Barking & Dagenham 2-3 Brent

BARKING & DAGENHAM WERE UNDER pressure even before the start of this Lester Finch League encounter when five boys found they were unable to play due to a variety of reasons, only hours before kick-off! However, the remaining nine performed heroically to battle on, even if it meant Sion Nurse, one of the two keepers, playing as a striker in a bid to take the points against visitors Brent.

At times, the vistors struggled to contain the home side as Brandon Jones and Lewis Skam attacked with pace and flair. Brave goalkeeping denied each of them.

The game went from one end to the other, before Brent stepped up a gear and scored an opportunist goal, despite brave goalkeeping from Airidas Lenkevicius.

Hesitation

The home side’s defence then failed to clear the ball after a moment’s hesitation and the visitors scored a second.

On the right flank Tobi Akinyimika and Gabriel De Sa frequently sent in dangerous crosses to cause problems. A surging run by the latter caused panic in the defence, allowing him to casually slot the ball past the keeper.

Shay Scott and Frankie Hills worked hard in the home defence to thwart most attacks from Brent.

The visitors now increasingly relied on the pace of their speedy striker. A menacing cross was followed by some clever interplay that culminated in a well-taken goal.

Slammed

Now up against the odds, Barking and Dagenham showed more determination and Hart’s persistence in the goal area was rewarded, as he slammed the ball past the keeper.

Barking & Dagenham were never going to give in. It seemed that it would only be a matter of time before the solid performance of Chinaza Nwosu would result in an equaliser. Alas, despite his thunderbolt shot narrowly missing the target, the home side just could not find the equaliser.

Having given their all, Barking & Dagenham boys can be proud of the way they rallied together and fought hard, despite the problem of so many absentees.

Barking & Dagenham: Da Sa, Jones, Lenkevicius, Hills, Skam,  Nwosu,  Nurse,  Hart,  Scott,  Akinyimika)