Essex Under-18s completed their South-East Counties Championship Group B campaign in style as they secured a comfortable 6-0 win over the Amateur Football Alliance at the Len Salmon Stadium.

An early goal from Hornchurch youngster Torgbor Torto-Tetteh set Essex on the way after just 10 minutes, before Callum Fitzer and Tom Troubridge gave the hosts a three-goal interval lead.

An own goal extended the gap after the break before Hornchurch’s Sonny Dutton added a brace to seal the win.

But despite the dominance of Essex’s performance, their hopes of reaching a second successive championship play-off hang in the balance as Hertfordshire’s 1-0 win over Middlesex on the same day means Herts need only to avoid defeat to the Alliance in April to progress to the decider with Kent.

Essex’s 10th-minute lead arrived when full-back Torto-Tetteh completed a good move by springing onto a through ball before clipping a fine finish beyond goalkeeper Harry Hauserman.

It was then 2-0 with 36 minutes played as Fitzer’s excellent curling free-kick found the far top corner from 20 yards.

A third goal put Essex well on the road to victory as Troubridge rifled an excellent shot into the right-hand corner and, shortly before half time, Alliance keeper harry Hauserman made a good save to push away a free-kick from Romford’s Sofian Maghouz.

In testing conditions, which saw virtually all the seasons in 90 minutes, Essex continued the storm as they kicked on in the second half.

Maghouz’s deflected shot from a Jay Bacon dead ball zipped just wide before the fourth goal arrived on 62 minutes as Hornchurch’s Obi Molefi saw his cross diverted in for an own goal.

Dutton made an immediate impression from the bench, taking the ball past Hauserman, but firing just wide from a tight angle before making it 5-0 on 71 minutes, getting through on goal and drilling a firm drive inside the near post.

Substitute keeper Max Day made a good save from another low Dutton drive and, from the resulting corner, Bacon’s cross was headed wide by Troubridge at the far post.

But the scoring was wrapped up six minutes from time as Adetokunbo Sotoyinbo teed up Dutton, who slotted his second into an empty net.

Essex: Billy Le Ferve (Barking Abbey College), Torgbor Torto-Tetteh (AFC Hornchurch), Jay Bacon (Romford), Thomas Duffy (Billericay Town), Jack McQueen (Barking), Tom Troubridge (Bowers & Pitsea), Louis Young (Concord Rangers), Sofian Maghouz (Romford), Peter Oyetunji (Romford), Callum Fitzer (Bowers & Pitsea), Obi Molefi (AFC Hornchurch). Substitutes (repeated): Tyler Cavener (Southend Manor/Billericay Town), Sonny Dutton (AFC Hornchurch), Adetokunbo Sotoyinbo (Hullbridge Sports/Grays Athletic).