SOUTHEND United’s under 18 coach Tom Bailey admitted his team were fortunate to extend their winning start to the National League U19 Alliance Division A season with a 3-1 victory against Barking.
Leading goalscorers Brandon Dadson, Nikolay Zlatev and Sisanda Maguranyanga all found the target in the fixture at Garon Park, with Victor Umehu equalising for the visitors midway through the first half, but Blues laboured to a fifth triumph in succession.
“The win is the positive we take from today,” Bailey claimed.
“There is a real sense of pride about how the group have started the season, but performance-wise in this game there’s a lot to improve upon.
“I thought Barking should’ve won the game, and they will be kicking themselves that they haven’t.”
“They created far too many chances for our liking, Josh [Barrett] had to make far too many saves – which he did for the most part – but there was far too much work on our goal for us to come away and be happy as a team if we’re honest.”
“Maybe it is a compliment to the boys that, as staff, we’re frustrated after a 3-1 win against a good team, and that tells you what we think of the group as a whole.
“There is plenty of work to do before next week’s game at King’s Lynn, but it’s three points and we’ll take that.
There was one change to the starting line-up from the 7-2 success against Aveley, with Muhammad Limbada stepping in for Kye Munro in midfield, but Blues were slow out of the blocks and Barrett had to come off his line smartly in just the second minute to smother a shot by Umehu.
Despite Limbada setting up Zlatev six minutes later to fire straight at visiting goalkeeper Danny Plumbridge, Southend found themselves penned into their own half for much of the opening quarter-of-an-hour, with Dadson and Maguranyanga unable to get on the ball and influence the play.
Umehu smashed wide from 25 yards in the 12th minute, but Barking were hit by a sucker-punch five minutes later when Blues edged ahead.
Limbada spotted the run of Yobor Sorae on the right-hand side of the penalty area and he squared for Dadson, who nutmegged Kyle Smith on the turn to locate the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Barking almost responded immediately when Louii Cole’s long-range strike was superbly tipped over by Barrett, and they did equalise on 23 minutes when Henry Pyke’s free-kick was brought down at the far post by Umehu and stabbed past Barrett.
The away team continued to dominate the opening period, and their attempts to press home their territorial advantage saw Barrett do well to claim a deep Teddy Bowden free-kick before Pyke sent a 25-yard free-kick against the angle of post and crossbar.
Although Nelly Mallek fired over with 10 minutes remaining before the break, there were signs that the teenage Shrimpers were beginning to improve, and Maguranyanga combined with Dadson and Limbada to set up Zlatev, who volleyed into Plumbridge’s gloves.
Zlatev also had an effort ruled out for offside from Sorae’s pass in the 37th minute before Dadson offloaded a 25-yard effort wide of the right-hand post and Prince Chinedum stabbed a Dadson free-kick at the goalkeeper.
The half ended with Barrett denying Balla Ndao and Ejonbala in quick succession.
Having had an opportunity to refocus during the interval, Southend started the second period on the front foot, and they could have taken the lead four minutes after the break when Zlatev’s shot was pushed out by Plumbridge and Dadson’s follow-up was also blocked.
However, they did make it 2-1 with their next attack, which was started and finished by Zlatev.
The forward found Sorae on the right-hand side, and he cut inside before shooting from the edge of the penalty area.
When Plumbridge couldn’t hold on to the left-footed attempt, Zlatev was on hand to gently lift his eighth goal of the campaign over the custodian.
Umehu nodded narrowly wide for Barking, but Blues stretched their advantage still further when Maguranyanga was sent to the turf as he tried to convert a Sorae cross from the right, and he stepped up to stroke the spot-kick past Plumbridge in the 57th minute.
Zlatev could have sealed the result on the hour as he first volleyed over from a Ronnie Durussel throw and then saw a low finish repelled by the legs of Plumbridge, having beaten the offside trap, whilst Chinedum powered a header from a Dadson free-kick narrowly over, but instead Blues had to endure a nervous final half-an-hour.
Umehu fired wide and Mallek nodded into the gloves of Barrett before the Shrimpers shotstopper pushed out a fierce Ejonbala attempt and substitute Edson Lopez saw the rebound deflected out for a corner.
Ejonbala’s point-blank header was brilliantly turned away by Barrett midway through the second half, and the visitors continued to press, with Mallek sending a close-range finish against the crossbar in the 77th minute.
Dadson did warm Plumbridge’s palms with a stinging strike seven minutes later, and Blues managed to see out the win as Ejonbala directed another shot wide.
Southend United U18s: Joshua Barrett, Ronnie Durussel, Oscar Miller (Innocent Duru, 64), Ibrahim Lima, Prince Chinedum, James Datey, Yobor Sorae, Muhammad Limbada (Kye Munro, 64), Nikolay Zlatev, Brandon Dadson, Sisanda Maguranyanga (Riley Sykes, 72).
