Wandsworth 0-3 Barking & Dagenham

IN-FORM BARKING & DAGENHAM cemented their place at the top of London Girls’ League Group 2 thanks to a hard-fought 3-0 victory away to free-flowing Wandsworth. Following wins against Brent and St Albans, the visitors maintained their one hundred percent record, already securing their Super Six spot and sending out a signal of intent to their rivals.

It was a perfect start for Barking & Dagenham when, in the opening stages, Chloe Ajewole’s clearance was latched onto by George Carey class-mate Alethea-Becky Adjoh-Davoh. The dynamic winger drove into the Wandsworth box with purpose and menace, before laying off to skipper Tolu Elufowoju.

Barking & Dagenham’s top-scorer has been in prolific form since the turn of the year, with twelve goals in her previous six appearances, so it was no surprise when she slotted home from the edge of the penalty area to give her side the advantage.

Sluggish

Despite the boost of the early goal, Barking & Dagenham were sluggish, standing off their accomplished opponents who stroked the ball around with ease whilst the visitors chased shadows.

Atene Skendelis ratted around the centre of the pitch with typical tenacity. Time and again, the Godwin midfielder popped up with vital challenges and crucial interceptions: but too many of her team-mates remained tentative, lacking the necessary intensity to impose themselves upon the game.

Despite never really testing Francisca Arhin in the Barking & Dagenham goal, Wandsworth controlled possession and limited their opponents’ chances by starving them of the ball.

Only Adjoh-Davoh’s persistence in trying to force home Jasmine Amrane’s dangerous corner, an effort into the side netting from Jaydee Williams. and a brace of speculative efforts by Sasha Stoute from outside the box, provided any suggestion that Barking & Dagenham might extend their lead.

Different Story

The second half though was a different story. By now, Barking & Dagenham had adjusted to the hosts’ style of play, with Raima Hossain and Rusne Rimkeviciute adding snap to the tackles. The visitors hassled and harried, denying the hosts time and space and winning the ball back with controlled agression.

As such, Elufowoju had four clear chances in the first ten minutes after the restart, firing close on each occasion.

With renewed vigour, Elufowoju and the equally dangerous Amrane also combined for a pair of attempts for the latter, which also fell narrowly wide.

The same creative partnership finally forced the second when Amrane robbed possession in midfield before laying of to her captain. A touch to set was emphatically followed by a curling strike from twenty yards which gave the home keeper no chance and registered Elufowoju’s seventeenth goal of the season.

As the game entered its final quarter, the next goal – whoever should claim it – would undoubtedly prove crucial.

Smothering

Amrane fancied it: initially embarking on a fine solo run that dodged and weaved through a series of challenges before her final attempt resulted in a smothering save from close range.

Next up, the Gascoigne midfielder seized upon Dominyka Petrauskaite’s centre only for the shot to pick out the keeper with unerring disappointment.

Another dazzling run was thwarted moments later.

And then Amrane finally found the key which unlocked the decisive goal. With Wandsworth throwing numbers forward to gain a foothold in the game, she picked up possession inside her own half, looked up and drove at the heart of the home side’s defence.

Sprinting clear of the final challenge – head down, arms pumping – Amrane ran fully fifty yards, holding off the closing defender before showing immaculate composure to prod past the advancing keeper and secure the three points.

In the closing stages, Petrauskaite could have made it four, hitting the upright from the acutest of angles with just a couple of minutes to go.

But it was the final-third contributions of Amrane and Elufowoju, backed up by a terrific second half display from the rest of their team, that ultimately proved the difference.

Barking & Dagenham: Ajewole (George Carey), Adjoh-Davoh (George Carey), Skendelis (Godwin), Williams (Goresbrook), Arhin (Northbury), Hossain (Northbury), Hussain (Richard Alibon) Petrauskaite (Richard Alibon), Elufowoju (Rush Green), Stoute (Rush Green), Rimkeviciute (William Bellamy), Amrane (Gascoigne), Ameny (Valence)