Barking & Dagenham 2-3 Newham
IN THE SECOND warm-up match of the new season, Barking & Dagenham narrowly lost to the odd goal in five, in a topsy-turvy game at Robert Clack.
The hosts came flying out of the gate, and put Newham on the back foot from the outset. Captain Michael Milburn was pulling the strings in central midfield, aided by Five Elms team mate Jordanne Thomas causing problems down the right.
Chances followed, with Valence’s Oba Adetona flashing just wide from a Thomas cross early on. Grafton’s Kylan Okosi’s long range shot went just over shortly thereafter, and the hosts were well into the stride. However, a quick one two and counter attack from the visitors served notice to the hosts that they would need to concentrate. Regardless, Milburn and Thomas continued to create chances for the BAD Boys – who seemed poised to take the lead at any time.
Warning
The earlier warning was however not heeded, and Newham took the lead against the run of play. A through ball down the left hand side caught the hosts napping, and a neat finish made it 1-0 to the visitors.
Undeterred, Barking & Dagenham came again. This time it was Owen Orhue of St Vincent’s who would be denied – by a fine save from the visiting goalkeeper. The hosts were creating chances, but the goal continued to elude them.
Just when it seemed as though the BAD boys would go in a goal down at half time, Thomas produced a moment of quality. With neat feet the Five Elms winger dribbled past three Newham defenders, before rifling a low hard shot into the bottom corner for 1-1.
Half time came and went, and the pressure on the Newham goal continued. Milburn fired just wide minutes after the restart, and Thomas was denied by another fine stop from the Newham goalkeeper after Finley Hossack’s cross. The Newham stopper was in fine form, and denied Milburn again from point blank range, before the best save of the lot – an instinctive reaction to tip over from Adetona with the striker in disbelief.
The pressure would tell twelve minutes from time, as yet another Milburn shot was saved by the keeper. He was however powerless to stop Okosi bundling in the rebound. The hosts led for the first time, which was no more than they deserved.
Knockout Blow
Adetona was sure he had the third – only for Newham to clear the ball off the line – as the hosts looked for the knockout blow. It would however be the visitors who would land the sucker punch.
With a minute left, the BAD Boys needlessly gave away a free kick on the edge of their own box. A sublime curling shot into the top corner levelled the scores against the run of play once again.
Buoyed on by their late equaliser – and with the hosts still in shock – Newham pressed immediately from the kick off and earned a corner. Barking & Dagenham failed to deal with the in swinging cross, and the bouncing ball was poked home for a last minute winner to complete the upset.
Defeat was harsh on the BAD Boys, who will need to rebound quickly in the next match – a National Cup first round tie away at Essex rivals Basildon.
Barking & Dagenham: Sultan Odofin (George Carey), Judah Blair-Charles (George Carey), Firdaus Bakare (Roding Cannington), Callum Salmon (Grafton), Jordane Thomas (Five Elms), Kylan Okosi (Grafton), Michael Milburn (Five Elms), Oba Adetona (Valence), Finley Hossack (Godwin), Oliver Grange (Roding Cannington), Owen Orhue (St Vincent’s), Elijah Armah (Richard Alibon)