BARKING & DAGENHAM GIRLS CAME home from the Woking Festival with a balanced record of two wins, a draw and two defeats at the end of an entertaining afternoon’s football in Surrey. With fourteen teams from across the country taking part, it was a time to experiment and enjoy playing against a range of opponents from outside of the London Girls’ League – including a first ever international fixture against Welsh opposition in the form of Swansea.
Having beaten Gloucester 3-0 in the Southern Counties Cup final just five days before, Barking & Dagenham fell behind against the same opposition early on in their first game. With their opponents hitting the bar, and Mei Wang forced into a brace of fine saves, Gloucester had clearly entered the match with a point to prove.
On the Ropes
Vice-captain Kayla Grain showed her quality though, smashing a fine strike from twenty-five yards that found the roof of the net five minutes from time.
With Gloucester on the ropes, Violette Sharpe almost made it two just seconds later when she rode a series of tackle before driving a fierce strike goal-wards from inside the box. The ball was tipped over however with the two sides forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
It was another sensational strike that brought victory in the next game against Stevenage. This time it was Kaltrina Ibrahimi who received a through ball from Ellie Mai Morgan, twenty yards out on the left-hand side. A sublime piece of skill found the time and space to force out a shot that found the opposite top corner for a 1-0 win.
At the other end, Wang produced a brave one-on-one stop to deny skipper Sarah Bai, whilst the imperious Elishah Mintah-Adarkwah’s late challenge denied the same player a certain equaliser in the closing stages.
It was Swansea next as Grain embarked on a one-woman mission to win the game for her team. With her fifth attempt on goal in the opening five minutes, she eventually found the target, dancing her way through the penalty area, evading several challenges, before calmly prodding home her tenth district goal.
An hour’s break brought a chance to rest but also interrupted Barking & Dagenham’s momentum, something ruthlessly exploited by national finalists Bexley. The Kent side ambushed their Essex counterparts, going 2-0 early on and benefiting from the slope to besiege the Barking & Dagenham goal for much of the game.
Injuries
With Morgan carrying a knock, and Sharpe suffering an ankle injury midway through the game, a reorganised Barking & Dagenham pack defended valiantly to gain a foothold and threaten on the break. Grain saw a thirty-yarder pushed wide for a corner and Ibrahimi’s shot was deflected wide amidst strong shouts for a handball inside the box and a clear penalty.
Despite her injury, Morgan broke down the left to fire from an acute angle into the top corner of the side netting and Grain’s header from an Ibrahimi corner also threatened.
But it was Bexley who added to their tally despite a brave and resilient effort from Barking & Dagenham.
Undeterred
The hosts were the final opponents, with Barking & Dagenham undeterred by defeat, pinning their opponents back from the outset.
The best chance came when a piece of magic from Ruby Abela on the right saw her fashion a cross which picked out Morgan in the box. The subsequent effort was scrambled off the line although Barking & Dagenham continued to impress.
Instead though, a long ball from the back found Jasmine Lampard in space, with the tricky Woking forward twisting and turning her way into the box for the winner.
Barking & Dagenham: Mei Wang (Henry Green); Kirsten McNaughton (George Carey); Ellie Mai Morgan (Henry Green); Violette Sharpe (Gascoigne); Kayla Grain (Richard Alibon); Lily-Mae Elsey (Northbury); Elishah-Oliviae Mintah Adarkwah (George Carey); Kaltrina Ibrahimi (William Ford); Kezia Owusu-Abeiye (Valence); Ruby Abela (Dorothy Barley)