Barking & Dagenham 2-0 Wandsworth

BARKING & DAGENHAM U11S BOYS produced their best performance of the season as they recorded a deserved victory over Wandsworth on Saturday. Goals from Favour Fawunmi and Amin Karim were enough to see the side make it back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

Buoyed by their 6-0 victory last time out, Barking & Dagenham made a positive start to the game and  had the game’s first chance as Fawunmi’s low free-kick flashed across the face of the visitors’ goal.

Wandsworth, who knew a win would see them progress to the knockout stages, then fashioned a chance of their own but Maximus Winter’s low drive snuck past Brandon Dean’s post.

They came even closer with their next attack as they began to exert some pressure on the home side. Maxwell Emery’s trickery saw him free inside the area and his cross found Amaree Payne unmarked at the back post but the Wandsworth striker headed the ball wide.

Over

 At the other end, Karim showed great control to bring down a high ball but he was unable to keep his drive on target and the ball went over.

Fawunmi then tested Thomas Cooper with a fierce free kick.

From the resulting corner, Fawunmi rose highest to meet Harry Millburn’s corner but he was unable to direct his header on target.

The game was now end-to-end but it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score and created another decent chance as the half drew to a close. Emery was again involved, finding Leshay Small at the back post. Small bought the ball down well but screwed his effort wide of the goal and Barking & Dagenham had escaped.

The half ended with another Fawunmi header from Millburn’s set piece but once again he was unable to test Cooper.

The visitors made a quick start to the second period and thought they had taken the lead with the first attack of the half. Emery and Winter swapped passes on the edge of the box. Emery then fired a shot on goal that Dean did brilliantly to palm away. However, Payne was the first to react and stooped low to head home. His joy was short-lived however as he had headed home from an offside position.

Rocked

The decision seemed to rock the away side and Barking & Dagenham almost made them pay. Charlie Rich’s pinpoint pass released Karim who drew a smart save from Cooper. The rebound fell into Fawunmi’s path but the Hunters Hall man fired over.

Fawunmi, who began to control the game in a more central midfield role, then tried his luck from fully thirty yards. Chesting the ball down, he let fly on the half volley. Cooper was rooted to the spot but the ball went narrowly wide of the target.

Fawunmi was then involved in two more goal attempts as Barking & Dagenham began to dominate proceedings. Firstly, he seized on a poor goal-kick but he was unable to hit the target after he was closed down by Small.

Then, after riding three challenges, he set up Jaqwaan Williams but Williams’ effort was well held by Cooper.

Wandsworth then gave the home side a reminder of their attacking threat when Preston Travis-Elwin set Payne free. Pune raced clear of the Barking & Dagenham defence but he firmly struck shot hit the post before being hacked to safety.

No Chance

With time running out, and both sides looking for a winner, Barking & Dagenham finally broke the deadlock. Mason Stanton was heavily involved. The Eastbury man showed great strength to steal the ball from Felix Vilaseca before nutmegging the same player. He then squared the ball for the onrushing Fawunmi, who gave Cooper no chance with a first time shot.

Williams was then presented with two gilt-edged chances to secure the win but on both occasions, the  Valence striker failed to hit the target from close range.

However, Barking & Dagenham weren’t made to pay for the  misses as top scorer Karim made sure of the victory. The Parsloes striker was quickest to react to a poor Cooper goalkick. Driving into the area he settled himself before finishing coolly for his tenth of the season.

Wandsworth tried to find a way back into the game but were unable to test Fawunmi, who was now in goal, and Barking & Dagenham saw out the remainder of the game to secure an impressive win.

Unfortunately, the victory wasn’t enough to see Barking & Dagenham through to the latter stages of the competition but the performance will raise confidence as the side head into their Essex Finch Cup campaign.

Barking & Dagenham: Onajobi (Becontree), Karim (Parsloes), Gasperavicius (W Bellamy), Williams, Martin, Rich (Valence), Fawunmi (Hunters Hall), Stanton (Eastbury), Dean (Dorothy Barley), Millburn (Five Elms)