A FIRST DEFEAT IN twelve matches brought Barking & Dagenham back to Earth with a bump as a much-changed line-up fell to defeat at Kent Cup winners Medway. A goal in each half settled the tie in favour of the hosts but the Southern Counties Cup finalists will take plenty of positives into the bigger games that lie ahead.
In a tie short of goal-mouth action, both defences were on top for a large proportion of the match. Ruby Abela, Elishah-Mintah Adarkwah and Kirsten McNaughton stole the plaudits at the back for Barking & Dagenham and were at the heart of their best play throughout.
Intricate Play
The first chance came when Abela’s through-ball set Violette Sharpe off and running in behind the home backline, before the Gascoigne forward’s cut-back fell just out-of-reach of the onrushing Ellie Mai Morgan.
Later in the half, intricate play between Morgan and Kaltrina Ibrahimi resulted in the latter’s right foot cross falling to Jessie English in the box: however, another chance was snuffed out, with the ball eventually scrambled away to safety.
In between, Medway took the lead. Barking & Dagenham half-cleared their lines following a needlessly conceded corner but were slow to spot the second danger, as a shot from twenty yards found the target and opened the scoring.
After the break, it was English who threatened again and had the visitors’ best opportunity to get back into the game. Riding a brace of challenges, the tenacious winger advanced on goal and fired off a well-struck effort, only for the home keeper to turn it behind with a fine diving stop.
Hesitancy
Victory was sealed when Barking & Dagenham failed to deal with a long-ball over the top and the subsequent hesitancy gifted Medway a second.
And it was almost three moments later when a dipping free-kick from thirty yards cannoned back off the bar.
However, Barking & Dagenham will be buoyed by the defiant performance of their defensive unit and the emergence of Lily-Mae Elsey as an able deputy in midfield for the absent duo of Kayla Grain and Miquellah Meade. So, whilst the opportunity to experiment failed to deliver the hoped-for result, many lessons were learnt – and the squad becomes all the stronger for it.
Barking & Dagenham: Mei Wang (Henry Green); Jessie English (Roding); Kirsten McNaughton (George Carey); Lily-Mae Elsey (Northbury); Elishah-Oliviae Mintah Adarkwah (George Carey); Kaltrina Ibrahimi (William Ford); Ruby Abela (Dorothy Barley); Ellie Mai Morgan (Henry Green); Violette Sharpe (Valence)