Barking & Dagenham 3-1 Gloucester
AMELIA HUSSAIN’S MAIDEN DISTRICT goal capped off another impressive display from Barking & Dagenham, who notched up their second victory over Gloucester since the turn of the year to extend their excellent unbeaten run to six games. Earlier, Jasmine Amrane’s opener had been cancelled out by the visitors’ first-half leveller, with top scorer Tolu Elufowoju’s fifteenth of the season restoring the advantage for the borough’s representative under the floodlights at Castle Green.
Barking & Dagenham got off to a great start when Jaydee Williams’ vision picked out Jasmine Amrane in a central position midway between the half-way line and the Gloucester box. As Amrane advanced on goal, no challenge came – giving the Gascoigne midfielder the ideal opportunity to slot a perfect finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box for a fifth minute lead.
Preventable
Any hopes of extending the advantage were scuppered though when a loss of concentration from a Barking & Dagenham goal kick conceded possession in midfield, with defenders out of position watching on as a very preventable equaliser ensued.
At that point, the game looked in the balance. But Barking & Dagenham learnt from their error and the slip was to provide the visitors only attempt on target during the rest of the game.
Instead, it was the hosts on the front foot as Dominyka Petrauskaite came close to adding to her season’s tally in the fourteenth minute when latching onto Rusne Rimkeviciute’s long ball.
Moments later, Amrane returned Williams’ favour as she broke down the centre, drawing defenders before showing great composure to lay off to the Goresbrook winger, whose snapshot on the run was turned around the post for a fine save.
Amrane continued to prove the home side’s biggest threat as she unleashed a thirty yard dipping screamer that almost yorked the keeper as it dipped through her legs at the last moment before being thwarted by a last second touch and grab.
So it was no surprise when Amrane provided the spark for Elufowoju to restore the lead, seizing upon a loose clearance from the visitors before squaring to the skipper, who drilled an unerring finish into the bottom corner for 2-1.
Straps
As half time approached, Petrauskaite, Elufowoju and Rush Green classmate Sasha Stoute all came close to extending the lead with Barking & Dagenham’s attacking talent beginning to hit their straps.
In a pattern that continued for the remainder of the game, Barking & Dagenham pressed and pressed, with Gloucester offering a threat on the break and from the occasional corner, without ever troubling Francisca Arhin in the home goal.
Petrauskaite, Elufowoju, Amrane, Stoute, Atene Skendelis and the returning Alethea-Becky Adjoh-David were all denied in the second half via a series of blocks and last-ditch challenges as brave Gloucester defended their eighteen-yard box proudly.
Eventually though, the pressure told – although it took an almighty effort to finally break through the visitors’ resistance.
Amrane was inevitably the architect as she found space in the box before smashing a snorter directly into the midriff of the Gloucester keeper from six yards out.
Winded but defiant, she was back on her feet immediately to charge down Amrane’s second effort from point blank range with another courageous diving stop.
This time though, the loose ball fell to the alert Hussain, who took full advantage to lift the ball into the net for her first of the season and to ensure safe passage to the final whistle for Barking & Dagenham.
Barking & Dagenham: Ajewole (George Carey), Skendelis (Godwin), Williams (Goresbrook), Arhin (Northbury), Adjoh-Davoh (George Carey), Hussain (Richard Alibon) Petrauskaite (Richard Alibon), Elufowoju (Rush Green), Stoute (Rush Green), Rimkeviciute (William Bellamy), Amrane (Gascoigne), Ameny (Valence)