Woking 2-1 Barking & Dagenham

DESPITE A PROUD, defiant and passionate showing in the Southern Counties Cup final, Barking & Dagenham were narrowly edged out by national finalists Woking in an epic encounter at Oxford City F.C. Aysia Matabaro’s early goal gave the district side the ideal fillip, but second-half strikes from Madison Ayres and Ellie Turner ultimately clinched the silverware for the Surrey side.

From the opening whistle, Barking & Dagenham refused to be over-awed by the hot favourites, dominating the physical battle as Woking’s irresistible force hit the immovable object of skipper Marcheri Sherrif and her defensive deputies, Chi-Chi Musa-Onyeka and Tobe Edoka.

Debutante

The backline was well-supported by their midfield colleagues and it was one of the latter, debutante Zoe Freeman, who was at the heart of the first half’s decisive moment, crafting an opportunity for Roding’s Matabaro to sprint clear. As she bore down on the target, a calm touch and slotted finish gave the leading scorer her fourteenth goal in just nine games – a record for a Barking & Dagenham Year Five player.

Barking & Dagenham smelt blood. And when Sherrif went close moments after the restart with a forty-yard free-kick, Woking looked rattled.

On fifteen minutes, it was Matabaro again who hustled, harried and drove through the opposition rear-guard, her left foot finish lacking the power to trouble the Woking keeper.

And four minutes later, Gracie Jones broke down the right, testing the Woking goal with a powerful effort.

At half-time, Barking & Dagenham were in complete control, with Turner only once getting the better of her defensive shadow. On that occasion, Dalia Wyszczelska in goal stood firm to snaffle the danger and preserve her side’s lead at the break.

Sharper

That should have served as a warning though as Woking began the second half much sharper than their East London counterparts.

Barking & Dagenham conceded a needless corner just two minutes into the second period and Turner fizzed the subsequent set-piece into the six-yard box. The ball was never dealt with as a static defence watched on while Ayres reacted first to power home.

And five minutes later, Woking had a golden chance to take the lead. Again it was Turner who was the danger-woman, smashing a sure-fire drive into the bottom corner. Wyszczelska’s out-stretched right hand had other ideas though as the Barking & Dagenham stopper pulled off a staggering save to repel the ball up and over the crossbar.

Once they weathered that initial storm though, the district side reshuffled their pack, switching back to their starting line-up in a bid to wrestle back control.

And it almost worked.

First, Sherrif almost caught the Woking keeper off-guard with a speculative effort from thirty yards that fell just wide of the post with the empty goal gaping.

Denied

Then Matabaro picked out Jones free in the penalty area with a devastating through-ball. The keeper was sharply off her line to deny Jones’ first attempt with a brave block.

The ball ricocheted back twenty yards to Okunugu who found Jones once again in a great position. The Grafton winger unleashed a fierce drive on the angle, but her palm-stinger was tipped over to the oohs and aahs of the sizeable Barking & Dagenham crowd.

By now, as the final neared its conclusion, the tension was thick enough to cut.

Under the fierce June sun, both sides began to wilt as they dug deep to battle for every inch of ground.

So when, nine minutes from time, a tired ball was played behind the Barking & Dagenham defence, most players took the opportunity to rest as it drifted out of play.

Unassailable

Woking’s Lampard had other ideas though, stealing a march by chasing what seemed like a hopeless cause to keep the play alive, before centring to an unmarked Turner twelve yards out. As Barking & Dagenham desperately chased back, a confident first-time finish gave Woking an unassailable lead, although Wyszczelska nearly pulled off another unbelievable save as she got down low to almost parry the attempt wide once again.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Barking & Dagenham, who had given their all in an attempt to inflict defeat upon their rivals, who remain unbeaten in all competitive matches this season.

By now though, fatigue had truly set in. Barking & Dagenham struggled to craft any clear chances as Woking managed the closing stages with the mark of champions.

Attention now turns to next week’s London Girls’ League decider, against the same opponents. The district side will know that if they apply themselves with the same level of concentration, ability and effort, they will have every chance of retaining their title for a third successive campaign.

Barking & Dagenham: Tobechukwu Edoka (George Carey), Zoe Freeman (Rush Green), Ganiyat Jimoh (Northbury), Gracie Jones (Grafton), Aysia Matabaro (Roding), Chi-Chi Musa-Onyeka (St Peter’s), Rehema Okungu (George Carey), Diamond Olalaye (Hunters Hall), Marcheri Sheriff (Grafton), Dalia Wyszczelska (Hunters Hall), Eva Young (Hunters Hall), Rihanna Zaman (Hunters Hall)