STATISTICS

Date: Saturday 25th January 2025
Kick-off: 3pm
Competition: Essex Senior League 
Venue: Memorial Ground
Attendance: 81
Starters: Dan Purdue, Charlie Thomson, Caleb Dennis, Sam Edwards, Alfie Attrill, Fahad Nyanja ©, Michele Maccari, Teddy Stacey, Juwon Akintunde, Sam Shaban, Ugonna Emenike
Substitutes: Danny Plumridge-Biggs, Akiljo Balliu, Tyrese Sibanda
Substitutions:
73’ Balliu for Dennis
73’ Sibanda for Maccari
Goals:
Nyanja 24′ 1-0
Idreess Namisi (Little Oakley) 66′ 1-1
Yellow cards: Attrill, Emenike, Stacey
Red cards: Emenike (2 X Yellows)

REPORT

PURDUE’S PENALTY HEROICS MEANS A POINT

Barking rode their luck to take a tough point away at Little Oakley but they will be relieved to take that away from a tough journey. Fahad Nyanja opened the scoring before Idreess Namisi scored in the second half. Oakley also saw a penalty saved by Dan Purdue which saw Barking reduced to ten men.

Barking forced home keeper Billy Lawlor into this first save just minutes in as Sam Shaban managed to claw a low cross towards goal but Lawlor’s foot denied his bobbling effort. Debutant Michele Maccari went closest after seven minutes as Sam Edwards’ free kick skimmed off his head before hitting the base of the post. It was Little Oakley’s time to hit the post ten minutes later as a cross from the left wing found Darren Mills at the penalty spot and his acrobatic effort left Dan Purdue relieved as it smacked against the post. It was Barking who took the lead after 24 minutes, Sam Edwards’ corner was headed away but Juwon Akintunde found Teddy Stacey on the right wing and his low cross was perfect and met by Fahad Nyanja at the near post who kept his header low and across Lawlor into the bottom left corner of the net. 

Oakley were undeterred and kept up their pressure and went close twice towards the end of the first half, first a powerful effort into the side netting but they should have equalised with the final kick of the first half: Daniel Rowe found himself through on goal but Purdue denied his low effort as he got his imposing frame down quickly and saved with his feet.

The first half of the second half passed without much incident or quality while being shaded by Oakley and they will feel they got their deserved equaliser after 66 minutes as a cross from the right wing was nodded down by Mills to Namisi at the far post who powered the ball home from close range. Barking should have regained their lead five minutes later, Caleb Dennis’ cross found Juwon Akintunde centrally on the edge of the six yard box but he couldn’t read the difficult bounce and he scuffed his effort wide. It nearly got even worse for Barking with fifteen minutes to go, Ugonna Emenike failed to deal with a ball forward allowing Namisi to nip in, he drove forward and Emenike exacerbated the situation by bundling Namisi over for a penalty and his marching orders for a second yellow card having received a first caution for time wasting. Mills stepped up, and he put his penalty only slightly to Purdue’s right who guessed the right away and again saved a penalty for Barking. 

Little Oakley spent the last period of the game trying to push forward but Barking kept themselves defensively solid, including the debuting Alfie Attrrill to take away what could be an important point at the end of the season.

We have a gap of seven days until our next match when we return home to face Halstead Town with a 3pm kick off.

Report source: Trevor 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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