Barking & Dagenham 2-2 Haringey
BARKING & DAGENHAM U11S HAD to settle for a point after a pulsating Lester Finch Trophy game. Joe Martin’s brace had twice put the Barking boys in front only for their North London to peg them back.
The home side made a bright start and Amin Karim went close to opening the scoring after three minutes. However, he was only able to find the side netting from an acute angle.
Jaqwaan Williams then went even closer with a long range effort that was well saved by Liam Edwards in the Haringey goal.
The home side continued to dominate and Martin stung the palms of Edwards with a long range effort. Karim then drew a smart save from Edwards after he superbly chested down Emis Gasperavicius’ centre to fashion a shooting chance.
Agonising
It only seemed a matter of time before the home side made the breakthrough and Williams went agonisingly close after wriggling past three challenges in the area but his poked effort struck the post with Edwards able to grab the rebound before a home player could react to the loose ball.
The one-way traffic continued and the pressure finally paid off for the home side when they were awarded a penalty. Favour Fawunmi’s surging run into the area saw Christian Ellis bring him down and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Captain Martin stepped up and confidently smashed the ball past Edwards to give his side a thoroughly deserved lead.
However, their lead was short-lived as the visitors drew level with their first meaningful attack. There seemed little danger when a Haringey corner was cleared but James Nuzi’s speculative effort sailed over Brandon Dean, who up until that point had been a virtual spectator.
Stung
Stung by the equaliser, Barking & Dagenham went straight up the other end and Karim was brilliantly denied by a last ditch tackle from Ellis. Fawunmi then saw his header cleared off the line from Stanton’s corner before Gasperavicius was denied a goal by a superb Edwards save. Martin’s exquisite ball released the William Bellamy winger but Edwards saved brilliantly with his legs to send the sides in level at the break.
Barking & Dagenham started the second half brightly and were rewarded within five minutes of the restart. Charlie Rich’s inviting cross found Qudus Onajobi on the penalty spot and his touch teed up Martin who thumped the ball home from close range.
It was no more than they deserved and Onajobi’s cross from their next attack almost brought a third goal. However, his cross flashed across the Haringey goal with the onrushing Williams inches away from applying the finishing touch.
Controversy
The visitors had limited chances going forward but the introduction of the pace of Gideon Baddoo-Dadzie had an immediate impact; albeit with a hint of controversy. Gigi Gogia’s trickery saw him make a yard of space inside the Barking & Dagenham penalty area. His cross was cleared but only as far as Baddoo-Dadzie on the edge of the area. The diminutive striker clearly controlled the ball with his hand before slamming the ball into the bottom corner with the home side’s defenders appealing in vain for handball. It never came with the referee ignoring the protests and the sides were level again.
The injustice seemed to rock the home side and they were nearly punished when Michael Adu Poki fired wide with the goal at his mercy.
At the other end, Williams went close with a low drive and Martin was denied his hat trick by a lucky deflection.
An injury to Stanton then saw the home side go down to eight men but they nearly went in front. Gasperavicius’ cross was fumbled by Edwards into the path of Karim but the Parsloes striker was unable to keep his effort down and it went inches over the crossbar.
End-to-end
With time running out and both sides needing the three points, the game swung from end-to-end. Baddoo-Dadzie was thwarted by a good save by Tyler Rice in the home goal. Whilst at the other end, Haringey somehow managed to escape after a goalmouth scramble that saw Barking & Dagenham had 4 separate efforts on goal.
Rice was then called into action again after a swift Haringey counter-attack. On this occasion, the Southwood stopper brilliantly tipping Baddoo-Dadzie effort around the post.
Karim and Martin saw efforts fly narrowly wide at the other end before the home side had an almighty let off. Haringey broke away after a Barking & Dagenham corner and Gogia’s shot looked certain for the back of the net but somehow it drifted wide with Rice well beaten.
With time almost up, Haringey went close again after a swashbuckling run out of defence from Leon Demiri. However, after running from the half way line, the Haringey full back’s shot went inches wide of the upright.
There was still time for one more chance for the home side but Karim’s acrobatic effort narrowly missed the target and both sides had to settle for a point with both left wondering how they didn’t take all three.
Barking & Dagenham: Rice (Southwood) Onajobi (Becontree), Karim (Parsloes), Gasperavicius (W Bellamy), Williams, Martin, Rich (Valence), Fawunmi (Hunters Hall), Stanton (Eastbury), Dean (Dorothy Barley)