St. Albans B 3-3 Barking & Dagenham

BARKING & DAGENHAM’S RESERVE TEAM had to settle for a share of the spoils after a six goal thriller against their St. Albans counterparts.  A brace from Tolu Fabamifobee and a thunderous strike from Eduard Iusco had given them a 3-1 lead at the break only to see the score pegged back late in the second half. 

Barking & Dagenham made a slow start and only a smart save from Rio Inayat prevented the home side from taking an early lead.

However, the visitors gradually got a foothold in the game and took a deserved lead halfway through the half: Reece Jeffs’ clever ball released Fabamifobee, who held off his marker to slot the ball home.

Fabamifobee then went close again after another long ball from Lewis Collingridge caused panic in the home side’s rearguard.

Cruel

However, the hosts levelled things up, somewhat against the run of play. A swift counter attack created a chance on goal and the striker’s firmly struck shot was saved by Inayat, only for the ball to cruelly bounce off of the keeper’s back and into the net.

Parity didn’t last long though as Barking & Dagenham went up the other end and went back in front; Collingridge’s quick thinking saw Fabamifobee through on goal and the George Carey striker nipped in front of the onrushing home keeper to put his side ahead.

Barking & Dagenham then scored again as the break approached. A corner was only half cleared and Iusco fired the ball in from twenty yards, his effort giving the St. Albans’ keeper no chance.

Barking & Dagenham, who played the entire game with just nine players, started the second half well and Fabamifobee almost completed his hat-trick, only to see his finish from an acute angle strike the upright.

Fizzing

Jeffs then went close with a fizzing drive that went narrowly wide.

As the game went on, the effects of no subs saw Barking & Dagenham pinned back in their own half and St. Albans reduced the arrears after Barking & Dagenham gave possession away cheaply near their own penalty area.

However, they refused to lie down and almost made sure of the game when Fabamifobee pounced onto a loose ball but his shot was palmed away by the St. Albans keeper. The save was important as the home side went straight up the other end and levelled things up.

Both sides pressed for a winner but neither were able to and in the end, the spoils were shared.

Barking & Dagenham: R Inayat, K Efobi (Valence), R Jeffs (Hunters Hall), E Iusco (Marks Gate), R Setters (Godwin), L Collingridge (Richard Alibon), T Fabamifobee, (George Carey),  E Pougoue-Ngalamou (The Leys), A Balogun (Grafton)