Repton Park came from behind on three occasions before finally battling to victory over Barking & Dagenham Wanderers in what was a very eventful Essex Sunday Corinthian Premier Division game at The Roding High School in Loughton.
The hosts came into this one having won their opening two league fixtures, whilst the visitors had lost both their opening two games, but it was the visitors who drew first blood as a ball back across goal appeared to hit a defender and end up in the net in just the fourth minute.
But after the hosts had created a couple of chances, they did equalise in the 13th minute when a free-kick found the bottom corner, and then they thought they had taken the lead but the flag had gone up for offside.
Repton Park were now looking like they were taking control of the contest, that was until midway through the first period when the visitors retook the lead after firing home from the edge of the box, stunning the hosts.
Repton Park then fired wide as they looked for a quick leveller once again, whilst the visitors sent a dangerous ball into the dangerzone which ended up going off for a goal kick, but in the 26th minute the hosts were level once again as after an initial effort had been parried, they followed in to slot home the rebound.
Wanderers then somehow did not retake the lead when they struck the bar, before forcing the home keeper into a couple of decent stops, and then Repton had chances to go in front themselves, having a half shout for a penalty before forcing a good save from the keeper, before a header was then cleared off the line.
But with two minutes of the first half remaining Wanderers went in front for the third time in the contest when after a covering defender had been dispossessed, the ball was squared and eventually slotted home into the corner, meaning the visitors had a slender lead at the break. It had been a breathless half of football.
Half Time Repton Park 2 Barking & Dagenham Wanderers 3
So, could both sides possibly keep up the tempo showed in the first forty-five minutes? Well the visitors had chances to increase their lead early in the half, seeing a long-range effort dip just over before a brilliant run ended with an effort squeezing just wide of the far post.
The hosts then also fired just wide before they levelled yet again six minutes into the second period when bursting through and firing home, so to answer the question, well yes, the tempo most certainly had not dropped.
Both sides then had further chances, the visitors forcing a decent stop from the keeper, the home sides second of the day after one of the outfielders had injured themselves, so had to go in goal as they had no subs. The original keeper wasn’t actually a keeper either, but he took his place at full-back.
The hosts curled two efforts just wide of the far post before taking the lead for the very first time in the contest just before the hour mark when that man, the keeper for the opening 51 minutes or so, burst in to finish beyond the visiting keeper, you couldn’t make it up!!!
In the 66th minute the home side saw one of their players sin binned for back chatting to the referee a bit too much, meaning the host would play ten minutes with a man light, but despite an attempt from distance which almost crept in, the visitors didn’t create much with the man advantage.
And once Repton had all eleven back on the field they increased their lead with twelve minutes remaining, firing home into the far corner, and with five minutes left all but sealed the contest once and for all when adding a sixth, slotting home from inside the box.
The hosts almost added a seventh when chipping across goal and just off target, and there was still time for the visitors to add a fourth with a minute of stoppage time remaining, but it was Repton who made it three wins from three with an extraordinary 6-4 victory, leaving the visitors still with no points after three games.
Full Time Repton Park 6 Barking & Dagenham Wanderers 4
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