Barking & Dagenham 4-2 Merton

2019 AND 2022 SOUTHERN COUNTIES Cup winners Barking & Dagenham booked their place in this season’s showpiece finals day after battling through a tricky quarter-final tie against Merton. The south London side arrived full of vigour, skill and intent to pose the toughest test the BAD Girls have faced in recent weeks; but it was one they passed with flying colours as Aaliyah Felix, Jo Mecvari and Simonette Johnson shared the goals to seal safe passage to Oxford City FC on 17th May.

It was the valiant visitors who opened the scoring in the fifth minute when a loose ball was seized upon in midfield. Barking & Dagenham’s defensive screen was absent-without-leave and the delighted Merton attacker took full advantage to sprint clear and help herself to the opening goal of the morning.

Emphatic

It was the first time Barking & Dagenham have been behind since 14th December, and only the third time they have trailed all season.

It didn’t last for long.

Skipper Felix got the BAD Girls back level in the tenth. Just before then, she had been denied by the keeper’s block when racing onto Lily Imititikua’s throw inside the box.

But this time, she gave the visiting stopper no chance as Mecvari’s good work down the right flank resulted in a fine cut back which the captain rifled into the top corner, showing her side how it’s done in emphatic fashion.

Mecvari must have been paying close attention as she repeated the feat three minutes later. Having switched to the left-hand side at the restart, the Southwood winger picked up a loose clearance twenty-five yards out, took a touch, and lashed it into the opposite top corner for her fifth of the campaign.

Mecvari and Felix were at the centre of everything that was good about the home side’s play.

Both exchanged passes to split open their opponents once again when neat interplay between the two saw Felix side-foot wide with the keeper stranded.

Doubled

And then Mecvari doubled the advantage six minutes before half-time.

Play progressed down the opposite wing as Whitney James was alert to mop up a Merton through-ball before sweeping a perfect pass into the path of top-scorer Theresa Ezea. The St Peter’s striker used her strength and pace to hold off the incoming challenge, but the attention was just enough to limit the force of the strike, allowing the keeper to get down well to parry clear.

Swooping in though was Mecvari. The first attempt was blocked; the second bundled over the line, as the Southwood star wheeled away in triumph to give her side breathing space heading into the break.

It didn’t take long for the lead to be extended. Mecvari claimed a second assist of the morning – to add to her two goals – when one of her ever-dangerous corners dipped into the six-yard box for Johnson to volley home on the stretch.

Sharp

Merton were always dangerous though.

Grace Attwood-Adams – on her thirtieth district appearance – was called upon several times to sweep up from her line and had to be down sharply at her near post in the thirty-fifth minute to pull off a smart stop that would have given the visitors a route back into the tie.

It could have been five. James and Johnson combined to set Ezea in behind, her carefully weighted lob clearing the keeper before cannoning back off the post when everyone in the ground had thought it was in.

Now though, Barking & Dagenham were largely in control as they held their shape and preserved their lead, showing another string to their bow as they negotiated and managed the closing stages.

And when Merton pulled one back in the dying embers of the game, there was never any real suggestion they would do it again, even with Barking & Dagenham beginning to tire in the unseasonably warm conditions.

Impressive

It was another impressive victory for the BAD Girls who coped well with injuries and absence to share responsibility and achieve their second major objective of the term.

Number 1: They have topped their London Girls’ League group with a 100% record.

Number 2: They have qualified for the Southern Counties Cup finals day.

Now attention turns to Number 3: winning the Essex SFA Girls’ League.

Picking up four points from this week’s ties with Chelmsford and Basildon, neighbours Havering are the only side who can overtake Barking & Dagenham at the top of the table but they will need a 100% record for the remainder of the competition. And with two of their three remaining games against the BAD Girls, the league leaders know a point will clinch the county crown for the first time in six years.

Attempt 1 awaits on the 22nd March.

Barking & Dagenham: Grace Attwood-Adams (The Leys), Paloma Correia (George Carey), Theresa Ezea (St Peter’s), Aaliyah Felix (Goresbrook), Lily-Mae Fisher (Roding), Lily Imititikua (St Peter’s), Whitney James (Rose Lane), Simonette Johnson (St Peter’s), Bella Yorke (Northbury), Jo Mecvari (Southwood)