Cockfosters 1 Barking 1 (Barking won 7-6 on penalties)

Essex Senior League - Len Cordell Memorial Cup Last Sixteen, Tuesday April 4

Tuesday evening saw me at another Essex Senior Len Cordell Memorial Cup Last Sixteen clash, and this week I was over at Chalk Lane to see Barking edge out their opponents Cockfosters on penalties after the sides could not be separated after ninety minutes.

Fosters qualified as runners up in Group A, after they grabbed a last gasp leveller to draw at DTFC, they were then denied a win by a last gasp leveller at home to St Margaretsbury, but a win in their final game against Hoddesdon Town made sure they took their place in the Last 16 where they faced Barking.

The Blues qualified as unbeaten winners of Group D, a draw against Frenford was followed by wins against Hackney Wick and then West Essex in the group decider at Mayesbrook Park, the visitors have been playing mainly their U23s in this competition as manager Justin Gardiner looks to try out his younger players in the first team to give them an opportunity and to show him what they can do.

So far, they had done well, and in the opening half hour they were the better side here too and had chances to go in front, skipper Sam Owusu thought he had headed Barking ahead from close range early on but the flag went up, whilst Isaac Westendorf also struck wide, and then Westendorf and Jonny Ashton forced good saves from hosts keeper Brad Robinson.

Cockfosters then managed to just about bundle another Barking effort wide of their goal, but just past the half hour mark a defensive splitting pass saw Kieran Jones time his run perfectly to run through and slot beyond Robinson and had Barking a well-deserved lead.

The hosts only real chance up until this point had been a Prince Madu volley at the far post after he was left all alone, but this went straight at keeper Oli Pain, but after the visitor’s goal Cockfosters started to get on top and Pain had to make a very smart save to keep the hosts out as they went close on two or three occasions before the half was out.

The second half saw Fosters continue to have the better of the game and had they been more clinical in front of goal they could have easily won the game in the end, but they did manage to find a deserved leveller with twenty minutes to go when Charlie Morgan rose to head home a corner from inside the box, and it meant another penalty shoot out in the Last 16 of this competition.

The first for penalties were saved by both keepers, but then the next twelve were all scored, meaning it was 6-6 going into both sides ninth spot-kicks, Fosters saw their one saved by Pain, and then Pain himself then took the ninth one for the visitors and converted to see his side edge through and set up a home Quarter Final against either Holland or Hackney Wick. Barking have already met Wick in the group stage and battled to a 3-2 home win in that one.

Full time Cockfosters 1 Barking 1 (Barking won 7-6 on penalties)

 

There are still two Last Sixteen ties to take place, these are below…

Holland v Hackney Wick (Dulwich Road, Wednesday May 5, 7.45pm)

DTFC v Redbridge (Oakside, Friday May 7, 7,45pm)

Four of the six Last Sixteen ties played so far have gone to penalties, will either of these two go the distance as well?

 

There are two scheduled Quarter Final ties this weekend, which are below…

FC Clacton v White Ensign (Austin Arena, Saturday May 8, 3pm)

Stansted v Clapton (Hargrave Park, Saturday May 8, 3pm)

The winners of the Holland v Hackney Wick encounter on Wednesday will face Barking away in the Quarters, this game is likely to be arranged for this weekend, whilst the winners of DTFC v Redbridge will host Athletic Newham most likely next week sometimes, but news of that will be forthcoming in due course.