Non-League and Academy football writer

Barkingside faced Chadwell Heath Spartans at Cricklefields Stadium on Friday evening, in an Essex Alliance Football League Senior Division fixture (step 7) . Barkingside started this game in sixth place in the league standings after four league matches played. With the visitors on Friday, Chadwell Heath Spartans, starting this game in ninth place in the league table after five league matches played. Barkingside would win this game late on, 1-0.

Quite early on into this game and Barkingside would manage the first real effort on target of the match. With centre-forward Alexandru Vtornicov laying the ball off to Daniel Thomas on the edge of the away team’s penalty area. His curling first time effort was parried by Spartans goalkeeper Jacob Byerley, before Kadmiel Animpong put the ball wide of the goal on the follow-up. Ten minutes later and Chadwell Heath Spartans player Randy Da Silva would get to the rolling ball down the right-hand side of the Barkingside box, before powering a low effort off Folajimi Asaolu’s left-hand post.

Aaron Hunwicks’ Chadwell Heath Spartans side went on to create two further notable chances before half-time, in what had been a relatively uneventful first half of football. Firstly, Enoch Salami would hit a powerful effort on goal (from 25 yards out) which had been well pushed behind by Folajimi Asaolu. And then soon after, Joseph Butcher’s well delivered corner-kick to the back post of the Barkingside goal, was met by Mitchell Smith. His powerful low header on goal was well saved by the feet of Folajimi Asaolu, however.

Barkingside definitely started the second half the better of the two sides. Following a good run across from the right flank by Daniel Thomas into the Spartans box, the Barkingside player would at the second time of asking get a low effort away at Jacob Byerley’s near post, which was well saved and then gathered by the Spartans goalkeeper. Not too long after that effort from Daniel Thomas, he would manage to get a good and powerful effort away after working the space down the right-hand side of the Spartans box, which was really well blocked behind by the sliding George Handley.

Both sides had managed to create openings during the latter stages of the second half, but it was a more creative Barkingside team who were able to find a late winner, courtesy of a fine finish from Kai Haysman. That late Barkingside winner arrived from a good and well worked team move. With Kadmiel Animpong playing the ball forward down the line on the right flank, to Ivan Poliakov who surged past a Spartans defender with the ball, to the right-hand side of their penalty area. After entering the box Ivan Poliakov would calmly pull the ball back to Kai Haysman, who from in a more central position inside the box, would powerfully and clinically finish high into the goal with a good side-footed finish, 1-0.

A youthful Barkingside team were more creative with the ball during much of the second half, going on to score that late winner in what had been a closely contested and competitive game of football. My player of the match this evening despite competition from Joseph Butcher, Daniel Thomas and Paul Federspiel, was the match winner, the hardworking Kai Haysman, who played his part in this win for Barkingside.

Team-sheets/match-day squads:

Barkingside:

(1) Folajimi Asaolu

(2) Ruben Baptista

(19) Dhillon Sandhu-Nelson 

(4) Alfie Gleghorn 

(5) Paul Federspiel

(6) Alessandro Ajanaku

(7) Daniel Thomas

(8) Jayden Mitchell-Thomas

(9) Alexandru Vtornicov 

(10) Kai Haysman 

(11) Kadmiel Animpong 

Substitutes:

(12) Elliot Munroop

(14) Sebastian Ramirez

(15) Tucker Quinn

(16) Ivan Poliakov

(17) Arian Amiry 

Chadwell Heath Spartans:

(1) Jacob Byerley

(2) Ibraheem Lawal

(3) Joseph Butcher 

(4) Tommy Butcher

(5) Mitchell Smith

(6) George Handley 

(7) Jaiden Buntin 

(8) Enoch Salami (captain)

(9) Jonathan Kadazi

(10) Randy Da Silva 

(11) Thomas Callagher 

Substitutes:

(12) Raymond Hunwicks 

(14) Peter Adeleye 

(15) Liam Walker 

(16) Aaron Hunwicks 

(17) Arthur Chosen