Non-League and Academy football writer

Newbury Forest FC faced May & Baker ECFC, in a Thurlow Nunn League Division One South fixture, on Monday night at the Techsoc Stadium. Newbury Forest had lost two and won one match, from their opening three league fixtures, before Monday’s match. May & Baker had won two and lost two, from their opening four league matches of this season. The Saturday before last, Newbury Forest won 2-1 away to May & Baker, in the league. However, this step 6 east London derby match finished in a 3-3 draw, after a dramatic second half turn around for Newbury Forest. Early on in the match Newbury Forest were awarded a free-kick on the edge (on the right-hand side) of the May & Baker penalty area. However, Leon Sterling’s low effort was saved by May & Baker goalkeeper Liam Keeble, at his near post. Shortly after that effort on goal, the visiting side would take the lead in the match. With Denim Nnamudi’s curling whipped effort/cross from the right edge of the Newbury Forest penalty area, being met by the run of Jack Ferris in the centre of the box. Ferris would manage to quickly get the ball under control, before finishing past Delanie Robinson from close range, 0-1.

Shortly after having taken the lead in the game, May & Baker doubled their lead. Anthony Cooke’s corner-kick delivery eventually came to Billy Titley, in the centre of the Newbury Forest penalty area. Still with plenty to do, the May & Baker centre-forward turned on the ball, before finishing powerfully into the goal, 0-2. May & Baker were quicker in their passing at this stage of the match, but after Delanie Robinson had saved a May & Baker free-kick effort, Newbury Forest player Deivid Sertvietis’ whipped free-kick effort from 20 yards out, went just over the May & Baker goal. An impressive and skilful forward run from Denim Nnamudi through the centre of the pitch, resulted in him hitting a good effort on the Newbury Forest goal, which was well parried by Robinson.

Following a corner-kick for Newbury Forest, the ball came to (after it was cleared away by a May & Baker defender) Cesario Mendes on the edge of the penalty area. The defender’s low volleyed effort into the ground was well pushed away by the goalkeeper, Liam Keeble. After Denim Nnamudi had received George Read’s pass, he went on a short surging forward run, to the edge of the away team’s box, before hitting a good effort on goal, which was well tipped over his crossbar by Robinson. And just before the half-time whistle was sounded, Kai Wade hit a good, looping effort from distance, which ended up going just over the May & Baker goal. The second half was started well by May & Baker, who won an early penalty, following a sliding challenge by Cesario Mendes on Billy Titley, inside the centre of the Newbury Forest penalty area. The May & Baker centre-forward would step up to take the resulting penalty, and he clinically found the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-3.

Just after May & Baker had extended their lead further, Cesario Mendes was sent to the sin-bin, by the referee. May & Baker were looking to make sure of their win, with a good run from Jack Ferris to the left-hand side of the home team’s box, resulting in him having an effort pushed behind by Robinson, at his near post. However, after doing well to win a free-kick inside the centre of the May & Baker box, things would start to change in this game, for Leo Connolly’s Newbury Forest side. Following the lay-off to Chaka Barnett, the forward’s effort was blocked up into the air by the wall, with Roberto Carvalho doing well to get to the ball in the air, as he headed it well into the goal, 1-3. And shortly after that goal, Newbury Forest would score their second goal of the match, as Ifeanyi Umeh’s clever through-ball pass (in behind the May & Baker defence) was received by Carvalho. He took the ball into the box, before rounding the goalkeeper and finishing low into the goal from close range, 2-3.

May & Baker were really trying to get another goal, as they looked to respond in order to make it more difficult for the home side. May & Baker defender Bobby Breen would meet a corner-kick to the edge of the Newbury Forest box. However, his looping header went wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Billy Titley’s lofted effort from 25 yards out (he had spotted the Newbury Forest goalkeeper slightly off his line) would go over the goal, not long before Newbury Forest managed to score a very late equalising goal. Matt Connolly’s corner-kick delivery into the centre of the May & Baker penalty area, wasn’t cleared away properly, as Ifeanyi Umeh got to the ball. He would then finish low past the goalkeeper, from close range, 3-3.

In the final added minutes of the game May & Baker would manage three more efforts. The first of which (from Billy Titley on the left-hand side of the Newbury Forest box) would go wide of the goalkeeper’s near post. And then, a couple of minutes later May & Baker’s captain (Anthony Cooke) would hit two efforts wide of the Newbury Forest goal, from the edge of their penalty area. This was a very clinical second half performance from Newbury Forest. They were very intelligent and they used the ball well, in order to not only get back into the game, but to score three second half goals, with substitute Ifeanyi Umeh more than playing his part, along with Roberto Carvalho. I also thought that Chaka Barnett and substitute Arthur Wright, did well to help Newbury Forest get that very late point.

For May & Baker, I thought that they played (particularly during the first half) a very good passing game, with both pace and purpose. They will obviously be very disappointed with how the game ended, however. For the visiting side, some of their players who I thought impressed, were Jack Ferris, Denim Nnamudi, Billy Titley and Freddie Blackham.