STATISTICS

BARKING WIN 6-5 ON PENALTIES
Date: Tuesday 14th January 2025
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Competition: London Senior Cup Third Round
Venue: Mayfield Stadium
Attendance: 81
Starters: Dan Purdue, Charlie Thomson, Joseph Johnson, Sam Edwards, William Oduwa, Fahad Nyanja ©, Akiljo Balliu, Tyrese Sibanda, Saweed Djinadou, Juwon Akintunde, Ugonna Emenike
Substitutes: Pat Ahern, Sam Shaban, Ellis Lawson, Fahad Nazor, Teddy Stacey
Substitutions:
HT Shaban for Djinadou
HT Stacey for Oduya
HT Nazor for Sibanda
71′ Lawson for Emenike
Goals:
Kadell Daniel (Croydon) 43 0-1
Kadell Daniel (Croydon) 45+1′ 0-2
Shay Brennan (Croydon) 52’ 0-3
Akintunde 74′ 1-3
Akintunde 88′ 2-3
Nyanja 90+2′ 3-3
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None

REPORT

BARKING BACK FROM THE BRINK TO PROGRESS

Barking showed determination and resilience to overcome a 3-0 deficit against AFC Croydon tonight, forcing a 3-3 draw in injury time and eventually winning 6-5 on penalties to progress to the  quarter finals of the London Senior Cup for the fourth year in a row.

In the only previous meeting between the two sides in October 2022, also ended in a Barking penalty shootout win.

The visitors had problems even before kick off when Pat Ahern was injured in the warm-up, forcing William Oduwa to step in at the last minute. New signings Joseph Johnson and Ugonna Emenike made their debuts, while Caleb Dennis was unavailable due to being cup-tied having played against us in the previous round.

Barking started brightly and matched the home side early on, with a corner in the fifth minute tipped over by Croydon keeper Amadou Tangara. Saweed Djinadou had a good chance moments later but fired wide and Barking gave as good as they got but repeatedly fell foul of the offside flag in the final third. On 26 a Sam Edwards free kick is pushed away by Tangara but Juwon Akintunde is flagged offside trying to get to the rebound. Croydon took the lead in the 43rd minute when Dan Purdue made an excellent save but the ball was recycled to Kadell Daniel pounced on a rebound to cut inside and place the ball past Purdue. Things worsened in first-half stoppage time when a break down the right resulted in Daniel doubling his tally, leaving Barking trailing 2-0 at the break.

Three halftime substitutions injected some energy into Barking’s play, but an early setback in the 52nd minute when Barking were caught out by a long ball forward and Shay Brennan fired home for Croydon, making it 3-0. Barking struggled to create clear chances until the 74th minute when Akiljo Balliu found Juwon Akintunde in the box, and the striker coolly finished to give the visitors hope at 3-1. 

Croydon nearly extended their lead in the 80th minute, but a golden chance went begging as the ball was somehow fired wide, a miss that eventually would prove costly. In the 82nd minute, Barking came close when a foul on Ellis Lawson gave Sam Edwards a free kick opportunity, but his effort rattled the crossbar. The visitors clawed another goal back in the 88th minute when Edwards’ free kick was missed by Tangara, as the head of Juwon Akintunde got there first to make it 3-2. 

With the clock ticking down, Barking’s persistence paid off in the second minute of added time. Edwards delivered a pinpoint corner to the far post, where Fahad Nyanja at the far post nodded home to complete a dramatic comeback at 3-3 and send the tie to penalties.

Both teams displayed nerves of steel during the shootout, converting their first five penalties. Sam Edwards, Teddy Stacey, Fahad Nyanja, Sam Shaban, and Juwon Akintunde all scored for Barking, while Croydon matched them, albeit with Walter Figueira’s effort going in off the post. In sudden death, Akiljo Balliu calmly slotted his penalty to make it 6-5 for Barking. The pressure then proved too much for Croydon’s Mekhi Savage, who fired his spot kick wide, sealing Barking’s place in the quarter finals.

We will now host Erith Town in the quarter finals on a date to be confirmed. However, the immediate focus shifts to our next Essex Senior League match at home against Athletic Newham on Saturday.

Report source: Terry Gilbert/Barking FC

Please note that the opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to Barking Football Club.

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