Camden 0-8 Barking & Dagenham
ON YET ANOTHER wet morning – that resembled March rather than May – the Barking & Dagenham boys got their Lester Finch Trophy campaign off to a flying start, with a comfortable 8-0 win over hosts Camden.
For the first time this season, the visitors left the friendly confines of the borough, making the trip to North London for an early kick-off.
Neither the weather nor the early kick off bothered the BAD Boys, as they quickly put Camden to the sword. Early raids down the wings from Denzel-Decardi Nelson and the returning Chibuzo Okoli found the hosts wanting, with only the Camden goalkeeper offering any real resistance.
Pattern
Chances in the first five minutes came and went, but it was clear what the pattern of the game would be.
Chinoso Ibeh narrowly missed with a low shot shortly thereafter. Fellow returnee Isaac Da Silva flashed just wide with the next attack, and Jahcorey Blair-Charles was also beginning to cause trouble down the left-hand side aided by Dexter Douglas bringing up the rear.
It was only a matter of time before the opener arrived, and on ten minutes Okoli fooled everyone – including his own teammates – when he lobbed the Camden keeper from the right-hand side. All in attendance were expecting a cross, but the William Ford winger had other ideas.
The hosts had barely entered the Barking & Dagenham half, and one of the few times they did resulted in a goal for the visitors. Camden’s rare foray into the visitors’ territory was intercepted by full back Jayden Ikechukwu. His thirty yard pass up the line was crossed first time by Okoli, and Ibeh converted a superb counter-attacking goal on the stroke of half-time.
Smashed
Having threatened to do it throughout the first half, Barking & Dagenham would blow Camden’s house down in the second. From the restart, the hosts attacked up the left-hand side, with Blair-Charles feeding Da Silva. The Valence midfielder’s cross caused panic in the home box, and top scorer Decardi-Nelson smashed the loose ball low and hard for 3-0.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of the hosts, and from then on it was just a question of how many.
Imperious Captain Lesecond Yeutembip had also returned – and decided to stamp his authority on the game from the back on thirty-seven minutes. Powering through the North London midfield with long strides, he curled a deft low shot into the bottom corner for the fourth.
Enter Captain Les’ Northbury teammate Marvellous Oppong. Having done all of the unsung dirty work in midfield, it would be his turn to get on the score sheet for the first time this season. Another move found Oppong charging through central midfield, and he calmly slid the ball under the Camden keeper for 5-0.
Fruitful
Five soon became six with seven minutes to go – as Blair-Charles and Douglas once again tag-teamed the Camden right back, crossing for Ibeh to smash home his second.
Oppong also grabbed a brace for himself, sliding home yet another cross from the fruitful left wing.
The final act – in the last minute – found Da Silva the beneficiary of the George Carey/St Vincent’s left wing air raid, and the Valence midfielder slotted home after yet more mayhem in the home box.
Job done, and a win against Tower Hamlets in the final group match will see Barking & Dagenham through to the semi-final.
Barking and Dagenham: George Miller (Grafton), Jayden Ikechukwu (St Vincent’s), Lesecond Yeutembip (Northbury), Dexter Douglas (St Vincent’s), Chibuzo Okoli (William Ford), Ibrahim Msabah (George Carey), Isaac Da Silva (Valence), Denzel Decardi-Nelson (St Peter’s), Chinoso Ibeh (St Peter’s), Jahcorey Blair-Charles (George Carey), Ruari Stanton (Northbury), Marvellous Oppong (Northbury)