AFTER THE HEARTBREAK OF losing deep into extra-time during last year’s final, Barking & Dagenham girls made sure of capturing the Southern Counties Cup for the first time in their history with a confident performance against Gloucester. With one win for each team in their previous meetings this season, the district U11s were on the front foot from the outset, with Miquellah Meade’s solo effort separating Kaltrina Ibrahimi’s brace at Oxford City FC’s Court Place Farm stadium.
It took just two minutes for Barking & Dagenham to fashion their first opening, when Lily-Mae Elsey’s through-ball found Ibrahimi on the left. The William Ford winger sprinted clear, only to see her snap-shot finish up in the side netting.
No Mistake
But Ibrahimi made no mistake four minutes later when Kayla Grain’s throw-in was laid off by Elsey for Grain to whip a dangerous ball into the box from the right. Ibrahimi reacted quickest, smashing the ball home first-time to set Barking & Dagenham on their way.
In the twelfth minute, Ibrahimi’s in-swinging corner was met by Meade’s volley from inside the box. Her initial effort was charged down, as was her second in a frantic scramble to clear.
And it was a corner at the other end that gave Gloucester their best chance as Amelie Birchley’s hooked effort saw Mei Wang called into action – the Henry Green stopper showing great handling to cling on to the ball inside a crowded six-yard box.
The momentum briefly fell away for Barking & Dagenham as their opening flurry began to take its toll. Only Grain’s speculative lob and Ibrahimi’s rasper just before the interval held any threat.
Back On Track
After the restart though, Barking & Dagenham were back on track instantly as Meade doubled the lead. Neat interplay through midfield was eventually broken up by the Gloucester rear-guard. However, the all-important clearance only found Meade who took the ball full-in-the-face, never flinching until she had charged into the box, beaten the last defender and slotted the ball into the bottom corner for 2-0.
And it was almost three moments later when Violette Sharpe’s endless running saw her ride three challenges before laying off to Ibrahimi. Her effort from the edge of the box crashed off the side of the post however as she was denied a spectacular second.
Final Say
With seven minutes left on the clock though, Ibrahimi had the final say. Grain’s long ball over the top landed behind the opposition backline and Ibrahimi again showed great determination to get there first and stab the ball past the onrushing keeper to make sure of victory.
It was almost 4-0 in the dying embers of the game, when Grain’s glancing header from Ibrahimi’s corner found the woodwork for a second time: however, by then the result was already assured and Barking & Dagenham had more than made up for their disappointment in 2018.
Barking & Dagenham: Mei Wang (Henry Green); Miquellah Meade (Henry Green); Kirsten McNaughton (George Carey); Ellie Mai Morgan (Henry Green); Violette Sharpe (Gascoigne); Jessie English (Roding); Kayla Grain (Richard Alibon); Lily-Mae Elsey (Northbury); Elishah-Oliviae Mintah Adarkwah (George Carey); Kaltrina Ibrahimi (William Ford); Kezia Owusu-Abeiye (Valence); Ruby Abela (Dorothy Barley)
