Barking & Dagenham 3-0 Hackney
A PROPER GOAL OF the season contender from Northbury’s Zainab Touray lit up Barking & Dagenham’s London Girls’ League tie against Hackney, helping to secure all three points for the holders, alongside Simonette Johnson’s seventh of the season and a further late strike from Touray. The goals helped the home side to their first win of the campaign in that competition and keeps alive their hopes of a place in the Super Six after Easter.
Barking & Dagenham should have been ahead in the second minute, but for the bravery of the visiting keeper. Abbie Blewitt switched play wide to Malaika Uwandji on the right with the tricky winger racing clear before blasting a fierce shot on target. The Hackney stopper saved with her face at the near post, requiring lengthy treatment before courageously continuing.
In the fourth and nineteenth minutes, Johnson opted to chance her arm from mid-range, with both attempts comfortably fielded.
Bruising
And four minutes later, the dangerous St Peter’s forward raced through once again, showing great strength to withstand a bruising challenge before once again picking out the keeper with the goal at her mercy.
The visitors threatened on the break. And Barking & Dagenham had Emily Peka to thank for keeping the scores level at the break when the Valence shot-stopper got down well to her left to palm away what looked like a certain goal on the rare occasion of Hackney breaking the hosts’ offside trap.
Harsh words at half-time saw Barking & Dagenham return to the field with pep in their step and much more purpose to their attacking play.
Calm passing in the centre of the pitch saw Comfort Mazel combine with Blewitt before the latter picked out Johnson just inside the box. This time, she made no mistake as she showed great composure to bury the ball into the bottom corner for a deserved lead.
Two minutes later, Johnson was in again. With more venom than her earlier attempts, buoyed by her earlier goal, the top-scorer fired firmly on target, with the keeper down to save well and Touray steeling in at pace to prod wide on the follow-up.
The same pair combined less than sixty seconds later when Touray – an increasing influence down the right flank – fed Johnson inside the box for yet another attempt.
Wicked
But it was Touray herself who stole the show shortly after when, out of nothing, she collected the ball just outside the penalty area, cutting in from the right wing. With no obvious option available, Touray unleashed a wicked, dipping, swerving effort that caught everyone by surprise as it whipped over the assembled masses inside the box and plopped into the far corner for 2-0.
Barking & Dagenham pressed for more.
The consistent Aaliyah Felix volleyed Blewitt’s corner from close range, only for a goal-line block to deny her second district goal.
And Touray’s brilliant, fizzed cross picked Felix out once more in a central position fifteen yards out. A first touch and a howitzer of a blast looked like it would make it three, but a fabulous diving stop denied the Goresbrook forward at the last second.
Barking & Dagenham would not be denied, however. With a free-kick just inside her own half, Amelia Hussain showed great intelligence to spot the away side’s high-line and floated the ball into the space behind for Paloma Correia’s immaculately timed run. With the keeper opting to stay at home, the alert Correia got there first and prodded left-footed from an acute angle.
Her strike found the post, but then deflected across the goalmouth where Touray showed hungry determination to beat her marker to the ball and smash home with the last kick of the game.
The win was crucial for Barking & Dagenham who went into the game with a win and a defeat from their opening two games. Victory on the road next week at Brent, plus a home win on March 2nd against Barnet, will seal their spot in the next phase of the competition for a tenth successive season.
Barking & Dagenham: Emily Peka (Valence); Jona Islami (Roding); Gilda Hasani (Northbury); Zainab Touray (Northbury); Abbie Blewitt (Hunters Hall); Paloma Correia (George Carey); Amelia Hussain (Richard Alibon); Malaika Uwandji (Roding); Aaliyah Felix (Goresbrook); Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s); Comfort Mazel (Godwin); Maria Matteus (George Carey)