Non-League and Academy football writer

This early round Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup-tie between FC Baresi and Newbury Forest FC, was played at Wodson Park on Wednesday night. FC Baresi had drawn one and lost one from their opening two games of the season, with the visiting side (Newbury Forest) having won one and lost two of their three league matches going into this cup-tie. It was Newbury Forest who advanced to the next round of the cup, winning the match 2-1. Both sides started the game positively, but it was FC Baresi, who were able to create the first two real chances of the match. Following Kishawn James’ low cross to the centre of the Newbury Forest penalty area, the ball was met by Edson Lami, whose first time effort was blocked on the goal-line. Then on the follow-up, Glody Kalunda had an effort saved by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva. Two Newbury Forest efforts would follow from outside of the FC Baresi penalty area, with the second effort being from Leon Sterling, whose effort from distance went wide of the goal.

A difficult chance for FC Baresi forward Junior Appiah from the edge of the away team’s box, saw his resulting low effort gathered by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva. And then a couple of minutes later, the same FC Baresi player managed to latch onto a back-pass to the Newbury Forest goalkeeper from inside of the penalty area, but his effort was well parried by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva. FC Baresi were looking the more likely side to score at this stage of the game, with the impressive central defensive partnership of Marvin Smith and Isioma Richard, doing very well defensively. After Jerrell Cato’s powerful effort from distance had went wide of the Newbury Forest goal, Marvin Hamilton had a free-kick effort from the edge of the away team’s penalty area, saved and held by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva.

Just before the end of the first half, Isioma Richard had a good headed effort on the Newbury Forest goal (following Ahmed Abdulla’s corner-kick delivery), well tipped over by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva, just before the referee had sounded his whistle for half-time. During the early stages of the second half Newbury Forest took the lead. Deivid Sertvietis’ clever turn on the ball around an FC Baresi player on the edge of their penalty area, allowed the Newbury Forest player the space in order to make the pass to Kieren Huddart on the right-hand side of the box. And Ifeanyi Umeh finished powerfully and clinically into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1. Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva would then make another important save from an FC Baresi effort, from inside of the penalty area, before a triple chance came the way of the home side.

Following a cross and then an effort which had hit the Newbury Forest crossbar, the ball came to substitute Noyan Tajbakhsh, whose effort was saved by the goalkeeper. With FC Baresi managing to get back on the ball and then delivering a cross back into the Newbury Forest penalty area, the ball found Lewis Jones, whose looping header hit the crossbar on its way over. However, the challenge for FC Baresi became a lot more difficult, after they conceded a second goal during the second half. Mayowa Ogunyemi’s effort from the right-hand side of the penalty area, was well saved by FC Baresi goalkeeper Tarun Kerai, but Ifeanyi Umeh was on hand to get to the loose ball, and then hit the ball from inside of the penalty area, into the roof of the goal, 0-2.

A slightly fortuitous goal back for FC Baresi followed. With a Newbury Forest player unfortunately heading a well delivered corner-kick into the Newbury Forest penalty area, into the goal, as he attempted to clear the ball, 1-2. There was a fantastic pace to the game at this stage of the second half. It was all FC Baresi now, and following a superb surging forward run from defender Isioma Richard, to go past a couple of players with great skill and pace, to enter the left-hand side of the away team’s box, would result in Richard having a powerful effort saved by Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva. The ball then came to Noyan Tajbakhsh, whose effort on the follow-up went wide of the goal.

FC Baresi continued to try and create chance during the latter stages of the second half. Shortly after Lewis Jones had hit an effort across the Newbury Forest goal, from the left-hand side of their penalty area, Isioma Richard would then hit an effort over, from the edge of the penalty area. At the opposite end of the pitch Tarun Kerai saved a headed effort on his goal, before Ahmed Abdulla was sent to the sin-bin, late on in the match. Very late on in the game, with FC Baresi still pushing for an equalising goal, Noyan Tajbakhsh sent a looping header over the Newbury Forest goal, following a cross into the penalty area from the impressive Jerrell Cato. And then the final chance of the match came the way of FC Baresi substitute Shane Oakley, after he had volleyed an effort wide from inside of the Newbury Forest box, after meeting Isioma Richard’s cross.

This was in my opinion a very good cup-tie, especially in the second half, when the pace of the game was very good. Newbury Forest were more clinical on the day, and they also defended their lead very well. I thought that Newbury Forest goalkeeper Manuel Lopes Da Costa Silva, was the player of the match, for some of his very important saves and decisive goalkeeping. Also, I thought that the whole Newbury Forest defence had a really fine game. For FC Baresi, I thought that central-defender and occasional play-maker Isioma Richard, on what was his first appearance of the season, was the home team’s player of the match. Richard had a really fine all-found game.