Massingham fires Stags to Step 4

Buckhurst Hill celebrate Arthur Massingham's winning goal

A stunning late strike from Arthur Massingham ensured a 1-0 Essex Senior League playoff final victory for Buckhurst Hill against Barking at Myrak Park.

Substitute Massingham received the ball on the left wing before cutting inside and firing an unstoppable shot beyond the reach of Barking goalkeeper Omer Ozer, ensuring that the hosts would be playing Step 4 football next season for the first time in their history.

In front of a crowd of 1,044, the highest ever at the ground on Roding Lane, it was the visitors, playing in their changed strip of all yellow, that started the brighter, and had the ball in the net after three minutes. Alfie Attrill’s flick-on set Finlay Dorrell through on goal, who finished cleverly past Christian North, but he was denied by the offside flag, in what looked to be a very close call.

After that, the first half was a cagey affair; neither team were willing to take any risks and were happy just to pass the ball amongst themselves. Both captains, Ollie Williams for Buckhurst Hill and James Folkes for Barking, organised their teams well and did well to limit chances for the opposition.

However, it was Barking who had the best of the very few chances that were presented in the first half. Most notably, Ryan Pickles forced a strong save from North after latching onto a ball over the top of the Buckhurst Hill defence from Saliu Lo Seye.

The closest either team came to opening the scoring in the opening period came in first-half stoppage time. When Nathan Sollosi was tripped just outside the Barking penalty area, it seemed like the ideal position for a left-footed shot directly from the set-piece.

The Stags’ left-back George Edwards stepped up and smashed the free-kick off Ozer’s crossbar, with Barking’s number 1 beaten.

The second half was more of the same – neither team could afford to make any slip-ups, and the atmosphere on the pitch was tense, but luckily without any threat of it boiling over.

It looked like Barking’s main threat was Dorrell, who twice picked up through-balls in a good position but was unable to convert either opportunity presented to him.

Disillusioned with his team’s attacking attempts, Stags boss Mark Williams decided to make changes with 15 to play, and withdrew influential attackers Tyler Dolan and Harry Lusher, in favour of Marko Protic and Massingham.

It began to feel like the game was crying out for a bit of magic to win it for either team, and with ten minutes remaining, Massingham duly obliged.

Picking up a pass from Sollosi on the left wing, the young winger, who started his footballing journey in the youth teams at Myrak Park at the age of six, took his time to bring the ball under control, before a crucial touch which took him away from defenders Murtada Lo Seye and Charlie Thomson and set himself up for a shot, which curled perfectly beyond Ozer and into the top corner.

It was a real fairytale ending to a campaign beyond The Stags’ wildest dreams.

They still had to the see the game out, however, but did it expertly. Barking never really had a golden opportunity for a leveller, and it was Buckhurst Hill’s day.

The final whistle sparked scenes of jubilation and a pitch invasion, before skipper Williams was presented with the playoff final trophy.

There’s a lot to be done on and off the pitch at Myrak Park before the start of a new era in Step 4, but they have earned a few weeks off to celebrate and reminisce. Good luck to them in the Isthmian North.

 

Buckhurst Hill: 1. Christian North, 2. Evernage Nyahunda, 3. George Edwards (14. Liam Foster, 89’), 4. Ollie Williams (C), 5. Ollie Fernandez, 7. Nathan Sollosi (17. Dimitri Nicolaou, 90+3’), 8. Josh Banfield, 9. Harry Lusher (18. Marko Protic, 74), 10. Joe Re, 11. Tyler Dolan (15. Arthur Massingham, 74’), 20. Harvey Brown. Substitutes not used: 12. Archie Hammond.

 

Barking: 1. Omer Ozer, 2. Murtada Lo Seye, 3. Ricky Modeste, 4. Charlie Thomson, 5. James Folkes (C), 7. Ryan Pickles, 8. Saliu Lo Seye, 9. Finlay Dorrell (15. Akiljo Balliu, 81’), 10. Alfie Attrill, 11. Issa Sidibe (19. Sam Edwards, 64’), 18. Amadeus Addotey (6. Mwetsi Matangi, 69’). Substitutes not used: 12. James King, 16. Fahad Nyanja.