Sutton 1-1 Barking & Dagenham
(Barking & Dagenham win 4-2 on pens)
DESPITE THE ATTROCIOUS playing conditions offered up by Storm Bert – added to a long journey around the M25, an undersized pitch and an inspired goalkeeping performance by the home stopper – Barking & Dagenham maintained their unbeaten start to the season and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Southern Counties Cup in dramatic fashion. After a turgid arm-wrestle of a match, Grace Attwood-Adams’ courageous penalty stop, plus expertly converted spot-kicks from Lily-Mae Fisher, Aaliyah Felix, Simonette Johnson and Theresa Ezea, gave the visitors an unassailable lead to set up a home tie with Merton in the next round.
Ezea provided a constant threat with her power, pace and direct play causing problems for the hosts throughout. Her opening effort came after just four minutes as she burst through the inside right channel before firing just wide when pushed off-balance by an opposition challenge.
First Blood
But it was Sutton who drew first blood, taking advantage of a Barking & Dagenham defence that was slow to close down along their left side, failing to prevent a dangerous cross that flashed across goal to an unmarked team-mate drifting in from the opposite flank.
It was a soft goal to concede – and the only time Sutton managed an attempt inside Barking & Dagenham’s box for the rest of the game.
Instead, the match continued in scrappy fashion, with Barking & Dagenham pressing forward, but struggling to find any real passing rhythm in the cramped confines of Cheam Park Farm.
Nonetheless, there were chances.
Paloma Correia’s tricky wing-play saw her skip through a brace of challenges and advance into the area, only for her goal-bound shot to be clutched out of the air at the crucial moment.
And Ezea was denied at the near post after latching on to Lily Imititikua’s long throw into the box.
On eighteen minutes, Barking & Dagenham earned reward for their endeavours when Eza again fashioned a chance eight yards out, a fine save denying her once again. But the ball rebounded to Johnson on the edge of the box, the birthday girl sweeping home first time for her seventh of the season.
Chaos
Then nothing much happened, until after the interval when the wind and the slope added to Barking & Dagenham’s potency.
Three minutes in, another Imititikua long-throw caused chaos, with Felix showing strength and calm to hold off a challenge but her shot hit the goalkeeper’s back when under pressure.
In the ensuing scramble, both Correia and Ezea were denied, the latter left incredulous at the recovery speed of the Sutton keeper who scampered across fr0m her initial save to get down low and prevent what looked a certain goal.
The move of the game saw Felix and Johnson combine to send Correia through once more before and amazing save prevented Ezea from glancing home her team-mate’s near post cross.
Ezea’s goal-bound efforts were repelled twice more before the whistle blew for the end of regulation time – and a chance for Barking & Dagenham to regroup and focus.
More chances followed, but the inevitability of a penalty shootout was always in the background and perhaps the only way either side was likely to score again.
Cool
Sutton went first.
With Attwood-Adams dancing side-to-side, a firmly struck effort rose to her left – but The Leys’ keeper kept her cool to get two hands to the ball, clinging on at the second attempt as the ball bounced agonisingly close to the line.
Fisher went first for the visitors, strutting to the action in confident fashion, collecting the ball from the referee, placing it purposefully on the spot and smashing her contribution to the keeper’s right.
Advantage Barking & Dagenham.
Sutton converted the next one, but skipper Felix showed her leadership qualities, as she buried the ball in the side netting for a 2-1 lead after two penalties each.
The next one went all wrong for the hosts, the ball clipping the join between post and bar before sailing high and wide into the turbulent Surrey sky.
If leading scorer Johnson could slot away the next one, the advantage would be doubled. From the second she stepped forward to take her turn, the outcome was never in doubt.
A miss for Sutton and it was all over.
That didn’t happen.
But, if Ezea could match her comrades’ accuracy, Barking & Dagenham would triumph.
She could.
Cue jubilant scenes from the visitors who rushed to mob Attwood-Adams and celebrate a memorable, ugly win.
Victory means Barking & Dagenham will go into the festive break having qualified in first place for the Southern Counties League Cup finals, topping the London Girls’ League table, and still in the mix for the quarter-finals of the Southern Counties Cup.
Next week, the BAD Girls’ Essex League campaign gets underway at home to Chelmsford, before an away trip to Basildon on 14th December. Two more wins and a Very, Merry Christmas will be had by all.
Barking & Dagenham: Grace Attwood-Adams (The Leys), Paloma Correia (George Carey), Theresa Ezea (St Peter’s), Aaliyah Felix (Goresbrook), Lily-Mae Fisher (Roding), Bella Hines (Richard Alibon), Lily Imititikua (St Peter’s), Whitney James (Rose Lane), Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s), Amelia Pike (Valence), Bella Yorke (Northbury)