24/10/09 - Friendly
Gravesham 1
Barking & Dagenham 4 (Mitchell 2, Thomas, Watters)
BARKING AND DAGENHAM PRIMARY SCHOOLS ' continued their impressive start to the season with a comprehensive victory on Saturday.
Two Scott Mitchell strikes and outstanding efforts from Sorba Thomas and Max Watters, meant a third successive victory.
Watters then went even closer, chesting a Ricky Morris ball down and volleying goalward from fully twenty-five yards. However, on this occasion, the Gravesham keeper flung himself to his left to palm the ball wide. From the corner, Jack Richardson nearly had his second goal of the season, only to see his effort blocked.
Dominance
Such was Barking & Dagenham's dominance, debutante keeper, Alfie Reynolds, was a virtual spectator. They continued to control the game as Folkes forced the Gravesham keeper into a smart save.
Jayke Welch then tested the busy keeper, cutting in from the left to get his shot on target. Richardson and Michael Turner were in complete control at the back and the ball was almost exclusively in the Gravesham half.
A long ball over the Barking & Dagenham back four saw Reynolds called into action for the first time, but the Parsloes stopper was quick off his line to snuff out the danger. Gravesham then enjoyed a brief period of pressure with a series of corners but they threatened to trouble the visitor's goal.
Cool
Midway through the half, Barking & Dagenham's pressure finally told as they opened the scoring. Nathan Casey, who was again excellent at left back, took a quick throw-in, Watters crossed and Mitchell was on hand to coolly slot the ball home. It was no more then the visitors deserved and it seemed that it could be the first of many.
Gravesham were hanging on and resorted to hopeful balls forward to relieve the pressure.
Hesitant
It was from one of these punts forward that they somehow got back on level terms. Some hesitant defending allowed the Gravesham striker to nip in front of Reynolds and Daniel John and, although Turner brilliantly stopped the intial ball going in, the clearance was superbly struck into the empty net.
It was against the run of play and almost immediately Barking & Dagenham had the chance to regain the lead. Mitchell stormed into the box, went past his marker to be crudely brought down by the Gravesham centre half.
Mitchell dusted himself off to confidently smash the resulting penalty, but he was denied by an outstanding save by the Gravesham keeper, who continued to prevent Barking & Dagenham from going well out of sight with further saves to deny Folkes and Welch.
Sublime
The second half started in the same vein as the first, with Barking & Dagenham constantly probing away at the Gravesham goal.
And with just two minutes on the clock, they regained the lead. Jesse Amoh won the ball in the middle of the park and found Turner. His ball forward released Sorba Thomas and the leading scorer produced a sublime lob to grab his fourth goal in as many games. It was an outstanding finish from a player and team high on confidence.
Thomas continued to cause problems with his pace and movement and Amoh was a driving force in the middle of the park.
Aaron Molloy, enjoying his best game of the season, then skipped past his marker but the Gravesham full back covered well to clear the danger.
Classy
Barking & Dagenham were still pushing forward, eager to grab the goal that would surely kill off the home side and it nearly arrived when Amoh released Thomas but his clever pass was just too heavy for the onrushing Watters.
Watters was immense through the whole game and it was the Rush Green man who then produced a moment of sheer class to put the game to bed. Molloy took on two players and his cross was superbly met on the volley on the edge of the area, giving the Gravesham keeper no chance. It was an outstanding goal, capping an impressive individual display.
Impressive
With the game secure, Barking & Dagenham stroked the ball around, often leaving Gravesham chasing shadows.
Thomas stung the palms of the home keeper, with a fierce effort and Folkes was unlucky with an equally well struck shot.
Richardson, again impressive at the heart of the defence, was called upon to deal with a rare Gravesham attack and Casey and John also covered well as Gravesham started to throw caution to the wind, in search of a consolation goal.
However, it didn't arrive. Instead, the last goal of the game went to Barking & Dagenham. Molloy again made space for himself and his centre found Mitchell. Although the keeper kept out his first effort, the Southwood man made no mistake second time around.
Confidence
So, with three wins in a row, eleven goals, and just one conceded, the District side go from strength to strength. They will hope to continue this when they open up their Essex Finch campaign next week against Waltham Forest - a game the side will go into full of confidence.
