Woking 4-4 Barking & Dagenham

BELLIGERENT BARKING & DAGENHAM BATTLED back from the brink, forcing three goals in the final fifteen minutes to even-out the scoreline against talented hosts Woking. Inspired by Miquellah Meade’s brace, Elishah Mintah Adarkwah and captain Emily Brown drew parity in an eight-goal thriller that swung one way, then the other in bitterly cold conditions.

Barking & Dagenham were put on the backfoot when the hosts took the lead after just three minutes: a low cross into the box was blocked  by keeper Maria Omotayo: however, the visitors’ midfield was too slow to close down the opposition and Emma Bailey was on hand to convert the subsequent cross on the half-volley.

The lead was doubled three minutes later when a long throw-in wasn’t dealt with by the away defence and Bailey stole in unmarked again for her second.

Comfortable

As the half wore on, Barking & Dagenham were made to work hard for any chances that came their way; Woking were comfortable in possession and first to the ball, with Barking & Dagenham having to make do with a pair of speculative efforts under pressure from Brown – both of which spiralled wide of the target.

In fact, the visitors’ best way of creating an opening looked to be from forcing a mistake from a confident Woking side buoyed by their early supremacy.

The first opportunity came as Kirsten McNaughton intercepted an errant goal-kick to intelligently lob first time towards the empty net: however, her well-struck effort fell inches wide of the far post.

Sensing their way back into the game, Barking & Dagenham continued to press and harry their opponents, with Brown, Meade and forward Ellie Mai Morgan in perpetual motion, desperately trying to create a foothold in opposition territory.

In the end, it was Meade who enabled the breakthrough, charging down the Woking backline, robbing the last defender of possession and bursting into the box. The home keeper came out to collect what looked like an overrun touch, however the Henry Green midfielder’s seering pace saw her arrive at the ball first as she prodded into the vacant net to pull her side back into the tie.

Much huffing and puffing followed from both sides although it was Woking who carved out the better opportunities. Ianna Msekwa was imperious in defence and combined with Omotayo to deny a hat-trick of openings.

But both were powerless to stop Elin Roberts on the stroke of half-time as she rode a series of challenges to arrive in the box and finish powerfully for 3-1.

Enemy Territory

And when the same player finished of a flowing Woking move shortly after the restart, Barking & Dagenham’s chances of a revival looked dead and buried.

Thus it remained until, with a quarter of an hour to play, Barking & Dagenham won a throw-in on the left, midway into enemy territory. Grace Young took advantage as Woking took time to reorganise and her long throw bounced between, then behind the home side’s defence. Smelling blood, Meade sprung from nowhere to meet the loose ball on the run and net her third goal in two matches.

Momentum was now shifting towards the visitors as Barking & Dagenham began to believe they could get back into the match. First Meade was denied a chance of a hat-trick and Brown’s effort from range was well smothered by the diving keeper.

Rifled

With seven minutes remaining, a succession of Barking & Dagenham corners eventually bore fruit. Young’s centre was only half-cleared, with Brown and Morgan both swinging a leg to no avail. Amidst the melee, the ball eventually fell to Mensah Adarkwah who rifled in a left-foot finish for a memorable goal on debut.

Right back in it now, with two minutes left on the clock, a long clearance from defence saw McNaughton chase down a hopeless cause. With her opponents wilting by the second, the George Carey forward managed to earn her side a throw in a similar position to the build-up for Meade’s second.

Once again, Young’s delivery caused mayhem in the box, with Brown snatching a last-gasp equaliser in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Barking & Dagenham: Emily Brown (Godwin); Kirsten McNaughton (George Carey); Miquelleh Meade (Henry Green); Ellie Mai Morgan (Henry Green); Ianna Msekwa (George Carey); Maria Omotayo (Roding); Grace Young (Hunters Hall); Elishah-Oliviae Mintah Adarkwah (George Carey); Abigail Asare (Henry Green); Ella Turner (Valence)