Woking 0-1 Barking & Dagenham

BACK IN OCTOBER, the 2023/24 version of the Barking & Dagenham girls’ district team began their season with a succession of draws at the Southern Counties League Cup heats in St Albans. Now in June, thirty games down the line, skipper Jona Islami’s defence registered their sixteenth clean sheet, whilst Zainab Touray slammed in the team’s forty-fourth goal to cap off their latest victory in the London Girls’ League over hosts Woking.

In between, the team have dazzled at times with scintillating attacking play lighting up a succession of venues across the South East. The team has evolved gradually over that time and become a well-respected – and often feared – force in district football, adding to the legacy of Barking & Dagenham generations past.

But they certainly had to work hard for their final hurrah.

Errors

Most of their problems were self-inflicted, as the visitors began in lacklustre fashion, with errors littering their play from front to back. Misplaced passes, a lack of urgency and a scrambled collective concentration led to much huffing and puffing and scratching of heads in the opening stages, with a defensive mistake almost gifting Woking the lead early on.

Barking & Dagenham managed one moment of quality when Amelia Hussain and Abbie Blewitt exchanged sharp passes before the latter laid the ball off to Comfort Mazel. An exquisite first-time pass was slipped through the home defences and electric winger Malaika Uwandji was set off and running. On this occasion though, the resulting attempt needed more power and precision to pierce the keeper’s well-positioned hands.

However, it took until the introduction of energetic Y5 duo Paloma Correia and Aaliyah Felix midway through the half to prompt any real control and sustained pressure.

It was Felix who nearly converted Blewitt’s seventeenth minute corner for the visitors’ next effort of note.

And, three minutes before the break, it was Felix once again who broke down the left before slipping the ball inside to Blewitt, reciprocating their earlier exchange.

Blewitt’s intelligence, turning and switching to the opposite flank with a stunning ball wide to Touray, opened up an ocean of space for the Northbury winger to exploit.

After-Burners

There was still much to do. Touray was in her own half when Blewitt set her free but she quickly turned on the after-burners to get beyond the Woking back-line and advance on goal with a perfect first touch.

Before she could get her shot away, Touray then demonstrated her strength to hold off the last defender’s challenge before rifling into the top corner for her second in as many games.

The goal flattered Barking & Dagenham, who struggled to recapture their hitherto excellent post-Easter form, but it galvanised their ranks and reminded several of what they were capable of when they put their minds to it.

The second half continued to be a struggle, but now Barking & Dagenham were in control. Islami was colossal in the centre of the back three – heading spectacularly, tackling fiercely, and bringing the ball out with calm and intelligence.

Aggression

Alongside her, Maria Mateus was a warrior. No-one had any hope of getting past, with the George Carey right back’s controlled aggression snuffing out any hope of a Woking advance down the left.

But it was Gilda Hasani who really caught the eye, slipping Felix in behind with a fabulous first touch of the game before marauding back and forth to foundation a succession of raids down her side of the pitch.

Nine minutes into the half, Hasani’s cross flashed across goal with non-one on hand to convert.

And her quick throw inside to Blewitt was spread wide to Felix, now deployed on the right, who drove determinedly into the box before spiralling wide under pressure from a last-gasp challenge.

Felix wasn’t put off by her miss as another blistering run saw her get to the byline, cutting a deflected cross back across the box towards the onrushing Blewitt. The touch though took the ball slightly behind the vice-captain, who adjusted her feet well to get her effort away, but not enough to keep it down as the ball thundered back off the bar to give Woking a lucky escape.

A second goal would have been just reward for the improvement in performance following the interval. But perhaps its absence balanced out the generous reward of the first.

Distinction

Victory secured a fourth-place finish in this year’s competition, with Barking & Dagenham the only team to qualify for every Super Six since its inception in 2014. Added to their Southern Counties Intermediate Cup title and a semi-final spot in the Essex League, and it has been another brilliant season for Barking & Dagenham who remain one of the stalwarts of girls’ district football.

The management team would like to wish the girls all the best, both on and off the pitch, as they move on to pastures new (or return for trials in the Autumn). They have made every Saturday a pleasure and represented their borough with distinction. They will be missed.

Well-played to you all.

Barking & Dagenham: Emily Peka (Valence); Jona Islami (Roding); Gilda Hasani (Northbury); Abbie Blewitt (Hunters Hall); Paloma Correia (George Carey); Grace Attwood-Adams (The Leys); Malaika Uwandji (Roding); Amelia Hussain (Richard Alibon); Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s); Zainab Touray (Northbury); Maria Mateus (George Carey); Comfort Mazel (Godwin); Aaliyah Felix (Goresbrook)