Bexley 1-0 Barking & Dagenham
A CONTROVERSIAL PENALTY decision condemned the BAD Boys to defeat in their second Lester Finch Group Stage game on a windy morning in South London.
The opening exchanges were nip and tuck, with both sides struggling to come to terms with the blustery conditions.
Barking & Dagenham’s engine room was busy, as Kylan Okosi and Jordane Thomas battled with their Bexley counterparts – in the absence of Captain Milburn.
Stunning
For ten minutes the battle continued before the first real chance arrived. Okosi played a first-time ball through the heart of the home defence for Thomas to latch on to. Through on goal, the Five Elms man picked his spot in the top corner but was denied by a stunning save from the Bexley goalkeeper.
Next, it was the turn of the hosts to come close. A dubious free kick was awarded on the edge of the visitor’s box, and the resulting curling attempt seemed destined for the far corner. That was until Cezar Curbet – of William Bellamy – reached up and tipped it over the bar to equal the efforts of his Bexley counterpart.
Shortly thereafter the home side came again. A slick move and through ball put the centre forward through on goal before Judah Blair-Charles of George Carey came from nowhere to win a high-risk slide tackle. Blair Charles quickly turned defence into attack – and found St Vincent’s Owen Orhue – but his low hard cross evaded all in the penalty area.
Cross Winds
Half time came and went with more of the same. Both sides were fighting – and losing – their battle against the cross winds, and the tackles kept flying in.
It was a tug of war in midfield, as Bexley and Barking & Dagenham struggled to gain the upper hand. Chances were at a premium – but the hosts did fashion a point-blank range shot that was brilliantly tipped wide by Grafton’s Freddie Cable.
It was going to take the sublime – or the ridiculous – to break the deadlock.
And sure enough – with ten minutes left – the latter arrived. The home side thrust forward, and what seemed like a perfectly timed tackle thwarted their progress. The referee however saw it differently and awarded the home side a penalty. Cable got his body to it, but it squirmed underneath for what would prove to be the winning goal.
The visitors furiously tried to level the score, but the closest they came was a late half volley by Godwin’s Finley Hossack that flew narrowly over the bar. His technique was textbook, and he was unlucky as his shot just went over.
He and his teammates deserved at least a point, but it was not to be. The BAD Boys will need a win in their final group match at South London to progress to the quarter-finals.
Barking & Dagenham: Freddie Cable (Grafton), Cezar Curbet (William Bellamy), Callum Salmon (Grafton), Captain – Judah Blair-Charles (George Carey), Finley Hossack (Godwin), Zuheir Ali (George Carey), Jordane Thomas (Five Elms), Kylan Okosi (Grafton), Owen Orhue (St Vincent’s), Oba Adetona (Valence), Elijah Armah (Richard Alibon), Firdaus Bakare (Roding)