Barking & Dagenham 4-2 Triangoals

ANOTHER GAME, ANOTHER comeback, as Barking & Dagenham erased a first half deficit to take the spoils on a balmy bank holiday by the Thames. With temperatures soaring at Barking Riverside, the hosts’ new home resembled that of a stadium. Local club side Triangoals turned up with hoards of supporters – and a couple of familiar faces. The residents in the houses and flats adjacent to the pitch also came out to enjoy the Bank Holiday sunshine – and the football.

Spurred on by the support, Triangoals nearly scored the fastest goal in district football history. Right from kick off the visitors sensed the hosts were asleep, and Yannick Carvalho shot at goal. Lucas Marney was awake however, and he tipped the ball just over the bar.

Crowd

With the crowd at their back, Triangoals were quickly into their stride. Former District wingers Marcanthony Kitoko and Calvin Edomi posed an immediate threat, with the former having his shot cleared off the line by Dexter Douglas.

It was a slow start for the home side, but they sprang to life on eleven minutes when Denzel Decardi-Nelson swung in a first time cross. Joel Ladegbaye and Chinoso Ibeh both had their shots cleared off the line, as the hosts nearly took the lead against the run of play.

The ensuing corner by the St Peter’s winger caused more mayhem in the Triangoals box, and Ladegbaye was once again denied by a clearance off the line.

After surviving the scare, Triangoals would again get the upper hand in the game. Kitoko and Edomi were at the heart of everything, and the latter’s low cross on sixteen minutes narrowly evaded all in the box.

Noisy

Urged on by their noisy support, it was only a matter of time before the goal arrived. A cross from the left-hand side on nineteen minutes found Kitoko, whose low left foot shot curled into the bottom corner.

With their fans in raptures, Triangoals nearly doubled their lead a minute later, but found Ruari Stanton in their way. The Northbury defender’s last-ditch block preventing a certain goal.

The hosts cleared their heads and began to play. An incisive move on twenty-five minutes teed up Benjamin Oluyemmy, who shot just over.

A minute later, his Northbury team-mate Marvellous Oppong got on the end of an umpteenth dangerous Decardi-Nelson cross, but found another Triangoals defender on the line.

Sensing an equaliser, Barking & Dagenham came again, and their efforts won a free kick on the edge of the visitor’s box. Jahcorey Blair-Charles’ curling free kick was yet again cleared off the line to frustrate the home side.

Slick

With half time fast approaching, the breakthrough arrived. A slick move and through ball from Ibeh found Ladegbaye one-on-one with the Triangoals’ keeper. The George Carey striker made no mistake, slamming his shot into the top right-hand corner for 1-1.

This time it was the turn of the home support to celebrate. But not for long.

The visitors once again shot straight from kick off, but this time Carvalho caught it perfectly to lob the ball into the top corner. An extraordinary goal and it was 1-2.

The BAD Boys had time for one more attack just before the break, but Ladegbaye’s carbon copy finish was this time ruled out for offside.

Barking & Dagenham cleared their heads during the break and set about the task of wearing down the visitors. Oluyemmy and Decardi-Nelson began a campaign of running at the Triangoals full backs, and their efforts produced several dangerous crosses across the penalty area.

The hosts were clearly on top now, and Ladegbaye shot just wide on thirty-four minutes.

Bursting

Three minutes later, the scores were level. A nicely crafted move found Oppong bursting through central midfield. His low hard shot found the bottom corner, and the BAD Boys had come from behind for the seventh time this season.

The hosts went in search of the lead, and it duly arrived. Triangoals failed to clear Oluyemmy’s low cross, Decardi-Nelson had his first time shot saved, and Ladegbaye was on hand to convert his third goal in two games.

Far from being content, Barking & Dagenham put the game beyond any doubt in the forty-sixth minute. A Ladegbaye corner caused panic in the Triangoals box, and Evergreen Eleagu reacted fastest to calmly side foot home to give the hosts the insurance they needed.

Stung by three goals without reply, Triangoals came again.

Shot

A low Kitoko shot was saved by Marney, and the follow up was blocked by a superb stretching challenge from Stanton; the Northbury defender preventing a certain goal for the second time in the match.

Edomi burst through on the right-hand side on fifty-two minutes, but once again found Marney in the way. Further half chances followed, but were dealt with by Marney, Stanton, Douglas and Ibrahim Msabah in a massive team defensive effort.

Time was up for Triangoals, but both sides can be proud of their efforts in the heat. Next up for the hosts is the Crisp Shield Round 2 tie against Greenwich at Riverside.

Barking & Dagenham: Lucas Marney (William Ford), Ruari Stanton (Northbury), Ibrahim Msabah (George Carey), Dexter Douglas (St Vincent’s), Benjamin Oluyemmy (Northbury), Marvellous Oppong (Northbury), Jahcorey Blair-Charles (George Carey), Denzel-Decardi Nelson (St Peter’s), Chinoso Ibeh (St Peter’s), Joel Ladegbaye (George Carey), Evergreen Eleagu (St Peter’s), Otis Akpata (Eastbury), Theodore Mintah (Valence)