Woking 1-3 Barking & Dagenham
A MIDFIELD MASTERCLASS from Emily Brown backed up a sterling team effort from Barking & Dagenham girls’ district side as they thoroughly deserved a hard-fought victory over Woking. A goal in each half for the Godwin playmaker, either side of Pahris Cotterell’s eighth of the season, capped off a solid team display and halted an unwelcome run of three games without a win.
The early exchanges saw a succession of corners for the hosts which Barking & Dagenham defended confidently, threatening their opponents on the break.
Cotterell and Brown were lively on the counter attack, with the latter teeing up a brace of pot-shots from the edge of the box – neither of which troubled the home keeper. However, her opening salvo signalled a remarkable run of efforts on goal from Brown as she alone passed a dozen attempts across the course of the match.
Ella Eskelson’s persistant running almost bore fruit in the ninth minute as she burst through two tackles, only to be denied at the final moment by a well-timed challenge. And Cotterell fired well over from twenty-five yards moments later.
Surprise
The deadlock was broken ten minutes before half-time when Cotterell played a short corner to Tina Mutuale. The Henry Green defender alertly squared to Brown, who took Woking by surprise with a first-time curler from outside the area into the roof of the goal.
The middle period of the first half was all Barking & Dagenham. Nour Khalfaoui registered her first attempt on goal when her firmly hit left foot blast was tipped wide.
Brown then had several further efforts as she dictated the flow of the game from her central role.
In the end it was Cotterell who doubled the advantage five minutes after the opener. There looked to be nothing on when she assumed possession on the right flank, twenty-five yards out from goal. Therefore, the home defence sat back, waiting for a through ball to intercept. As such, Cotterell was afforded all the time she wanted before she glanced up, saw a gap and planted a stunning, dipping effort into the far top corner of the net. It was a simply wonderful strike.
Five minutes after the break, the game was in the bag when Grace Young cut in from the left wing to pick out Brown on the edge of the centre circle in opposition territory. As Brown advanced, Woking retreated, fearing a dangerous ball threaded through to the rest of Barking & Dagenham’s marauding offensive line. Instead, Brown just kept going and going, eventually slotting a fierce drive into the goal from twelve yards.
Revival
Hopes of a Woking revival were given credence four minutes later when a looped cross from the left was converted from close range.
Sensing an opportunity to get back into the game, proud Woking pressed for more, pushing stubborn bodies forward. However, Aaliyah Young and Layla Duffield stood firm at the back for the visitors with a succession of blocks, tackles and clearances to resist their foe.
At the other end, Brown, Khalfaoui and Cotterell all had chances to extend the lead as Barking & Dagenham saw out the rest of the game with great maturity; the girls showed that they have learnt quickly from their two recent defeats and were determined not to let it happen again.
Barking & Dagenham: K Bhavnani (Parsloes); A Young (James Cambell); L Duffield, E Brown (Godwin); T Mutuale (Henry Green); P Cotterell (Manor Longbridge); E Eskelson, N Khalfaoui, G Young (Hunters Hall)