Winners: Barking & Dagenham

BRILLIANT BARKING & DAGENHAM SURGED to a maiden Southern Counties League Plate title as they banged in thirteen goals without reply in Bath. Inspired by the incredible form of Richard Alibon’s Dominyka Petrauskaite and the goals of tournament top-scorer Jaydee Williams, the Essex League runners-up dazzled from first to last, claiming their opening silverware of the season in the process.

In their opening rubber, Barking & Dagenham lined up against Sutton, with whom they had drawn 0-0 in the qualifying competition on the opening day of the season.

Well-Drilled

Since then though, Barking & Dagenham have matured into a slick and well-drilled district side and their class told when they took the lead in the opening minute. Showing no signs of fatigue from the three-hour journey, Petrauskaite launched a typical drive down the left before switching to opposite winger Raima Hossain. The Northbury star kept her cool to centre for Tolu Elufowoju, with the skipper affecting an adept turn to swivel and finish inside the box.

On six minutes, the lead was doubled as Atene Skendelis won possession and spread play to the predatory Petrauskaite. Sniffing blood, she cut inside in trademark fashion, before drilling inside the post for 2-0.

And it was Petrauskaite at the heart of the third, tackling fiercely in a central position to tee-up Williams for her first of the morning.

Stubborn resistance followed in the form of a defiant Swansea side who held on to their clean sheet for the first three-quarters of the game, despite heavy Barking & Dagenham bombardment.

Five minutes from time though, Alethea-Becky Adjoh-Davoh’s slide rule pass played Petrauskaite through on goal in a central position. A great first touch and unstoppable finish… and Barking & Dagenham were ahead.

Petrauskaite wasn’t done there though.

As Swansea threw forward everything they had, the Richard Alibon midfielder cut out a Welsh corner at the near post before sprinting the length of the pitch with a lung-busting run that drew a fine near post save to deny her a second.

Reward

A minute later, Petrauskaite seized her reward. It was Hossain who snaffled the ball back as Swansea relinquished possession, before playing in her team-mate, who rounded the keeper to tap into the empty net with all the poise and confidence expected of a player scoring her fourth in three games.

A win over Slough would guarantee a top-two finish and Barking & Dagenham went about their business in ruthless fashion.

Petrauskaite was felled in the box inside thirty seconds, with Elufowoju stroking home the spot kick for an immediate lead.

The skipper then crossed for Williams to tap in before Petrauskaite picked out the same player for a composed finish two minutes later.

Adjoh-Davoh cut down the right to cut-back for Sasha Stoute, who drilled her first district goal into the bottom corner from twenty yards to make it four.

Then Stoute’s run drew defenders away from goal moments later, with her offload finding Williams in space for a popular hat-trick.

A misplaced clearance two minutes from time was bundled over the line by the delighted Williams for her fourth and Barking & Dagenham’s sixth, before the tricky Goresbrook winger picked out Elufowoju, who danced through a series of desperate tackles to net her twenty-second goal of the season.

That just left Caerphilly.

However, the second Welsh opponent of the day were in no mood to step aside, knowing a win of their own would ensure they leapfrogged Barking & Dagenham into pole position.

And it was Caerphilly who started much the brighter, their lively forward play drawing a first save of the competition from keeper Francisca Arhin.

Difference

The difference though proved to be Petrauskaite, whose consistent marauding displays were bettered by none on the day.

She had earlier seen a free-kick from twenty-five yards fire wide, but – three minutes from time – she was given a second opportunity when tripped on the edge of the area in a central position. This time, she was lethal, curling a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner.

Heroics from the Barking & Dagenham backline in the closing stages ensured Arhin hung onto a fourteenth clean sheet of the season, and her seventh in succession, proving the district side are as equally skilled in the defensive arts as they are on the attack.

It was a first piece of silverware this season for the Essex League runners-up, who thoroughly deserved their success. With next week’s trip the Oxford City FC, the Southern Counties Cup holders will have high hopes of retaining their title, as well as a fifth successive London Girls League crown, in the weeks to come.

Barking & Dagenham: Ajewole (George Carey), Skendelis (Godwin), Arhin (Northbury), Petrauskaite (Richard Alibon), Williams (Goresbrook), Stoute (Rush Green), Rimkeviciute (William Bellamy), Elufowoju (Rush Green), Hossain (Northbury), Ameny (Valence), Adjoh-Davoh (George Carey)