Essex Senior League: London Bari 2 Waltham Forest 3

The Old Spotted Dog played host to a dramatic Essex Senior League encounter which resulted in Waltham Forest taking all three points with a last-minute Jose Agua strike.

The Stags scored within 31 seconds of the kick-off through Roy Jones’s superb header after Agua’s over-hit cross was picked up by Claudio Jose who floated the ball back into the box from the right hand side to find Jones.

London Bari responded with a strong spell of possession without creating any goal scoring chances.

And Forest came close to doubling their lead through Agua who calmly dribbled past the goalkeeper to give himself an empty goal to aim at, but hit the post.

The home side’s best chance of the first half fell to Simpson Mpalampa who picked up a skewed Forest clearance and shot over the bar from distance.

Bari began the second half brightly, applying intense pressure on the Forest goal with Joel Appiah and Andy Greenslade testing the goalkeeper.

The visitors had another outstanding chance to make it 2-0 after Jones delivered a spectacular cross to captain Alan Callaghan whose shot was cleared off the line by Peter Wilcox.

And Bari equalised 20 minutes from time through substitute Tony Cookey who tapped in a far-post cross delivered by fellow substitute Darryl Morson.

The Stags retook the lead six minutes later through Miguel Lopes De Matos whose free-kick found its way into the back of the net after Jones’s attacking run distracted the goalkeeper and caused him to lose flight of the ball.

Agua should have extended the away side’s lead after Kibilay Akbayrak played a free-kick over the top of the Bari defence that left him one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but clumsily put his shot well wide.

And with three minutes to play, Cookey equalised again for Bari with a goal identical to his first.

This time the cross from the right hand side was supplied by Babajide Sonupe and Cookey powerfully headed into the net and with the belief that he had earned his side a point.

But, in the 89th minute Forest won a free-kick on the halfway line and Akbayrak lofted it towards Agua who showed excellent control, killing the ball with his chest and flicking it with the outside of his boot in one movement inside the post to earn Forest all three points.

Bari: Boateng, Isule-Mungu, Wilcox, Richardson (Morson 50), Mpalampa (Cookey 69), Jimoh, Sonupe, Greenslade, Decker, Adetunji, Appiah. Unused subs: Okyere, Oloyede, Jones.

*Newham let a lead slip as they fell to a 3-2 defeat against struggling Enfield at Barrows Farm.

After a scoreless first half, the visitors took kthe lead when Chris Theodore struck just three minutes after the restart.

Michael Bottone got the home side back on level terms on 55 minutes and Alex Salmon put them in front just past the hour mark.

Aaron Churchouse squared matters for Newham with 18 minutes remaining, but their joy was shortlived as Lewis Francis netted Enfield’s winner on 75 minutes.

*Ilford’s clash at Takeley was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch and their scheduled trip to Greenhouse on Wednesday has also been called off as their rivals have a rescheduled FA Vase tie.

Clapton, beaten 1-0 at Tower Hamlets on Friday night, return to action with a home match against Barking on Tuesday.

Newham entertain Enfield on Wednesday, when Sporting Bengal welcome Wadham Lodge to Mile End Stadium.