STATISTICS

Date: Saturday 24th October 2026
Kick-off: 3pm
Competition: Essex Senior League
Venue: Mayesbrook Park
Attendance: 68
Starters: Harvey Simson, Philip Hayford, Celeany Filho, Charlie Thomson ©, Jack McQueen, Mwetsi Matangi, Ryan Pickles, Ali Mansaray, Teddy Bowden, Arion Svarqa, Josh Gruby
Substitutes: Shaye La-Rose, Michael Dixon, Raymond Poku, Sonny Dutton, Dan Thompson
Substitutions:
HT Dixon for Svarqa
80’ Poku for Pickles
85’ La-Rose for Gruby
90’+2 Dutton for Bowden
Goals:
Pickles Penalty 57′ 1-0
Dixon 74′ 2-0
Yellow cards: Filho, Mansaray
Red cards: None

REPORT

FRENFORD FALTER AGAINST BARKING

Barking made it back to back wins with an impressively comfortable 2-0 victory over tabletoppers Frenford thanks to second half goals from Ryan Pickles and Michael Dixon.

Frenford were dealt an early blow as Steven Carvell was forced off nearly immediately with a hamstring injury and the early moment was with the Blues as they regrouped – Teddy Bowden nodding a header over after rising highest from a corner after eight minutes.

The game struggled to get going in the torrential rain that didn’t relent throughout the game and it took 25 minutes for the first shot on target as Ryan Pickles saw his edge of the box shot palmed away by Frenford keeper Dominic Alexandru with Ali Mansaray unable to take advantage from the rebound.

The rest of the first half saw little action for either side but each side had a chance ten minutes into the second half – firstly Pickles seeing his free kick saved before a minute later Barking keeper Harvey Simson was called into action on 55 minutes as he saved with his feet at his near post after a low cutback from the left wing. The save proved prescient as Phillip Hayford was brought down in the box two minutes later with the referee pointing to the spot after discussion with his assistant. Ryan Pickles duly stepped up and dispatched the penalty into the bottom right corner of the net with Alexandru diving the wrong way.

The Blues defended excellently and they were rewarded nearly twenty minutes later as they punished Frenford for their own poor defending – their central defenders and goalkeeper failing to defend a long Teddy Bowden ball under pressure from Pickles with the bouncing ball falling kindly to Michael Dixon on the edge of the box who on the half-volley smashed the ball home. 

Frenford went close a few minutes later with a quick cross from a corner being headed well over the bar but it was Barking who next went closest to scoring as Mansaray’s far post cross was headed towards goal by Josh Gruby who saw his effort saved but fall to the feet of Bowden who saw his goal bound effort blocked away by a retreating defender.

Frenford were reduced to long range shots and a six-minute injury time period lacked urgency from the away side and any panic for the home side as Barking kept another clean sheet alongside their three points and kept them in third place in the table.

Our next match is not until next Saturday afternoon when we travel to Hullbridge Sports, who are one place and one worse off than us, with a 3pm kick-off.

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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