My latest ESL outing saw me at the Old Spotted Dog on a rather blustery day in Forest Gate,East London as London Bari took on local rivals Tower Hamlets.
The teams were separated by just a single point in midtable so a tight local derby was expected and apart from a Bari free kick from Tony Cookey skipping through to keeper Sean Bazell, who just about held on, there were scarcely any chances in a quiet opening. However on the quarter hour mark the hosts grabbed the lead when a cross from the right saw Cookey flick across the face of goal for Junior Decker to tap home ahead of his marker. London Bari 1 Tower Hamlets 0.
Bari were looking dangerous now and three minutes later Cookey got down the right and sent in a dangerous cross which was hacked away by a visiting defender over his own bar. Jide Alaga had Hamlets first effort on 21 minutes but his shot across keeper Wilkinson Boateng saw the keeper get down to his right to make the save.
On 27 minutes Andy Greenslade’s ball through to Cookey saw the Bari forward’s effort saved by Bazell’s legs and then just past the half hour mark the Hamlets stopper was in fine form again, firstly beating a Cookey effort away and then tipping over a rasping long range effort from Greenslade.
Hamlets up to this point had struggled in the conditions and with the bobbly pitch underneath them not helping their cause it had been a struggle so far but ten minutes before half timeSunday Wasiu had a left footed effort saved by Boateng and then a minute later they nearly grabbed an equaliser when Nasser Bello beat his man and struck at goal but saw his effort cleared off the line.
Four minutes before the break Alaga’s cross saw Yusif Ali chest down and hit just over the hosts bar and the visitors ended the half the stronger, a half that saw the hosts go in with a slender lead.
Half Time London Bari 1 Tower Hamlets 0
Eight minutes into the second half the hosts should of made it two as Cookey got in behind the Hamlets defence but hit a wayward effort over the bar and then soon after another long rangeeffort was beaten away by Bazell in the Hamlets goal. Just past the hour mark saw another chance for Cookey but this time he tried to be to cute and lofted his effort over the bar with only keeper Bazell to beat.
The hosts were creating chances at will and on 63 minutes Decker hit over from inside the box in what was another wasteful finish and then on 69 minutes Joel Appiah got in down the left for Bari but saw his effort beaten away by the ever impressive Bazell. The hosts had a rare sight of goal with just under twenty minutes to go when a free kick found Ade Lazolo who had a free header but made a mess of it and keeper Boateng gathered comfortably.
On 74 minutes saw the save of the game from Bazell, diving full length to his right to keep out Appiah’s header but a minute later he could do nothing to stop the hosts finally doubling their lead when Cookey capitalised on a defence error to run through and slot past the exposed Bazell and give the Old Spotted Dog side a deserved second goal. London Bari 2 Tower Hamlets 0.
With just over ten minutes to go Decker dragged one wide from good position for the hosts as they looked to totally put the seal on the performance. With three minutes remaining the visitors should of reduced the arrears when Wasiu got in behind but after half rounding keeper Boateng he struck his effort wide of the near post.
Moments later Bari saw another chance go begging as a great run into the box by Decker saw his eventual effort with the outside of his boot go well wide of the far post and then just as the match entered stoppage time a Hamlets free kick into the box saw keeper Boateng come for it and get caught in no man’s land and Wasiu’s header was cleared off the line to preserve their clean sheet.
There was time for one more chance for the hosts when Tobi Adesina got in for Bari but he saw his effort tipped round the post by the brilliant Bazell. So Bari took the points and move above their Old Spotted Dog rivals Clapton into 9th place whilst Hamlers drop to 15th after this defeat.
Full Time London Bari 2 Tower Hamlets 0
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