Woking 0-3 Barking & Dagenham

PRIOR TO SATURDAY, in eight seasons of the London Girls’ League, there had only ever been one goal between joint holders Woking and Barking & Dagenham: Emily Brown’s 2018 Championship deciding strike, direct from a corner. The most recent encounter though – an efficient and defiant defensive display, capped off by Aysia Matabaro’s brilliant individual performance – put that long-held statistic well and truly to bed as the district side returned from Surrey with all three points and pole position in this season’s title race.

Matabaro’s first foray forward came in the second minute, after Lara Sousa Franco’s excellent wing play chased down a lost cause before cutting back to the girls’ all-time leading scorer who flashed an early sighter across the Woking goal.

Threat

But it was the home side who threatened the most early on, enjoying the majority of possession and territory.

Despite their early dominance however, clear-cut chances were few and far between for the hosts with Pearl Brown particularly impressive at the back, applying pressure, deflecting attempts, and scrambling the ball clear during several last gasps.

At this point, Barking & Dagenham’s best hopes looked to be from set pieces, with Sousa Franco coming closest as she prodded Hazel Walker’s dangerous corner over the bar inside the six-yard box on twelve minutes.

Shortly after, Walker herself fired over the bar from the edge of the box after perceptive play from Mia Green carved out a half-chance for her central midfield partner.

Crucial

Midway through the first half though, two crucial moments passed in quick succession.

Number one: a misplaced Barking & Dagenham clearance fell straight to an unmarked Woking forward lurking on the edge of the box. Keeper Kornelija Klimaviciute was alert to the danger however, producing a stunning diving stop to deny the home side the lead.

Number two: a minute later, Barking & Dagenham edged ahead. A dangerous ball through the middle was seized upon by the determined Matabaro who stole through beyond the last defender before burying a fine strike into the bottom corner for her twenty-eighth goal of the season, and her forty-second in total.

Now the method had been identified, Barking & Dagenham were quick to try the same again.

Klimaviciute’s drop-kick on twenty minutes bounced over the Woking backline and Matabaro was in once more, sprinting clear and arriving at the falling ball ahead of keeper Hickey. A neat lob over her advances fell just wide of the post, but Woking were rattled.

Within moments, Matabaro was in again, this time direct from captain Chi-Chi Musa-Onyeka’s goal kick.

Route One

And, three minutes from half-time, the lead was doubled.

Again, it was route one: a hopeful clearance from Barking & Dagenham sent Matabaro off and running, with the Roding forward finishing in identical fashion to her first to send the visitors into the break in a powerful position.

Knowing their proud opponents, with the wind and slope in their favour, would come out all guns blazing in the second half, Barking & Dagenham prepared themselves for the onslaught.

They proved more than up for the task. Amaya Amaning, Kaydee Gibbs and Musa-Onyeka held firm at the back, with the hard grafting Walker, Sousa Franco, Zoe Freeman and Erin Taylor shielding them well, restricting Woking to a series of probing balls into the box, all of which came to nothing.

Instead, the second half saw Matabaro continue to wreak havoc. With the home side taking risks and shuffling their pack to get a foothold in the game, her strength, pace – and a fair amount of skill – was the decisive factor.

Inventive

First of all, Freeman’s through-ball sent her away one-on-one with the keeper. A neat scoop surprised everyone, drawing ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from both sets of supporters as Matabaro’s inventive effort drifted just over the bar.

Seven minutes later, she rattled the frame of the goal as her left-footed effort from an acute angle almost sealed a deserved hat-trick.

And midway through the half, Matabaro tested Hickey will a pile-driver from twenty-five yards that almost made its way into the goal.

Instead of scoring again though, Matabaro turned provider with ten minutes remaining. Another effort from distance drew a diving stop from the home keeper. This time, the industrious Charlotte Bryant was on hand, following up like all good strikers should, to bury the loose ball and put the result beyond doubt.

There were other chances too.

Musa-Onyeka’s long throw-in picked out Taylor in the six-yard box, only for her to be denied by a point blank save.

And Matabaro, now deployed in a deeper role, found the energy to skip down the right wing and centre for Bryant, whose-first time finish drew yet another fine save.

Lead

The result moved Barking & Dagenham into the outright lead in the London Girls’ League. The district side now know, that if they win their remaining two matches – against South London and Lewisham – the title will be theirs for a fourth campaign in succession.

Next up though is the Southern Counties Cup final at Oxford City FC on the 14^th May. After defeat in last year’s showpiece event, this talented and committed group of players will go into the game with confidence and brio, and on the verge of a remarkable league and cup double.

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), Erin Taylor (Leys), Elizabeth Dimitrova (James Cambell)