Gloucester 12-3 Barking & Dagenham

We Only Came For The Food Anyway

FOR THE SECOND match in succession, Barking & Dagenham girls were undone by an amazing individual performance – this time at the Cotswold base of a powerful all-conquering Gloucester side. A first half strike from Millie Blythe, plus a brace from Toni-Ann Barron kept the visitors in the hunt for a while but a magnificent TEN goals from midfielder Kiannah Hawkins-Sheere ensured her team ran out rampant 12-3 winners.

Within seconds, Gloucester sought to exploit their home advantage, forcing Barking stopper Hannah Embery into a stunning double save before most of her teammates had touched the ball.

And on five minutes, Gloucester were ahead with Hawkins-Sheere signalling her intentions from the edge of the area. A close range lob and a blockbuster from distance made it a quick-fire hat-trick as the visitors struggled to shake off the effects of their long journey west.

Aplomb

Spirit & Talent

Barron had other ideas however, bursting clear from her own half and sprinting clear with her direct, determined running style. Drawing out Honey Draper in the Gloucester goal, Barron finished with aplomb to show the hosts that they were lining up against a side to be reckoned with.

Gloucester added two more by the break but Barking & Dagenham stayed in the hunt in a basketball style ding-dong that flowed from one end to the other.

First of all Barron’s first-time finish reduced the deficit – the borough’s top scorer earning her ninth of the season after a well placed pass from Ella Pierson.

Then came the goal of the game: Barron broke down the right flank before centring to Pierson. Staying calm and attracting defenders, Pierson showed great vision to pick out Blythe joining in from the left. The Valence midfielder’s early effort rippled the roof of the net, showing the spirit and talent that Barking & Dagenham are capable of.

After the restart though, Hawkins-Sheere’s ability to craft goals from any opportunity ultimately ensured the home side’s dominance as she ran in six goals without reply.

Pride

Pace and Appetite

Some great performances kept up the pride in the visitors ranks. Alisha Johnson’s pace and appetite for tackles, along with a string of top-class saves from Hannah Embery put paid to at least a dozen more additions to the score-line. Barron and Blythe also forced Draper into action with excellent attempts on goal that tested the mettle of the home keeper.

However the match remained the Hawkins-Sheere show – the midfielder running up twenty goals in her last four appearances, leaving carnage all around.

Barking & Dagenham: Embery, Blythe, Johnson (Valence); McDonald (Roding); Saoudi, Galbraith (Henry Green); Mihai (Northbury); Pierson (The Leys); Barron (John Perry)