Non-League and Academy football writer

This Essex Alliance League Senior Division Cup final, was played between Walthamstow Reserves and league champions FC Baresi, at Leyton Orient’s Gaughan Group Stadium, in east London on Tuesday night. In what promised to be a fascinating game of football, this well attended step 7 cup final was played at a really good pace, and it was a really good game of football, which Walthamstow Reserves won, 2-1. In what was a very busy first half of football, in terms of goalscoring chances created, it was Walthamstow Reserves who started the game really well. Walthamstow player George Hellen would have a good and powerful low effort from the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area, which was well saved by the diving FC Baresi goalkeeper Eric Andoh, before the move was brought to an end, following an offside flag. Highly skilful Walthamstow winger Bilel Benyoucef had started the game really well, and soon after that first goal attempt of the game, Benyoucef would hit a low effort from the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area, wide of their goal. Walthamstow had been moving really well off the ball, and their quick passing game was causing problems for the league champions.

A fantastic pass from Walthamstow forward Matthew McDowell, in behind the FC Baresi defence, would find Bilel Benyoucef, but as he entered the penalty area, he was met by Eric Andoh, who had fouled him as he tried to get to the ball. The referee awarded a penalty to Walthamstow, and he also showed Eric Andoh a yellow card. However, Issa Sidibe’s resulting penalty kick was saved by Eric Andoh, to the goalkeeper’s left. Shortly after FC Baresi player Marvin Hamilton had hit a first time effort over the Walthamstow goal, from the edge of their penalty area, Walthamstow would take the lead in the game. A good move from Walthamstow would end with Bilel Benyoucef finding Issa Sidibe, in the centre of the FC Baresi box, from his low pass out wide. Sidibe would show good composure, to find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Not long after the game had resumed, Matthew McDowell would hit a good, low effort from the right-hand side of the FC Baresi box, just wide of their goal. And then, a couple of minutes later, Bilel Benyoucef would find the run of Issa Sidibe, in behind the FC Baresi defence, but from inside the penalty area, Sidibe put his effort wide of the goal.

After FC Baresi player Raymond Poku had played a quick one-two pass with Murat Karagul on the edge of the Walthamstow box, the youngster would loft the ball towards goal, but his effort was saved and held by Walthamstow goalkeeper Enos Duah. And then not long after that chance for FC Baresi, the league champions would manage to draw level in the game. A great in-swinging corner-kick from the excellent Marvin Hamilton, would end up curling into the goal, at the back post, despite the best efforts of Louis Mallandan on the goal-line, 1-1. However, Walthamstow came back stronger, and after Bilel Benyoucef had an effort from inside the FC Baresi box, which was well tipped over by Eric Andoh, Walthamstow managed to regain the lead. Following Finlay Sims’ short pass to Ezra Agyiri inside the FC Baresi box, the player with first team experience, would hit a low effort against Eric Andoh’s right-hand post, before the ball came to McDowell, who tapped the ball into the goal from close range, 2-1.

The pace that the game was played at during the first half, was tremendous. After Murat Karagul had a low effort from the edge of the Walthamstow box, which was tipped behind by Enos Duah, from the following corner kick, Walthamstow would then go forward with the ball. With Bilel Benyoucef (he was probably the best player on the pitch during the first 45 minutes of the game) cutting inside with the ball from the right flank, before hitting a good effort which went just wide of the goal, before it was FC Baresi’s turn to go forward with the ball. Set-piece specialist Marvin Hamilton would find Murat Karagul, from a corner kick into the Walthamstow box, but Karagul’s headed effort on goal was just kept out and gathered by goalkeeper Enos Duah. Murat Karagul would then meet a fine cross into the Walthamstow penalty area, from Erol Hassan, but he would once again have an effort on goal, which was saved by Enos Duah. And then just before the referee had sounded his whistle for half-time, Marvin Hamilton created a really good chance for FC Baresi. The Sri Lanka international would find Noyan Tajbakhsh at the back post of the Walthamstow goal, from a really good cross, but the FC Baresi forward’s headed effort went wide of the goal.

The beginning of the second half saw the pace of the game drop a little bit. However, there were still a number of goalscoring chances that were being created, by both sides. Influential FC Baresi midfielder Lewis Jones, would have the first goal attempt of the second half, after he had picked up the ball on the edge of the Walthamstow penalty area. However, his fine curling effort on goal would hit Enos Duah’s left-hand post, before deflecting behind off the goalkeeper for a corner kick. At the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of minutes later, Eric Andoh was alert to keep out Isioma Richard’s clearance from a brilliant cross into the FC Baresi penalty area from the right flank. FC Baresi had definitely improved in their all-round play during the second half of the match, and they would go onto have a good spell during this stage of the second half. After Noyan Tajbakhsh had hit an effort from distance, wide of the Walthamstow goal, Isioma Richard would then, a couple of minutes later, head an effort just wide of the Walthamstow goal, following Marvin Hamilton’s long throw-in into the Walthamstow box. Some brilliant skill on the ball from Raymond Poku would follow on from that chance. However, after he had found  Noyan Tajbakhsh on the edge of the Walthamstow box, his effort was pushed behind by Enos Duah.

The game started to become more open, as the second half went on. Following on from an effort some 25 yards out from the FC Baresi goal from Issa Sidibe, which went wide of the goal, Walthamstow substitute Zidane Bolessa would then hit an effort from the outside of his boot, wide of the FC Baresi goal, from 20 yards out. FC Baresi would finish the game strongly. After Marvin Hamilton had whipped a free-kick effort (on the edge of the Walthamstow box) over the goal, FC Baresi substitute Nicola Rapacchiani would send a decent dipping effort from outside of the penalty area, just over the Walthamstow goal. However, late on in the match, an excellent team move from Walthamstow, would end with Issa Sidibe hitting an effort, from inside of the FC Baresi box, wide of the goal, and it was a great chance for Walthamstow Reserves to win the game from. And then well into second half stoppage time, FC Baresi went really close to getting an equaliser on three successive occasions, from inside of the Walthamstow box. However, Walthamstow goalkeeper, Enos Duah, would make some crucial saves, to somehow stop FC Baresi from drawing level, in the final moments of the final.

Many congratulations to Eny Okoro, his coaching staff and Walthamstow Reserves, on them winning the cup final. The team were excellent on the night. And commiserations to FC Baresi, the best team in the Essex Alliance League Senior Division, this season. They have been a real credit to step 7 football throughout the season, and unfortunately for them, they couldn’t quite do the league and cup double, this season. Well, there were so many top performances out on the pitch in the cup final on Tuesday. Walthamstow Reserves as a team, were in my opinion outstanding throughout the game. On what was a great occasion for the club, players such as Ezra Agyiri, Matthew McDowell, Issa Sidibe and Bilel Benyoucef, were all superb in the forward areas of the pitch, and they really did cause a lot of problems for the FC Baresi defence. And then you had goalkeeper, Enos Duah, who made some crucial saves, and also players such as George Hellen and Finlay Sims, who were just brilliant. But so too was the whole Walthamstow Reserves team, throughout the cup final.

For FC Baresi, although it was certainly not their best team performance of the season, I thought that there were still some very good individual performances, such as those from Marvin Hamilton, Isioma Richard, Murat Karagul and Edson Lami. However, my player of the match, from this cup final, was FC Baresi left-back – Abadilla Kousairi. The amount of defending that he had to do, and also his decision making at both ends of the pitch, was very good. He is a very consistent performer, and both going forward and in defence, he was relentless, and he has a lot to be proud of, for his performance against the second highest scorers in the league this season.