Report by Derek Pedder

APSALUTELY FABULOUS BLUES MACKIN WHOOPEE AS STONE HEADER STUNS VISITORS

This was another lively, entertaining and, for us, successful game with victory taking us up a place to fourteenth. We have up to four games in hand of the teams above us so there is plenty of scope to further improve our position. We are now unbeaten since October 31st and have lost just one of our last four games. We are unbeaten in our last three home games. Our next two games are challenging as we visit fourth placed Sawbridgeworth Town on Saturday and entertain leaders Burnham Ramblers on the following Monday. Ramblers have lost just one league game this season – 4-2 at home to Sawbridgeworth on Saturday.

This was our seventh  meeting and we  maintained our record of never losing to London APSA P7 W6 D1 F14 A2. We dominated most of the game apart from a fifteen minute spell in the first half when APSA were on the attack but everything was dealt with efficiently and effectively by our defence and any shots which did penetrate were very well handled by Russell Harley, our 18 year old goalkeeping replacement on the day for Chris Clark, suspended for one game. Harley has been playing well in our very successful reserves side, run by Rob O’Brien and Jeff Sears, and enjoyed a successful debut at senior level. Another new face was new signing Neil Matthews who came on late in the game.

We started purposefully with a good Alf Dickinson headed attempt from a Ben Turner headed pass and a Ricky Mackin shot gathered well by visiting custodian Steve Brown. Ricky Mackin then headed towards Jared Small, who was beaten to the ball on this occasion by a defender but whose tireless running caused problems for the APSA defence throughout the game. APSA enjoyed their “15 minutes of fame” in our half but our defence responded positively and competently, including a very good tackle by Simon Stone in our penalty area and a headed clearance in front of our goal by captain Scott Walsh. A dangerous free kick was well saved by Harley with a spectacular dive across his goal. We went ahead in the 40th minute when Ricky MACKIN accurately sent a low free kick right through the penalty area and into the far corner of the net for his third goal of the season and his Barking career. Credit is due to Sam Dennis too for a clever run which helped to distract Brown. Small demonstrated his ball playing skill to beat a defender and a Walsh shot was deflected to Gregg Tiffin whose shot was taken by Brown. We were playing good, flowing football now and a concerted attack involving several players looked dangerous but nobody could find a gap.   

As coach Neil Day said later “we added a second goal at a crucial time and that’s been missing this season”. This came from an excellent header by Simon STONE for his first ever goal for us which stunned the opposition and made our victory Apsalutely certain. A good low Dennis shot was well taken by Brown , who was probably APSA’s best player on the day. We piled on the pressure with a Ricky Mackin shot from a Stone cross and a testing Gary Mackin corner which Brown did well to clear. We did not have things completely our own way but Ricky Mackin made a good defensive tackle, a shot from Simpson Mpalampa was too high and Harley got down well to gather an awkward ball. From a good ball by Gary Mackin a Small shot was blocked and from the rebound an excellent Tiffin shot was well saved by Brown. Dennis and Walsh broke up APSA attacks with good clearances   and then another very good Ricky Mackin free kick was well again saved by Brown who was then quick to advance and deny Small a scoring chance. Small then received a ball over the APSA defence and was bearing down on Brown when he was well tackled by Majid Hussain. At the other end Harley showed that he has courage too with a brave save at the feet of an advancing APSA forward before the brothers Ricky and Gary Mackin were Mackin Whoopee on the left with an excellent move. Returnee Neil Matthews’s first touch for Barking was a good ball forward and Danny Mackin made a good headed clearance as the game ended.  

Coach Neil Day said “Large slice of credit to the Boss this week and we ran out deserved winners, built up a good tempo and rhythm second half and generally bossed the affair once ahead.  The lads have approached things in a positive manner in recent weeks, some hard work has been put in on the training ground and hopefully some recurring faults  now a thing of the past, attitude on match days has also been spot on, squad slowly beginning to gel and i'm sure the best yet to come. Didn't have it all our own way Saturday, particularly first half, but the goal did settle us and we added a second at a crucial time and that's been missing this season. Killed the game off impressively and could have added to our tally by the end, players shooting from distance second half so another one of the pre-match objectives able to be crossed off.”