Barkingside 1 Redbridge 2 (Premier Division)
Report by Scott Lanza
There’s an old adage in football that says it doesn’t matter how a goal is scored as long as they go in. Calvin Poku took that to the extreme on Friday evening as his goal settled a tight local derby and made sure the points went Redbridge’s way. The Motormen’s talisman was able to turn the ball into the net after a clearance crashed into his body and then cannoned into the net.
The visitors started the game brightly as Brian Moses tried an overhead kick early in the first half and then had a mazy run ended by the bravery of Will Hunt in the Barkingside goal. His counterpart, Lewis Greene also had to chase down a ball over the top that Joe Newbold was looking to latch onto. However after these brief attacking forays the game then got bogged down in midfield and there were very few clear cut chances created for the rest of the half. Moses did clip the cross bar with a shot after he had powered his way past the Barkingside defence and Poku thumped a shot just wide just before the break.
The Motormen started the second half in attack mode and won an early corner when Hunt tipped a Moses shot around the post. The resulting corner wasn’t dealt with effectively by the Side defence and eventually made its way to Shaun Harris, who headed the Motormen into a 48th minute lead.
Hunt then kept Barkingside in it when he had to pull off a good save to keep out Moses who had burst past the Side defence before unleashing a shot.
The hosts were back on level terms in the 66th minute when Tony Cookey beat the Motormen’s offside trap, homed in on goal and then centred to Michael Ogboin who finished the job off by rolling it home.
Had Gareth Jones been able to get a through ball under control it may have lead to a glorious Barkingside opportunity as he was unmarked and in space, but his first touch took the ball away from him and it was soon cleared. At the other end Courtney Homans also rushed a shot that ended high over the bar.
Then in the 84th minute came Poku’s fortuitous winning goal. Barkingside were trying to clear the ball out of their area, but in doing so inadvertently fired a clearance straight into Poku’s torso and the ricochet flew past Hunt and into the net. It’s hard to know if Poku knew anything about it, but the fact is that his goal, intended or otherwise, decided the affair earning the Motormen three points and bragging rights over their local rivals.
Barkingside: Will Hunt, Akil Clarke (David Etcheri 52’), Ricardo Bailey, Adegrove Adetuni, Euan Taylor-Reid, Michael Bottone, Joe Newbold, Bradley Joseph (Gareth Jones 61’), Michael Ogboin, Jason Fontaine (Tony Cookey 61’), Matheus Santos.
Scorer – Michael Ogboin (66’)
Redbridge: Lewis Greene, Sam Shepherd, Eljay Worrell, Shaun Harris, Jonathan Mbamarah, Vinny Murphy, Joshua Hutchinson (Courtney Homans 75’), Patrick Duggan, Calvin Poku (Malaki Toussaint 85’), Brian Moses, Reside Coxi-Sebastfao (Lindis Mtyanda 75’).
Scorers – Shaun Harris (48’), Calvin Poku (84’)
ESL Round-Up
Takeley 4 Hackney Wick 1
Takeley take pole position after a comprehensive home win over a Hackney Wick side still trying to find their feet in Senior football. The hosts opened the scoring in the 15th minute via Stuart Zanone. Jason Todd extended the lead just before the break; when he then added his second three minutes after the restart the Station Road outfit were well on their way to victory. Saico Djop was able to reduce arrears in the 85th minute but Takeley then scored again two minutes from time when Mitchell Das wrapped up the scoring.
Great Wakering Rovers 2 Ilford 0
Great Wakering are third in the table after taming the Foxes on Saturday. Two goals in the first half were enough to take the points with Neil Richmond and Scott Pethers providing the goals in the 8th and 27th minutes respectively.
Tower Hamlets 3 Wadham Lodge 1
Hamlets made it five wins on the bounce in all competitions after seeing off bottom side Lodge at Mile End Stadium on Friday evening. Mata Julio put the host’s ahead just before the half-hour mark and they doubled the lead from Luke With’s penalty five minutes before half-time. And when Wale Odedoyin added a third twenty minutes into the second period the contest was all but over. Lodge did grab a late consolation but this was their seventh defeat in eight league games whilst Hamlets climb up to third spot.
Basildon United 1 Enfield 1893 2
Enfield sprung a surprise by ending Basildon’s 100% league record with a victory at The Hive. After a goalless first half, the visitors took the lead midway through the second period through Carl Mullings and he added a second with twelve minutes to go to double the visitors lead. The hosts grabbed a goal back with six minutes remaining when Ash Blackburn’s shot squirmed through the keeper’s hands however it wasn’t enough to save themselves and see the Harlow based side to their second league win.
Clapton 1 Burnham Ramblers 0
The Tons are up to twelve after they sneaked past Burnham Ramblers at The Old Spotted Dog. The hosts led at the break when Ikem, on for the injured Nathan Cook, scored with his first touch but Burnham had the chance to level when they were awarded a penalty, which also saw Quincy sent off, however they missed from the spot for the second game as the spot kick was saved and fell to defeat here.
Southend Manor 3 West Essex 4
West came from 3-1 to record a 4-3 win against Southend Manor in an extraordinary finale to the contest. The hosts took the lead just past the half-hour mark, however, the visitors levelled five minutes after the breakthrough Michael Mignot. Both teams then were reduced to ten men after the equaliser before Manor got their noses in front in the 65th minute and when they made it three with fifteen minutes to go that looked like game over. However, Macleod pulled one back with ten minutes left before Mignot levelled it up three minutes later to set up a frantic finish. The home side were reduced to nine men with two minutes to go before the visitors found a winner in the 90th minute through Tom Woodbridge. The hosts, who saw another player sent off deep into stoppage time, have now lost three out of five league games whilst the visitor’s amazing record on the road continues.
Stansted 1 Woodford Town (2017) 3
Stansted’s second home game resulted in another defeat, this time at the hands of Woodford Town. Jack Sykes had put the hosts in front but the visitors managed to level from the spot through Andre Bennett before half-time. It looked likely that the game would end a draw until the visitors struck twice in stoppage time through Asher Modeste to take the points and bounce back from their heavy midweek loss.
Waltham Forest 2 Sporting Bengal United 3
Sporting Bengal United continued their recent fine league form after an entertaining game at the Matchday Stadium. Both sides took turns to hit the woodwork, in the case of the visitors twice, before they took the lead through Steven Carvell in the 34th minute. Oscar Mendez then doubled the lead six minute later but Abiola Tanimowo reduced arrears just before half time. Waltham Forest were the livelier of the two teams in the second period and equalised with a peach of a goal in the 79th minute when Chris Medina struck a shot from distance that screamed past the Sporting Bengal keeper. But Waltham Forest hearts were broken when Carvel popped up to net the winner deep into stoppage time.
