Substitute Albert Levett struck with six minutes remaining to give Barking victory over local rivals and Bostick North leaders AFC Hornchurch at Bridge Avenue to keep the Blues right in the play off hunt.
However the match began in a rather quiet fashion with the first opening coming in the ninth minute when the hosts saw George Purcell saw his cross bypass everyone inside the box, and on the quarter hour mark the hosts threatened again when Assombalonga got in on goal but saw visiting keeper Olajida save, however the flag had gone up for offside.
In the 26th minute the Urchins saw left back Jay Porter cross the ball into the visitors area, but Assombalonga could only head his effort wide, and then just past the half hour mark Theo Fairweather-Johnson could just not stretch enough to divert a cross to the Barking back post.
With ten minutes of the half remaining hosts keeper Sam Mott was called into action, racing off his line to beat Jordan Peart to the loose ball, and then four minutes before the break visiting skipper Ben O’Brien curled an effort just over the bar as the visitors looked to get their noses in front before the half.
Just before the break Sean Roberts sent a shot over the Barking bar, but the game remained goalless at the break. It had not been a classic by any means but it certainly was a tight local derby this one.
Half Time AFC Hornchurch 0 Barking 0
Chances in the second period were equally as difficult to come by as both teams struggled to get any sort of attacking play going. In the 57th minute Purcell tried to squeeze his way through the visiting backline but lost the ball in trying to, and then six minutes an Assombalonga pass intended for Purcell ended up in the arms of Barking keeper Olajide.
Both sides then made changes midway through the half to try and shake things up as this game was drifting along with not much goalmouth action, and with twenty minutes remaining Purcell saw an effort blocked as he tried to force an effort through a scrambled area.
A brief spell of pressure from the hosts followed but Barking held firm, and it looked like this match would probably end goalless.
However with six minutes of normal time remaining the visitors struck as two second half substitutes combined as after Hughes-Mason’s cross had not been cleared by the hosts defence, Levett fired an effort from an acute angle and it went in despite the best interests of the defender on the goalline to keep it out, and the Blues had a lead to defend for the remainder of the contest.
And it was a lead they weren’t to relinquish and the three points saw the Blues close the gap to the playoffs and remain in eighth, whilst defeat for the hosts means it their fourth home defeat of the season although they still hold a seven point lead at the top.
Full Time AFC Hornchurch 0 Barking 1
No comments:
Post a Comment