Barking & Dagenham 4-2 Tower Hamlets
BARKING & DAGENHAM U11s RESERVE TEAM opened their season with an impressive victory over Tower Hamlets. Goals from Eduard Iusco, Enzo Pougoue Ngalamou, Koabi Efobi and Aaron Balogun, saw them run out winners in what was the first ever second-string game for the borough.
The home side started brightly as Tolu Fabamifobee was denied an early goal by the Tower Hamlets‘ keeper.
Fabamifobee then went even closer with the next attack when his looping header struck the post after an impressive Riley Setters’ cross.
The home side continue to dominate and took a deserved lead with ten minutes on the clock, Iusco curling a beautiful free kick into the top corner from fully twenty-five yards.
Smashing
With their next attack, Barking & Dagenham doubled their lead. Rio Inayat’s quick goal kick was flicked on by Fabamifobee. He in turn found Pougoue-Ngalamou, who drove into the box, before smashing the ball past the Hamlets’ keeper.
The visitors saw their first glimpse of goal at the start of the second period but Oliver Bourne produced a good save to deny Afais Grant.
At the other end, Imran Aroui saw his fierce free kick palmed away, with the rebound almost falling into the path of Fabamifobee.
The game became very stretched, with chances at both ends. Grant and Ezra Willets both looked liked getting efforts on goal only for Lewis Collinridge to produce two well-timed tackles.
However, Tower Hamlets reduced the deficit with a well taken goal after Elli Ali released Grant, who gave Bourne no chance with a low finish.
Brilliance
With their next attack, the home side restored their two-goal lead with a goal of individual brilliance from Efobi. The Valence winger picked the ball up deep in his own half and evaded several challenges before curling into the bottom corner.
Iusco almost scored a second free-kick from twenty-five yards before Setters fired over after some neat inter-play between Efobi and Fabamifobee.
The third period started with the home side going close to a fourth: Balogun’s free kick was fumbled by the Hamlets keeper. Reece Jeffs reacted quickest but his poked effort was deflected wide.
Barking & Dagenham remained in control of the game but Tower Hamlets produced a swift counter attack to reduce the arrears. The pacy Grant raced free from the halfway line and, although Jermaine Matthews produced a brave save at the feet of the Hamlet’s forward, the ball fell into the path of Tyler Moore, who calmly slotted the ball home.
Rooted
However, any hopes of the visitors launching a comeback where quickly extinguished, as the home team restored their three goal lead. Balogun picked the ball up halfway in the Tower Hamlets’ half, slipped past two challenges before unleashing a dipping drive that left the Tower Hamlets keeper rooted to the spot.
There was still time for Pougoue-Ngalamou to go close with another well struck free kick, which drew a smart save from the visiting keeper.
Jeffs then almost put the seal on an impressive team performance but his snapshot was inches wide and the home side had to settle for just the four goals.
Barking & Dagenham: R Inayat, K Efobi (Valence), R Jeffs (Hunters Hall), E Iusco (Marks Gate), R Setters (Godwin), L Collinridge (Richard Alibon), T Fabamifobee, J Matthews (George Carey), O Bourne, E Pougoue-Ngalamou (The Leys), A Balogun (Grafton), I Aroui (Thames View