Barking & Dagenham 4-0 Lewisham

ON THE OCCASION OF her fortieth BAD Girls appearance, skipper Aaliyah Felix wrapped up the scoring against Lewisham, netting Barking & Dagenham’s fourth goal without reply, and ensuring qualification to the London Girls’ League Super Six after Easter. Earlier, Abbie Blewitt’s brace and Simonette Johnson’s twenty-second district strike meant the hosts cruised to a fourteenth win in as many games to maintain their one hundred percent record and send a message out to their rivals: Barking & Dagenham are serious contenders for the title.

Full of confidence from last week’s thrashing of Wandsworth, Barking & Dagenham were ‘On It’ from the start, penning the Kent Super Cup semi-finalists back into their own half from Lily Imititikua’s long throw. In form striker Theresa Ezea stole onto the ball, taking Lewisham by surprise, before firing over from inside the box.

Invitation

Not long after, and the hosts were ahead. A free-kick was awarded twenty-five yards out, presenting an open invitation for Blewitt to test the keeper with an early sighter. The Hunters Hall midfielder didn’t need asking twice as she placed down the ball, stepped back, breathed out and deposited a dipping effort over the keeper’s outstretched hands for her first goal since bagging five against Slough in October.

Instead of pushing on for more though, Barking & Dagenham stepped off the gas, allowing Lewisham time and space, especially down the left hand side where the visitors exposed a sleeping opponent.

Keeper Grace Attwood-Adams had to come to the rescue with a fine near-post parry that – had it not been made – may have tipped the balance back towards parity, giving the away side a foothold back into the game.

But as the half wore on, the chances came thick and fast.

Lilly-Mae Fisher’s trickery off the left wing saw her pull out all her party tricks to beat two players inside the box before laying off to Blewitt. The resulting attempt was blocked by the keeper with Ezea blazing over as she charged in to convert.

On nine minutes, Ezea saw a further chance blocked at the last second, before Felix picked out the keeper from the edge of the box, Fisher blasted wide and Blewitt’s left-foot attempt cannoned back off the bar as the pressure mounted.

Doubled

Two-thirds of the way through the half, the lead was doubled. In that time, Ezea had been an absolute menace. Hassled, harried, battered and bruised, the Lewisham defence clung on as the St Peter’s forward gave them no peace (and plenty of problems) with her pace, power and persistence.

And so, from a Lewisham goal-kick, Ezea pounced – charging down the ball and forcing a panicked clearance which fell straight into Johnson’s path.

After keeping her composure, Johnson converted and Barking & Dagenham never looked back.

The introduction of Jo Mecvari from the bench brought added impetus, her set-piece taking providing an extra string to the Barking & Dagenham bow.

A series of whipped-in corners brought chaos in the box, except for one moment of clarity where Mecvari’s out-swinging, near-post delivery was met on the volley inside the six-yard box and Blewitt had her second of the game.

As the half came to a close, Johnson’s strength and determination almost fashioned a fourth but a fine double save from a scrambling keeper denied her a place inside the list of top five all-time Barking & Dagenham scorers – for now!

Shuffle

A slight shuffle of personnel caused more problems for the visitors, with Paloma Correia deployed at right-back in support of Mecvari who pushed high and wide to exploit the space in behind. The Southwood winger combined brilliantly with Johnson and Blewitt for the move of the game, until Johnson agonisingly fired straight at the keeper with time and space for something better.  

In the end, it was Felix who decided to put all the nonsense to bed, winning possession and driving into the box before rifling into the bottom corner to show her team how it is done. It was just reward for a terrific second half performance from the captain, moving level with Blewitt and Correia on seven goals for the season.

Ezea then picked out the keeper with unerring accuracy. Twice.

Correia, Ezea and Bella Hines all went close in a mad goalmouth melee.

And Johnson, Felix and Mecvari could all have added to the tally with a touch more class to their finishing.

But despite the missed chances, this was an excellent performance from Barking & Dagenham who worked without respite, fully deserving their win and cementing their position at the top of the group table. Victory over Woking in two weeks’ time will ensure they reach the final stages of the competition in the best possible position and with every chance of lifting a record-breaking sixth LGL title.

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