WITH NINE PLAYERS making their district debuts, Barking & Dagenham returned from the Southern Counties League Cup Eastern heats unbeaten, and with their heads held high. Five draws from their five games brought plenty of memorable moments as well as many reasons to suggest the rest of the coming season will be another fabulous campaign for the BAD Girls.
Chiltern & South Bucks B
With matches just twelve minutes one-way, goals were always going to be at a premium. And Barking & Dagenham found a goalkeeper in inspired form to deny them several times in their opening rubber with Chiltern & South Bucks B.
In the opening minute, Malaika Uwandji’s skipping burst saw her break into the box before drawing a near-post save from a tight angle on the right.
Uwandji’s dancing feet carved open another opportunity three minutes later, whilst Godwin’s Comfort Mazel saw her half-chance blocked in a crowded penalty area.
Zainab Touray’s lively late cameo yielded a further effort from the edge of the box that was safely gathered by the Chiltern stopper, ensuring the pattern of 0-0 results had its starting point.
St Albans
A tighter affair against the afternoon’s eventual table-toppers St Albans followed, with both defences on top. Uwandji poked a hopeful attempt into the arms of the keeper but neither side really produced anything of note as they arm-wrestled possession back and forth without forcing any chances of note.
Instead, Jona Islami marshalled her backline with growing confidence, Gilda Hassani and Maria Mateus showing promising composure either side of their skipper.
Hertsmere
It was a different story against third opponents Hertsmere, with Barking & Dagenham well and truly on top – although further profligate finishing denied them an opening win.
St Peter’s Simonette Johnson had the best chance of the day so far to get her team off the mark when neat play from Touray and Uwandji saw her collect the ball unmarked four yards out in front of goal. In a few weeks’ time, it would have been 1-0. Instead, a scuffed finish found its way into the arms of an extremely grateful goalkeeper and the Hertsmere clean sheet remained intact.
And when Uwandji blazed over from inside the box following Abbie Blewitt’s corner, it looked like it was going to be one of those days.
However, from the subsequent goal kick, Blewitt pounced, seizing possession and letting fly from twenty-five yards to the jubilant congratulations of her team-mates.
Barking & Dagenham were quickly brought back down to Earth though in the final action of the game and were duly reminded that district football requires high standards and concentration at all times. A defensive mix-up left keeper Emily Peka powerless to keep out a late, late equaliser and deny Barking & Dagenham the victory their performance undoubtedly deserved.
Sutton
In-form Sutton were next, coming into the game off the back of a string of impressive results.
It was Barking & Dagenham though who won their battles and provided much more penetration in the final third.
First of all, the impressive Aaliyah Felix held up the ball before laying off to Blewitt, whose effort from distance lacked the power of her earlier strike.
Felix then saw her own attempt from the edge of the box gathered by the Sutton stopper, before Touray was similarly denied moments later.
A late Sutton free-kick struck the upright to give Barking & Dagenham a late scare, but the game ended goalless once again, with the BAD Girls looking to end on a high in their final encounter of the day.
Chiltern & South Bucks A
More than competitive, Barking & Dagenham showed how far they had come during the afternoon to carve open a string of chances that on another day would have resulted in a comfortable win.
Felix attacked with menace down the left, backed up by an attacking unit intent on leaving Hertfordshire with further goals under their collective belt.
But when the ball fell to Mazel, then Touray, inside the box, both saw their strikes leave the opposition keeper untroubled.
And when Thomas bore down on goal in the final minute, showing pace, power and sleight of hand to get behind the Chiltern backline, it looked like this would be the moment Barking & Dagenham would claim their first win.
Instead though, she opted to square the ball to a supporting cast who hadn’t read their lines, the ball harmlessly drifting across the goal to ensure the 0-0 theme continued once again.
With more matches under their belt though, the decision making and finishing will surely come. Barking & Dagenham were much the better side in four of their five games and went head-to-head with the tournament winners to prove each and every one of their talented squad deserves their place at the top table.
At this point in the campaign, the balance of the side looks full of promise – roll on next week!
Barking & Dagenham: Emily Peka (Valence); Maria Mateus (George Carey); Jona Islami (Roding); Gilda Hasani (Northbury); Zainab Touray (Northbury); Abbie Blewitt (Hunters Hall); Malaika Uwandji (Roding); Aaliyah Felix (Goresbrook); Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s); Comfort Mazel (Godwin)