Croydon 1-1 Barking & Dagenham
AFTER FOUR WINS on the spin, Barking & Dagenham’s one-hundred percent record finally came to end as they travelled to Croydon for their latest London Girls’ League fixture. It could have been a lot worse for the visitors however if wasn’t for Miquellah Meade’s last gasp equaliser, drilled home from close range in the final minute of regular time.
At the start of a cagey affair, it was Barking & Dagenham who began the brighter when, in the second minute, Kayla Grain found space on the right wing. Her pass inside picked out Holly Anderson who cut the ball back for Emily Brown to fire a shot on target from outside the penalty area.
Pressure
That effort was tipped over by the home keeper but began a period of sustained pressure as Croydon were pinned back in their own half. Defenders Ianna Msekwa and Abigail Asare just about managed to deal with any attempts by the hosts to break out whilst Grain remained a constant threat down the right.
In fact, it was five minutes before half-time when Croydon registered their first effort on target as Barking & Dagenham were slow to close down and Maria Omotayo had to smother a long-range effort at the second attempt.
That was all the action until the second minute of the second half as both midfields battled for supremacy. On that occasion, Omotayo saved well at the feet of an opposition forward, diving bravely to deny a certain goal.
Barking & Dagenham’s best chance of a goal looked like coming from either Grain or Meade. Both Y5 midfielders caused problems for their opposite numbers, creating panic in possession.
First it was Grain who fired a shot from range that sliced narrowly wide. Then Meade volleyed past the near post as she met Brown’s low cross on the run, following more good work by Grain.
Goal
However, it was the home team who began to assert their authority as the half wore on and it was no surprise when they finally forced the opening goal, just four minutes from full time.
In hope rather than expectation, Barking & Dagenham responded by pushing the combative Meade further forward into a striking role, backed up by Anderson, and the move paid off in a dramatic style.
It was Grain’s whipped delivery from deep that dipped and swerved into the danger zone, forcing the home keeper to intervene, the ball ricocheting off her shins to the feet of Anderson. The Grafton forward’s first effort was blocked, and the second saved, before the loose ball bounced across the face of goal. Meade was first to react, springing up to lash the ball into the empty net from two yards out to rescue her side.
Injury time brought a tense finale as Barking & Dagenham were forced to defend a series of Croydon corners – but by now the visitors were resolute and none of the opposition pressure ever looked likely to pay off.
The point all but secured progress into the league’s top division as Barking & Dagenham claimed their seventh point from three of their four group games. Lewisham stand as the only barrier to their progress however results elsewhere before then may well ensure qualification before then.
Barking & Dagenham: Emily Brown (Godwin); Kayla Grain (Richard Alibon); Miquelleh Meade (Henry Green); Ellie Mai Morgan (Henry Green); Ianna Msekwa (George Carey); Maria Omotayo (Roding); Grace Young (Hunters Hall); Holly Anderson (Grafton); Abigail Asare (Henry Green)