Brent 1-2 Barking & Dagenham

A MIDFIELD MASTERCLASS from Godwin’s Atene Skendelis provided the catalyst for Barking & Dagenham’s first competitive win of the season as the district side extended their unbeaten run in the London Girls’ League to thirty-five games since February 2017. Having been previously limited to a handful of appearances from the bench, Skendelis was given a maiden starting berth and seized her chance, with the BAD Girls first goal of the season and a combative display that typified the side’s indomitable character and fighting spirit.

Off the back of two defeats and three 0-0 draws, Barking & Dagenham showed no signs of a lack of confidence as they pressed and harried hosts Brent from the opening whistle, hungry for the victory their improved performances deserved.

Intent

Richard Alibon’s Dominyka Petrauskaite signalled her intent in the second minute when she drifted in from the left flank to meet Jasmine Amrane’s lay-off with a curling first-time effort from the edge of the box that clipped the outside of the opposite post, warning the home side that Barking & Dagenham meant business.

A minute later though, and the deadlock was broken. With the ball bouncing around thirty yards out from the Brent goal, Skendelis chanced her arm, showing great agility to hook what looked at first like a hopeful effort from just behind her starting position. As the shot looped towards the target, it quickly became apparent that there was nothing accidental about it, the ball dropping neatly into the far corner, to the delight of the visiting support.

Barking & Dagenham remained dominant for the rest of the half, fashioning chances with almost every attack.

Tolu Elufowoju’s lively start provided another half-chance for Petrauskaite in the sixth minute before Chloe Ajewole’s long-throw found the dancing feet of Amrane on the edge of the box. The Gascoigne playmaker laid the ball off for the onrushing Elufowoju, only for the Rush Green striker to poke wide inside the box.

Amrane then almost fashioned a second, winning a header from the home keeper’s errant drop-kick before collecting the loose ball and directing a goal-bound attempt into the grateful goalie’s midriff.

Chaos

Elufowoju and Amrane continued to cause chaos, with a one-two on the edge of the box splitting open the Brent rear-guard only for Elufowoju’s final effort to fall wide once more.

To an extent, Brent managed to stem the tide for the closing stages of the first half. But they rarely troubled the visitors’ goal as Barking & Dagenham maintained control with Ajewole and Sasha Stoute resolute at the back, and Skendelis dropping into the back line to snuff out any flicker of home attack time and time again.

A late cameo from debutante Comfort Mazel, backed up by the energy of Goresbrook’s Jaydee Williams, wrestled back momentum, as she combined with Raima Hossain before finding Amrane for another effort that whistled past the post to reassert Barking & Dagenham’s dominance.

However, a drop in intensity after the restart gave Brent a foothold in the game and the next ten minutes drifted by without any real clear-cut attempt on goal.

In fact, it was the hosts who came the closest, with a rare drive from the edge of the box producing a fine low, diving stop from Northbury’s Francisca Arhin.

Ragged

That should have provided a wake-up call for the visitors. Instead though, Brent exploited a gaping hole in the Barking & Dagenham back-line to fire home in similar fashion, but with a little extra power and precision ensuring Arhin was finally beaten for the first time in three games.

For a brief period, a ragged Barking & Dagenham looked vulnerable to falling behind, with a series of dangerous corners testing their resolve.

But a quick change in formation returned the goal threat the visitors had been missing and allowed respite for the backline.

Elufowoju returned to a central striking role and immediately picked out Petrauskaite for Barking & Dagenham’s first clearcut chance of the half.

Petrauskaite then turned creator, only for Amrane’s goal-bound shot to be charged down by a last-gasp sliding defensive block.

The lead was restored moments later though when Amrane burst into the box once more to apply pressure and panic. Yet another Brent tackle denied her initial run, but the clearance fell straight to Elufowoju six yards outs, with the goal at her mercy. Two touches later and Barking & Dagenham had the lead once more.

Rusne Rimkeviciute summed up the visitors’ defiance in the closing stages with a series of blocks, tackles and interceptions, ably back up by Stout, Ajewole, and the ever-willing Skendelis, to see her side home. This time, Barking & Dagenham were not letting go.

Table-Toppers

The result sees the district side top the inaugural London Girls’ League Group 2 table, with games against Hackney, Wandsworth and St Albans to follow.

And it is the latter who provide the next opponents for the BAD Girls as they travel to Hertfordshire next week for a second round ESFA National Cup tie with a win finally under their belts and a significant improvement in performance since the two sides met in early October.

Barking & Dagenham: Ajewole (George Carey), Skendelis (Godwin), Williams (Goresbrook), Arhin (Northbury), Hossain (Northbury), Petrauskaite (Richard Alibon), Elufowoju (Rush Green), Stoute (Rush Green), Rimkeviciute (William Bellamy), Amrane (Gascoigne), Mazel (Godwin)