Barkingside grabbed a much needed victory as they defeated Clapton 1-0 in front of a packed Old Spotted Dog Stadium.
Coming in to the match without a win in six league games Barkingside, got their winner in the 50th minute after a dazzling run from Michael Ademiluyi resulted with low cross finding David Laird to fire home.
In a match that could have gone either way, neither team really took control of the game. It was the Clapton fans that brought light to the occasion as hundreds sang throughout the whole game brandishing a number of wonderfully relevant political banners.
The stadium held a minute’s silence before the game to commemorate Remembrance Sunday, and this resembled in the slow start to the match. Neither team settled inside the opening stages with no real chances coming until the half hour mark.
Kobie Ambrose was called in to action twice in a five minute period as he first did well to block a Raphael Duvile shot after latching on to a teasing cross.
Minutes later Kristian Haighton clever dinked pass found Domingo-Carrington with space in the area before the on rushing Ambrose blocked twice conceding a corner.
Influential in Midfield
Barkingside started to come in to the game towards the end of the first half as Michael Ademiluyi and Jason Fontaine begun to influence the match, but no real chances were created as striker Luke With found himself isolated on a number of occasions.
Having been isolated With tried to do it alone on the stroke of half time, charging into the area beating three men, but the striker was then tackled fairly, to his disbelief, as he was booked for descent.
Barkingside started the second half as they ended the first with Ademiluyi continuing to cause the Clapton defence problems. The small winger posses freighting pace and agility which defender struggle to get close to.
It was Ademiuyi’s run that created the goal. Following the dropping of his shoulder, the winger fizzed in a low cross perfectly for David Laird to fire home; with the space the striker had being a cause for concern.
Even after Barkingside went ahead the home crowd continued to sing loud and proud in support of their team on a wet and gloomy evening.
The support got the response it deserved and Clapton were unlucky not to equalize. Nathan Cook picked up a poorly cleared corner to whip in an enticing cross, Siao Blackwood headed home only to the sound of the whistle as the linesman judged it offside.
As the game went on so did the momentum and apart from two half chances for Steven Sardinha, Clapton failed to produce an equalizer.
In the closing stages Luke With was lucky not to get his 3rd red card of the season after a tangle with Dylan Ebengo left the defender needing treatment. Having been right in front of the linesman you would have expected a different outcome.
There was a goal line scramble in stoppage time as all the fans had their hearts in their mouths but once it was cleared, it was obvious Barkingside had won the derby.
Fantastic Fans
Even after the full time whistle Clapton’s supporters continued to sing being a fantastic advert for how football fans should be. With anti homophobic, “Solidarity against Trump” and “Foreign and Proud” banners up around the stadium more than one statement was made.
The loss didn’t effect the mood around the stadium as men, women, and children were all singing and soaking atmosphere. On a day in which a group of Clapton fans, “Clapton Ultras” were collecting for a food banks it put real problems in to perspective.
The result didn’t effect either teams league position as Barkingside stay 11th and Clapton stay 7th. Up next for Barkingside is a home tie against 18th placed Tower Hamlets on Monday 14th November.
Clapton: Robins, Blackwood, Cook, Domingo-Carrington, Duyile, Ebengo, Haighton, Lyndon, Nielsen, Thorbourne, Vigo. Subs: Ashman, Reed, Sardinha, Joseph, Steer.
Barkingside: Francis, Ambrose, Birch, Ademiluyi, Ajoodha, Campbell, Fontaine, Glancy, Laird (Ademilyu 90), With (Ruzgas 88), Wright. Unused subs: Lutaaya, Mitchell, Theobalds, Bonju.
Attendance: 483
