Barking & Dagenham 4-0 West Kent

A HIGHLY IMPRESSIVE SCORELINE reflected another top-quality defensive display from Barking & Dagenham, shutting out their latest opponents yet again, to form the backbone of an eleventh game without defeat. A trio of assists from Parsloes’ Hazel Walker’s in-swinging second half corners presented goals for Charlotte Bryant, Lara Sousa Franco and Aysia Matabaro after the latter registered her fortieth district strike with a fine solo effort before the break.

It was the visitors who came out of the traps the stronger though as Kornelija Klimaviciute was forced into an early save, before West Kent found the side netting moments later in a clear signal of intent. They had travelled across the bridge in the morning sunshine for nothing short of victory.

Rocking

Barking & Dagenham were rocking, struggling to find any kind of passing rhythm as a series of dangerous through balls were mopped up by Klimaviciute, whose positioning and handling were impeccable.

The tide began to turn in the tenth minute when Matabaro produced a moment of magic to shift momentum in her side’s favour. Seizing possession in midfield, she skipped to the right, dancing past the last defender before arrowing a decisive strike across goal into the far corner from the edge of the box.

It was still hard work though. Barking & Dagenham were denied time and space on the ball by their high-flying Kent opponents who threatened constantly, posing plenty of questions for their hosts.

After her exploits up front in the previous game, skipper Chi-Chi Musa-Onyeka was again down the middle, but this time the run of the ball never really fell her way, with the game hinging on the defensive determination of the Barking & Dagenham backline and their refusal to yield ground in the face of heavy pressure.

Half-time loomed when Walker’s free-kick from 25 yards almost yorked the visiting keeper on the half-volley and Musa Onyeka’s centre a minute later was almost diverted goal-wards by a mistimed West Kent clearance.

Woodwork

Walker then waltzed through the West Kent midfield to find space on the right for Matabaro; this time the district’s all-time leading scorer’s effort found the woodwork whilst Honey Thomas had to be sharp at the other end to deflect a dipping opposition attempt away for a corner.

Another free-kick at the start of the second half saw Walker denied once more. But, from the resulting corner, her dipping centre was volleyed home at the near post by the outside of Sousa Franco’s out-stretched boot as she angled her body superbly to divert the ball into the net.

The goal came at a perfect time for the hosts, but the worst possible moment for the visitors, with all of the half-time optimism damaged by one devastating blow.

Matabaro followed up with another attempt on goal moments later before Zoe Freeman and Matabaro combined to play in Bryant, only for the Roding midfielder’s effort to be tipped wide once more.

Unassailable

Walker’s corners though were proving a real menace: a second paid dividends just five minutes after the previous one. On this occasion, Matabaro had time and space to bring the ball down on her chest inside the box, look up and pick her spot for an unassailable lead.

Not long after, Matabaro was at it again, her daisy cutter from thirty yards bringing another fine save – but also another chance for Walker to deliver. This time Bryant was the beneficiary, stealing in to turn the ball home from a similar position to Sousa Franco’s earlier strike.

From that moment on, Barking & Dagenham guided their way through the closing stages with customary control. Mia Green, Sousa Franco and Matabaro all had half-chances.

But it was Musa-Onyeka who provided the biggest threat in the closing stages, ironically from the left-hand side of a back three, rather than the central striking position taken up in the first half.

First of all, she somehow managed to hit the crossbar from just inside half-way, with Bryant almost on hand to snaffle up the seconds on offer.

Then, on one, two, three occasions, the captain wrought chaos with a series of raids down the left-hand side, finding the energy for a succession of ‘length-of-the-pitch’ runs including one from her own penalty area which was denied by a last-ditch challenge in the opposition six-yard box.

Strong Performance

It was another strong team performance for the district side, who find a new way of winning every week with a dazzling array of options and alternatives at their disposal. The business end of the season now awaits: the next four matches see three games in the London Girls’ League and the final of the Southern Counties Cup.

Win them all, and all will be won.

Barking & Dagenham: Amaya Amaning (Warren), Pearl Brown (Rush Green), Charlotte Bryant (Roding), Zoe Freeman (Rush Green), Kadie Gibbs (James Cambell), Mia Green (Southwood), Hazel Walker (Parsloes), Chioma Musa-Onyeka (St Peter’s), Lara Sousa Franco (St Peter’s), Honey Thomas (James Cambell), Kornelija Klimaviciute (Parsloes), Aysia Matabaro (Roding)