St Albans 1-5 Barking & Dagenham

IT TOOK A WHILE to hit form, but Barking & Dagenham finally clicked into gear at the start of the second half against St Albans, running in three goals in the space of eight minutes, to add to two first half strikes and seal their latest London Girls’ League victory. The three points moves them back to the top of the fledgling table and leaves them needing just another win to all but seal qualification for the Super Six after Easter.

There were just twenty seconds on the clock when leading scorer Simonette Johnson skipped free of the last defender down the inside left channel, thrusting into the six-yard box. Off-balance, the St Peter’s striker’s shot picked out the side-netting, but the early signs were positive.

However, St Albans defended the edge of their box with vigour and the visitors’ build-up play never really clicked into gear, with Barking & Dagenham struggling to find their rhythm as they advanced uphill on the tacky surface.

Ahead

But when Johnson fired her side ahead in the tenth minute, it looked like the signal for more. It was a Jo Mecvari free-kick that unlocked the home defence: a simple long-ball in behind releasing her striker to slot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

However, instead of building on their momentum, Barking & Dagenham continued to struggle, never really gaining control of the centre of the pitch, with St Albans charging straight down the middle from their own half and equalising mid-way through the half.

The interval arrived with the lead restored. It came via another Mecvari set-piece, with the Southwood winger’s misplaced corner going astray, drifting behind her team-mates in the penalty area and towards the touchline on the other side.

However, skipper Aaliyah Felix was alert to the opportunity and was first to the loose ball before whipping a dangerous ball into the box, right on top of the home keeper. Under pressure, the ball was spilled directly into the path of Mecvari who had crept into the danger zone with the home defence drawn away. A valiant attempt to block her initial effort tested Mecvari’s composure, but the corner-taker kept her cool before slotting home her first district goal from close range.

Purpose

That was all the visitors were able to muster in a frustrating first half. But half-time afforded a chance to regroup and Barking & Dagenham set about their post-interval work with renewed purpose, sharper in the tackle and determined to use their considerable strengths to their advantage.

Forty-eight seconds had passed when Theresa Ezea smashed in her ninth goal of the season. It was another long-ball that did it, this time Lily Imititikua picking out her school-mate with a forty yard pass to feet, which Ezea took control of before muscling through and powering her finish through the keeper’s hands.

A minute later, Johnson struck the post when charging down a clearance.

Sixty seconds later, Barking & Dagenham had their fourth. Outstanding throughout, Paloma Correia was the creator, causing all sorts of problems down the right flank before drilling a low cross to the far post. Three players swooped to convert, but it was Northbury’s Bella Hines who got their first, tapping in from close range for her second of the campaign.

And the scoring was complete in the eighth minute of the half. Ezea found herself on the ball twenty yards out before taking a touch and smashing into the top corner to move into double figures on the goal-scoring chart.

With the significant slope to their favour, the BAD Girls continued to press.

Lily-Mae Fisher laid the ball back to Imititikua who again picked out a raking ball to free Hines, this time firing wide from the edge of the box.

‘Slightly Wayward’

And Fisher’s late cameo also saw her sting the keeper’s palms before she crossed for Mecvari inside the box, again the ball falling the wrong side of the post.

Finally, Ezea had a sniff of a hat-trick when blasting a similar effort to her earlier strikes into the woodland behind the goal in a manner described by opposition coach Oswin as ‘slightly wayward’ before adding ‘and you can put that in the match report!’

It wasn’t needed though as the visitors saw out the rest of the game in relative comfort, without adding to their tally.

The eleven goals from their two London Girls’ League fixtures so far is an impressive return. And it is something they will need next week as they travel to Havering in the equivalent Essex competition. A thirteenth win on the spin will leave Barking & Dagenham well clear of the chasing pack and with one hand on a trophy they have not lifted since 2019. To make sure, their away performances will need to take a step up, against an opponent with plenty of talent and aspirations of their own to clinch the county crown.

Barking & Dagenham: Grace Attwood-Adams (The Leys), Jo Mecvari (Southwood), 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), Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s), Abbie Blewitt (Hunters Hall), Bella Yorke (Northbury), Whitney James (Rose Lane)