipgrave, Dyrussell, Davy) (Wakeing won 5-4 on pens); Trinity United 0, Ekco Whitecaps 21 (Wilkin, Bentley 5, Hannon 5, Joseph 4, Pierce 2, Reade 2, Hallmark, Rees, Griffiths) ; Steepleview FC 3 (Bridges, Lowe, Medhurst), Canvey Island Youth 2 (Bass, Collier)

Division A: Leigh Ramblers 3 (Revell 2, Ponsford), Essex Royals 6 (Sims 2, Honour 2, Mead, Chinnery); Woodham Ath 7 (Pilgrim 2, Meredith 2, Wright, Newby, Monk), Ashingdon Boys 2nd 0

Division B: Elmwood Colts 4 (McCloud 2, Roberts, Smith), Shoebury Boys 1 (Moore); Northleigh Colts 4 (Davies, Probert, Lafferty 2), Wickford Rangers 0; Rochford Town 4 (Pearce, Easlia, Kelly, Denton); Woodside Colts 2 (Tidy 2); Woodham Athletic 2nd 4 (Knight, Francis, own goal), Fairfax Rangers 5 (Baker, Miller 2, Lawless 2)

Under 16

Cup, Round 2: Woodside Colts 7 (Astley 3, Gentry 3, Pinnock), Wickford Dynamos 4 (Suavi 4)

Premier Division: Grays Spartans 4 (Halliday, White, Feaver, McCarthey), Elmwood Colts 3 (Bellinger, Bartlett, Kerschel)

Division A: Young Cannons 5 (Halliday 3, Thompson, Linette), Thorpe Athletic 2 (Manley, Graham); Thundersley Rovers 2 (Scriven, Dick), Outwood Common 8 (Muir 4, Calaz, Utting, Hopton, McDonald)

Division B: Benfleet Villa 2 (Alden, Cooper), Old Southendians 7 (Polley 2, Bill 2, Stillwell 2, Davies).

On the run - Methane's Danny Taylor (right) holds off a challenge from Southend Manor's Danny Benson.

Picture: MALCOLM STOCKWELL

By Dick Marshall

Reporter's e-mail: dick.marshall@notes.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.