Barking & Dagenham 1-3 Potters Bar

BARKING & DAGENHAM U11S WENT down to a battling 3-1 defeat against Potters Bar on Saturday. Despite taking an early lead via Mason Stanton’s first district goal, three unanswered strikes saw the Hertfordshire side take the spoils. 

The home side went on the attack from the kick off and took the lead within the first minute of the game. Kien Connelly’s clever dummy set Stanton free and the Eastbury man slammed the ball home after he had raced away from the visitor’s defence.

The goal stunned ‘Bar and Connelly nearly made it two after a storming run. Favour Fawunmi and Emis Gasperavicius then flashed balls across the goal of the visitors but no one could apply the finishing touch. 

Blistering

The game continued to be played at a blistering pace without either side looking like scoring. David Hicks tried his luck from twenty yards for Potters Bar but Harry Milburn bravely blocked his effort. Millburn and Fawunmi continued to link up well down the left hand side but twice in quick succession, dangerous balls were well defended by Jokubas Mazionis at the heart of the Potters Bar defence.

As the half wore on, ‘Bar began to enjoy more possession but they failed to trouble the home side. The closest they came was when Mazionis rose highest in the box to head Hicks’ corner but his effort went wide.

Then, with the last action of the half, the visitors seized upon a defensive mistake to level things up. Hicks’ corner was poked home from close range by Adnan Lembriti to send the sides in level at the break. 

Endeavour

The second half had the same feel as the first, with both sides showing plenty of endeavour but little by way of goal-scoring opportunities. Barking & Dagenham had the first sight of goal when Connelly showed near footwork to evade four challenges but Amin Karim was unable to trouble George Pattendon in the visitor’s goal from Connelly’s pass.

Karim was then put through again but Mazionis timed his tackle to perfection just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Potters Bar looked to get the ball in behind the Barking & Dagenham defence, trying to utilise  the pace of Lembriti but Qudus Onajobi was on hand to snuff out any danger. ‘Bar did get a sight of goal when Hicks slipped in Albert Wood but Tyler Rice was equal to his low drive. 

Unwitting

The game seemed to be heading for a draw until a stroke of luck gave Potters Bar the lead. Hicks’ long range free kick hit the unwitting Wood, which diverted the ball past Rice to give the visitors the lead.

Barking & Dagenham pushed forward in search of an equaliser but were unable to find a way through the Bar defence and the visitors made sure of the victory when they grabbed a third on the break. The home side had committed bodies forward and a swift counter attack from Rahim Kakigal and Hicks set up Callum Howe, who made no mistake from twelve yards. 

Defeat was harsh on Barking & Dagenham, who more than matched their opponents for large parts of the game. However,  visitors more clinical finishing was the difference on the day. Attention now turn to the Essex 7-a-sides for Barking & Dagenham who will be looking to successfully defend their title that they won last year. 

Barking & Dagenham: Dean (D Barley), Rice (Southwood) Onajobi (Becontree),Karim (Parsloes), Milburn (Five Elms), Gasperavicius (W Bellamy), Connolly, Martin, Rich (Valence), Fawunmi (H Hall),  Stanton (Eastbury)