Barking & Dagenham 8-0 Merton 

Barking & Dagenham U11’s booked their place in the second round of the London Schools’ FA Crisp Shield with a crushing win over Merton on Saturday. Alfie Horan’s second successive hat-trick and goals from Nelson Ajayi, Jermaine Kitoko, Drilon Ceshmexiu, Kai Harvey and an own goal saw the side through to the next round.

 Merton started brightly and gave the home side a scare when they nearly grabbed the lead from a corner with virtually the first attack of the game. However, thankfully for the hosts, the ball went narrowly wide.

Barking & Dagenham slowly edged their way into the game and Ajayi’s acrobatic effort from twelve yards wasn’t far away from giving his side the lead. Jack Turner then created the next chance for the home side but his cross was inches too high for the onrushing Daniel Nkrumah at the back post.

Merton were struggling to deal with the pace of the home side so it was no surprise when Barking went in front. Ferdinand Okoh’s pinpoint pass released Ajayi, who coolly slotted the ball home.

It didn’t take long for Barking to double their lead moments later. Horan made a yard of space for himself on the edge of the box and he gave the Merton keeper no chance with a thunderous drive that went in off the post.

Things almost got even better for Barking as half-time approached. A swashbuckling run by Samuel Kaffour saw him create an opening for himself but his fierce drive crashed against the upright, with the Merton keeper rooted to the spot.

Eager to kill the game off, Barking & Dagenham made a quick start to the second period and increased their lead with a well worked goal. Okoh was again involved, riding three tackles before finding Ceshmexiu, who cut in from the flank, before finding the bottom corner of the net with a well placed finished.

The home side were now rampant and almost found themselves 4-0 up after a storming Kitoko run, which took him past three defenders, but he could only find the side netting. However, it wasn’t long before they did grab their fourth with Kitoko opening his account for the season. The George Carey frontman reacting quickest when Merton’s keeper failed to hold Okoh’s pile driver.

Okoh almost set up goal number five in the next attack, his exquisite through ball finding Ajayi but his first time effort was well saved by the Merton keeper.

Merton offered very little going forward but did have a chance to pull a goal back when Jevonte McCarthy was adjudged to have handled outside the area. However, McCarthy redeemed himself with a brilliant finger tip save from the resulting free kick.

At the other end, Kitoko was inches away from grabbing his second after another ball from Okoh had split the Merton defence wide open. Despite rounding the keeper with a neat trick, Kitoko was only able to find the side netting.

With the very next foray forward, however, Barking went 5-0 up – Horan seizing on a loose ball on the edge of the box, hammering the ball into the top corner, giving the Merton keeper no chance.

The home side continued to press forward and went six goals to the good albeit with a hint of good fortune. Kaffour, Okoh and Horan were all involved, finding Kitoko in space and his whipped cross was deflected in by an unfortunate Merton defender.

There was no respite from Barking and it was soon 7-0 with Horan completing his hat trick. Once again the District captain gave the keeper no chance with a well placed shot for his second treble in as many matches.

There was still time for the home side to round things off with an eighth. Merton failed to clear their lines and Harvey was on hand to fire the ball in from close range for his first District goal.

That put the seal on a very impressive victory for the home side, although they know that tougher tests lie in wait in the forthcoming weeks.