JRCS 0-13 Barking & Dagenham

A HAT-TRICK OF HAT-TRICKS from three of the borough’s brightest stars lit up a chilly December evening as Barking & Dagenham primary schoolgirls ran riot against their older JRCS counterparts. Mariam-Daisy Ngobo Azeez, Millie Blythe and Pahris Cotterell all laid claim to the match-ball with further strikes from Nour Khalfaoui (2), Gabriella Gomes and Makayla Smith racking up a baker’s dozen without reply for the district side in their first run-out of the season.

The first of the trebles came within the opening seven minutes when Gomes seized possession on the right flank before centring to an unmarked Ngobo Azeez for her first district goal. Straight from the restart, Godwin’s predatory striker won possession back at the centre circle before charging through for her second. A third followed two minutes later and Barking & Dagenham never looked back.

Gift

Gomes was again the provider on sixteen minutes when a neat one-two with skipper Blythe saw the Valence playmaker skip unchallenged into the box to calmly prod home. Schoolmate Alisha Johnson then played out calmly from the back to release Blythe for a second before the captain was gifted another following a goalkeeping spill on the edge of the penalty area.

After the half-time interval, it was Cotterell’s turn to get in on the act. Her first came when a loose ball rolled to her on the right flank to smash into the roof of the net from mid-range. A second and third strike quickly followed as Cotterell, along with six other debutantes, emphatically stamped their authority on the game.

Stunning

Moments later, Gomes received reward for her honest endeavour when Ngobo Azeez – now deployed on the right wing – reciprocated for the game’s opening goal, picking out her former provider on the edge of the box for a stunning top-corner finish.

Ngobo Azeez then crossed for Khalfaoui to slot home an eleventh before the same player took advantage of hesitancy at the back to net her second in as many minutes.

A hat-trick of assists from Ngobo Azeez forced another error at the back, allowing Smith to comfortably tap in as the scoring was completed.

The district girls side, buoyed by their opening outing, will regroup in the new year as their campaign begins in earnest.

Barking & Dagenham: Bhavani (Parsloes); Babatunde (Richard Alibon); Johnson, Embery, Blythe (Valence); Gomes (St Joseph’s Dagenham); Ngobo Azeez (Godwin); Cotterell (Manor Longbridge); Khalfaoui (Hunters Hall); Smith (Henry Green)