Barking 3 Hackney Wick 2

Essex Senior League - Len Cordell Memorial Cup Group D, Tuesday April 20

Tuesday night meant another trip over to Mayesbrook Park for another Essex Senior League Len Cordell Memorial Cup Group D clash as Barking hosted Hackney Wick in a delayed Matchday Two encounter, and it saw a well contested game decided by a lovely curling effort from Jess Nore with fifteen minutes to go.

The hosts had drawn their opening group game at Frenford, whilst Wick had lost here at Mayesbrook Park to West Essex in an entertaining encounter on the opening night of the competition, so both knew a win would pretty much guarantee their place in the main last 16 draw, with the hosts knowing a win would set up a group decider against West Essex on Friday.

The hosts didn’t take long to get their noses in front either as they led inside two minutes when Isaac Westendorf, scorer of Barking’s goal last weekend at Frenford, was played in and he showed the keeper a dummy before firing an effort inside the near post, it was the ideal start for the home side who looked like they could go on and win by a few.

Despite an opening barrage on the Wick defence though, no more goals came, and in the 19^th minute the visitors stunned their opponents by finding a leveller after a long ball was not dealt with by the defence and Amaree Robinson-Jones managed to get onto the ball and fire a nice left footed effort across the keeper and into the far corner.

Wick were growing into the contest now although Barking were still passing up plenty of opportunities, with Westendorf being the main culprit at failing to find the net after getting into some decent positions, but to his credit he kept getting into those positions, and seven minutes before the break had his and Barking’s second of the contest after driving into the box and sending an effort at goal from what seemed an impossible angle, but the effort was parried up by the keeper and the ball looped into the far corner and the hosts were back in front.

More chances came and went for the Blues either side of the break, but ten minutes into the second period Wick were level once again as a deep cross from the left towards the back post was poorly cleared by the full back, and the ball fell perfectly for Gilberto Abril who volleyed back across goal and into the far corner.

This began a decent spell for the visitors who were now edging the contest and looking the more dangerous side, it had been some turnaround from the opening half, but Wick to their credit were giving their opponents a very good game, and you felt they could go on and find a third and really give Barking something to think about.

But a moment of real quality was to win the game for the hosts, as with fifteen minutes remaining Nore got the ball about twenty odd yards out and curled a delightful effort beyond the keeper’s dive and into the far corner, and it saw Barking grab their first win of the competition and moved them two points behind leaders West Essex ahead of their final group game on Friday.

For Wick it’s two games played and two defeats, but they have shown they can mix it with these sides and have given plenty of positives to take away from both contests so far, and if they can beat Frenford in their final group game then they will be into that Last 16 draw in the main cup, so still all to play for as they say.

Full Time Barking 3 Hackney Wick 2