Barking & Dagenham 5-1 Tower Hamlets

BARKING & DAGENHAM WELCOMED Tower Hamlets to a hot and sunny Robert Clack feeling good about themselves following three straight wins during half term, safe in the knowledge that a win would book their place in the semi-finals of the Lester Finch Trophy. The visitors however, had not received the memo.

Far from cantering to victory, the BAD Boys found themselves on the back foot early on – as Tower Hamlets quickly set about the task of rocking Barking & Dagenham’s boat.

A quick move and low shot on four minutes served notice to the home side that the visitors had not read the script.

Opener

Royal blue shirts were by now pouring forward in search of the opener, only to meet Ibrahim Msabah at the heart of the Barking & Dagenham defence. Aided by George Carey teammate Jahcorey Blair-Charles, the two broke up multiple Tower Hamlets incursions with key tackles and interceptions.

Msabah however was powerless to stop the Tower Hamlets opener. On eight minutes, a quick one-two down the right-hand side and first-time cross, led to a tap in that Msabah still very nearly prevented with a last-ditch challenge.

The underdogs were ahead and showing no signs of slowing down.

Sensing attack was the best form of defence, the hosts began to step it up.

Captain Lesecond Yeutembip had a long shot just over.

Nearly

Chibuzo Okoli nearly scored directly from a corner but was denied by a superb save from the visitor’s goalkeeper.

The Tower Hamlets stopper would repeat the act moments later, tipping over brilliantly from Yeutembip’s long range free kick.

Switched to the left wing, Blair-Charles began to look dangerous with his first-time crosses.

Northbury’s Benjamin Oluyemmy was providing the service from the opposite wing, and Blair-Charles would also see his free kick deflected narrowly wide.

It was looking like one of those days for the BAD Boys.

Scare

With fourteen minutes gone, Tower Hamlets nearly made it two. A swift counterattack down the left-hand side led to a cross – and first time shot – that was expertly stopped by Dexter Douglas with a perfectly timed tackle. The St Vincent’s full back was back on his feet in an instant to also block the follow up shot from the rebound. Another scare, and both sides were in need of a well-earned water break.

The hosts needed a lift and a spark. Okoli would provide it on seventeen minutes, when a rash challenge led to free kick being awarded just outside of the box. The William Ford striker stepped up to curl a fantastic shot right into the top corner – and Barking & Dagenham were level.

The goal lifted the home side, and they began to come forward with greater regularity.

Captain Les shot just over again, and the busy midfield put Okoli through on the stroke of half time.

The only answer the visitor’s defence could come up with to stop Okoli was to foul him, and a clear penalty was awarded. He would however place his spot kick just wide, and the sides went into the break level.

By now, the hosts could smell blood and were straight onto the front foot from the restart.

Dribbles

Oluyemmy’s  dribbles were giving the left back a headache, and Denzel Decardi-Nelson began to cause problems having been quiet thus far. Crosses arrived with regularity, and Tower Hamlets were hanging on.

The go-ahead goal would come on forty-five minutes courtesy of another Okoli corner, which was tapped home by Msabah for his first of the season.

On forty-eight minutes Okoli grabbed his second, as Tower Hamlets once again failed to cope with one of his vicious in-swinging corners. The ball flew straight into the visitor’s net – with the defence in bemusement – and it was 3-1 to the BAD Boys.

Three became four on fifty-two minutes, as Chinoso Ibeh continued where Oluyemmy had left off by tormenting the full back. His power, pace and cross found Okoli unmarked, and though his shot was saved, it was lucky for Decardi-Nelson – who was on hand to tap in his thirteenth goal of the season.

The hosts would end in style two minutes from time, as a great team move from front to back found Decardi-Nelson down the left-hand side. His first-time cross found Okoli, who controlled, set himself, and rifled a shot low and hard into the bottom corner for his hat-trick.

Job done in the group stage for Barking & Dagenham – and safe passage to the semi-final. next up is another game against Tower Hamlets, this time away in the Crisp Shield quarter-final.

Barking & Dagenham: George Miller (Grafton), Dexter Douglas (St Vincent’s), Ibrahim Msabah (George Carey), Jayden Ikechukwu (St Vincent’s), Denzel Decardi-Nelson (St Peter’s), Lesecond Yeutembip (Northbury), Jahcorey Blair-Charles (George Carey), Chinoso Ibeh (St Peter’s), Chibuzo Okoli (William Ford), Shayne Pickering (Richard Alibon), Ruari Stanton (Northbury), Benjamin Oluyemmy (Northbury), Marvellous Oppong (Northbury)