Barking & Dagenham 1-2 Woking
A BARN-STORMING CUP TIE between two top teams saw Barking & Dagenham slug it out with old rivals Woking in another memorable encounter at May & Baker. Aysia’s Matabaro’s eleventh of the season had given the hosts the lead at the break, but a second half equaliser and a late penalty sent last year’s runners-up into the quarter-finals of the English Schools’ FA National Cup by the narrowest of margins.
Barking & Dagenham began brightly, firmly on the front foot, pushing their opponents deep into their own territory.
The Surrey side quickly fought back though as both teams traded blows in midfield, looking for the advantage that would put their team ahead.
First Chance
So evenly balanced was the game, that it took until midway through the first half for the first real chance of note. But, when it came, it was a great one…
Matabaro picked up possession in her own half, driving forward before laying the ball back to Southwood’s Mia Green. A first time ball forwards through the centre of the park found Matabaro once again, exchanging a nimble one-two with Erin Taylor who had cut in from the right flank to link up play. Taylor’s return fell into the path of the district’s leading scorer who out-muscled her marker before finishing emphatically into the bottom corner for the lead.
Again though, it remained tight.
The only other goal attempt of the half saw skipper Hazel Walker thread a sumptuous pass from deep within her own half that fell perfectly to Matabaro breaking behind the Woking backline. Great skill from the Roding forward saw her burst free to bear down on the visitors’ goal, and only a sharp stop from keeper Hickey prevented Barking & Dagenham from going two up.
It took until twenty minutes from time for Woking to get back into it. A throw-in down the left went straight up in the air; the referee was unsighted though as the same player who took it was first to the ball, prompting a move that left the home defence staring on as their opponents stole in for an equaliser.
Post
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves though, Barking & Dagenham went in pursuit of the winner.
First, Matabaro brought another fine save out of Hickey, before pouncing on the rebound to clatter the outside of the post with a considered left-foot attempt from a narrow angle.
Then Matabaro again drilled one across Hickey’s bows again before Zoe Freeman saw her dangerous effort from distance held on the follow-up.
It looked like Barking & Dagenham were about to edge it until, out of nothing, a handball in the hosts’ penalty area presented the visitors with the chance they needed. Honey Thomas’s wonderful diving effort saw her get two hands to the ball as she deflected the spot-kick to her right. However, the quality of the strike held too much power, with the momentum already gathered ensuring the deflection could only carry the strike into the side of the net.
Rather than dwell on what might have been, Thomas was straight in the action again as Woking went in search of the killer blow. As Barking & Dagenham struggled to find a solution that would allow them to commit bodies forward, the visitors forced the James Cambell stopper into two outstanding blocks that kept alive any hope of a revival.
With time ticking by, Barking & Dagenham laid siege and camped themselves in and around the Woking box. Some desperate defending and great goalkeeping kept them out.
Matabaro went close; and Green even closer as Lara Sousa Franco’s lay-off was curled just wide by the midfielder’s left foot effort.
But the visitors held on, despite the late flurry, to take the tie and advance into the quarter-finals.
Barking & Dagenham: Amaya Amaning (Warren), Pearl Brown (Rush Green), Zoe Freeman (Rush Green), Kadie Gibbs (James Cambell), Mia Green (Southwood), Aysia Matabaro (Roding), Charlotte Bryant (Roding), Chioma Musa-Onyeka (St Peter’s), Lara Sousa Franco (St Peter’s), Erin Taylor (The Leys), Honey Thomas (James Cambell), Hazel Walker (Parsloes)