Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Baresi faced Brimsdown FC at Wodson Park on Wednesday night, in what was both club’s second fixture of the 2024/25 Thurlow Nunn League First Division South season. FC Baresi lost their first ever league match at step 6, last Saturday afternoon, 2-1 to May & Baker ECFC. The visiting team on Wednesday, Brimsdown, lost their opening game of the season 3-1 away to Burnham Ramblers. Wednesday night’s league fixture ended in a 1-1 draw. The first chance of the match came the way of Brimsown. After Yerim Stephane had been alert to the loose ball on the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area, the Brimsdown player took the ball into the penalty area at pace, before having a low effort saved and then gathered by FC Baresi goalkeeper Harvey Simson, at his near post. Soon after that chance for Brimsdown, FC Baresi player Raymond Poku had an effort on the turn (from the edge of the Brimsdown penalty area) saved by Elliott Brocklehurst.

Brimsdown would go on to create a further two good chances, after that chance for Raymond Poku. The first chance came from Yerim Stephane’s looping cross into the FC Baresi box, which Dylan Krikler met. However, his effort at the back post was saved by Simson. Shortly after that chance, Dylan Krikler found Robbie Asaro with a good pass to the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area, but his low effort was well saved by Simson, before the lineman on the near side raised his flag for offside, after another Brimsdown player had received the ball. Then, a crucial challenge from Brimsdown defender Stephen O’Hara, on Benyamin Warren, stopped what likely would’ve been a goal for the home side.

There was quite a good pace to this match, as the goalscoring chances/efforts continued to arrive during different stages of the first half. FC Baresi midfielder Lewis Jones volleyed an effort over the Brimsdown goal, from the edge of their penalty area, before a great chance arrived for the away side. A well worked move from Junior Matti’s side ended with Flav Stierlen delivering a good cross to Alex Coster, whose header from close range, inside of the FC Baresi penalty area, went over their goal. Not long after that fine chance for Brimsdown (in the 37th minute of the game) FC Baresi took the lead. Marvin Hamilton’s good and long throw-in came all the way to Ahmed Abdulla on the right side of the Brimsdown penalty area. The very experienced midfielder’s low effort made it difficult for the goalkeeper to see the ball, with so many players in his way, as it nestled inside the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

Less than six minutes after Tufail Amjad’s FC Baresi side had taken the lead, they conceded an equalising goal, not long before half-time. Flav Stierlen’s cross to the centre of the FC Baresi penalty area came to Dylan Krikler, after Harvey Simson and been unable to gather the ball, and the Brimsdown forward finished from close range, despite the best efforts of Benyamin Warren. During the early stages of the second half, Benyamin Warren made a good and important block from Alex Coster’s effort, from inside of the FC Baresi penalty area. Then, a couple of minutes after that chance, Robbie Asaro’s header from Dylan Krikler’s corner-kick was saved and held by Simson. 

After Robbie Asaro’s curling effort from 20 yards out had went wide of FC Baresi’s goal, FC Baresi would go on to create a good chance, as both sides tried to take control of the game. Raymond Poku’s pass to Jerrell Cato on the left-hand side of the Brimsdown penalty area resulted in Jerrell Cato having a low effort on goal, which was well cleared off the goal-line by a Brimsdown defender. Marvin Hamilton was impressing for FC Baresi, in midfield. Shortly after his powerful free-kick effort (from distance) was pushed away by Brocklehurst, the 35 year old FC Baresi player delivered a great cross into the centre of the Brimsdown box. However, after meeting the ball, Edson Lami’s powerful headed effort on goal was well pushed away by Brocklehurst. Continuing to create chances, Marvin Hamilton would then play a good pass through to Junior Appiah, just inside of the Brimsdown box, but his effort on the turn went wide of the goal.

FC Baresi were doing well at this stage of the second half, and after Lewis Jones’  good and powerful effort from distance went just over Brocklehurst’s goal, FC Baresi came very close to retaking the lead. A great run from Jerrell Cato, down the left flank, resulted in him delivering a great cross towards the back post. However, the ball ended up rebounding off Kishawn James, before hitting the crossbar and then going behind for a goal-kick. Both sides were going for all three points during the latter stages of the game. Not long before the end of the 90 minutes, Ahmed Abdulla picked out substitute Noyan Tajbakhsh in the centre of the Brimsdown penalty area. However, the forward’s header was brilliantly pushed behind by the impressive Elliott Brocklehurst.

The final stages of the game didn’t see there being many more good chances created, for either side to get a winner from. A late Brimsdown free-kick close to the edge of the FC Baresi box, was taken by Dylan Krikler. However, his effort went over Harvey Simson’s goal. And then the final chance of the match came for FC Baresi, with Ahmed Abdulla heading over the Brimsdown goal, after meeting Raymond Poku’s cross inside of the penalty area. This was a good game, which was well contested and competitive. For FC Baresi, I thought that their goalscorer Ahmed Abdulla was their player of the match. Influential in the midfield and final third, Abdulla took his goal well and showed his vast experience and also his real quality, throughout the game.

My player of the match on Wednesday, was Brimsdown goalkeeper Elliott Brocklehurst. The goalkeeper made some fine saves (none more so than his excellent late save from Noyan Tajbakhsh’s header) and I also thought that he dealt really well with crosses and set-pieces.