STATISTICS

Date: Saturday 26th July 2024
Kick-off: 3pm
Competition: Essex Senior League
Venue: Mayesbrook Park
Attendance: 112
Starters: Lamar Joseph-Johnson, Amadeus Addotey, Pat Ahern ©, James Folkes, Joe Babbage, Sam Edwards, Nathan Fuma, Oumar Ndao, Ramiah Mills, Saweed Djinadou, Chaka Barnett
Substitutes: Charlie Thomson, James Bransgrove, Lekan Osideko. Fionn Murphy, Michele Maccari
Substitutions:
54’ Murphy for Ndao
77’ Osideko for Barnett
90’ Maccari for Mills
Goal:
Osideko 839′ 1-0
Yellow cards: Mills
Red cards: None

REPORT

SUPER SUB LEKAN SEALS THE POINTS

Barking opened up their 2025/26 campaign with a win as they scored the only goal late on to defeat Basildon United. 

The Bees will spend their weekend however wondering how they didn’t win the game themselves, hitting the woodwork in each half as well as controlling the majority of possession. As all the cliches go however, it is goals that matter and Lekan Osideko’s 83rd minute strike gave Barking all three points.

However, for the Blues it was their fifth straight opening day win, starting back in 2021/22 with a 4-0 victory over Hullbridge Sports.

Basildon had the early running as the Blues looking resplendent in their new home kit, sponsored by the Pipe Major Pub in Dagenham, and they had the first chance after 11 minutes as Oumar Ndao was dispossessed, the ball being played to Tyreece Robertson on the left wing and his low shot across goal smacked the post, with the rebound falling to another Basildon forward but he was denied by an excellent Lamar Joseph-Johnson block who had flung himself back across goal. Basildon came close again at the half hour mark again through Robertson who broke the defensive line but again Joseph-Johnson stood tall to deny him. Barking did grow into the first half and looked dangerous from the long throws of Ramiah Mills but they were always in danger of being counterattacked and this happened just before the half time whistle but a header from a left wing cross was comfortably wide of the post. 

Barking were given some home truths at half time and the original XI were given the chance to right the wrongs but they didn’t seem to be able to make a difference, but as poor as the Blues were going forward, they were excellent defensively throughout the match, with a strong defensive line, and when it was rarely breached, stopper Joseph-Johnson was more than equal to the efforts. You do always need some luck however, and Barking got theirs with ten minutes of the second half on the clock as Robertson again found space in the box, this time from a short freekick, and again hit the woodwork, this time smacking the bar. Deja Vu was not over however as the rebound found a fellow attacker but they had to stretch and his close range volley cleared the bar. Basildon did look better than the Blues, but the next thirty minutes passed without much of note, until Barking took the lead after 83 minutes with their first shot on target. Fionn Murphy’s long throw was nodded down by Mills and then thanks to a combination of Lekan Osideko and Saweed Djinadou the ball was forced forward before falling kindly to Djinadou who expertly backheeled back across Olamiji Ayoola to find Lekan Osideko, who had been on the pitch just six minutes, in space and in the box with just visiting keeper Connor Wheatley to beat, he rifled a low shot into the net to give Barking an unlikely lead. 

Basildon couldn’t hit back and after five minutes of injury time the referee blew the full-time whistle to complete Barking’s smash and grab win to start the season.

We now move onto our next league fixture which is on Wednesday evening (July 30th) when we travel to Burroughs Park to take on White Ensign.

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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