Non-League and Academy football writer

I travelled to Southend Manor’s Southchurch Park ground on Saturday afternoon, for a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture between Southend Manor and FC Baresi. Southend Manor had won three, drawn two and lost two of their opening seven league matches of this season. After five league matches played for FC Baresi, the newly promoted side were looking for their first competitive win of the season, having drawn one and lost four of their league matches, going into Saturday’s league fixture. This step 6 match was won 2-0 by FC Baresi, in what was an historic day/result for the club. FC Baresi would start this match well, and at a good intensity. After Kishawn James had managed to get to the ball on the left-hand side of the pitch, the Baresi forward would deliver a cross into the Southend Manor box. With Teyon Weston managing to get to the ball in the centre of the penalty area, his powerful resulting effort was pushed over the goal by Southend Manor goalkeeper, Danny Biggs. That chance had came about following some initial good work from James, to get to the ball in the first place.

Not long at all after that early chance for Baresi, they would take an early lead in the game. A well worked move from Tufail Amjad’s side, would see Ahmed Abdulla play a lofted pass to Jerrell Cato, on the left side of the home team’s box, and from there he would deliver a looping ball towards the back post. Biggs would punch the ball away, but only as far as Isioma Richard, who had met the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area, and his powerful low effort would go into the goal, 0-1. Southend Manor would try to respond. A good lofted pass from Niall Attwood, to Aaron Akoman-Ehikpa on the left side of the Baresi penalty area, would result in the forward seeing his low effort (it lacked a bit of power) gathered by Harvey Simson. At the opposite end of the pitch, Jerrell Cato would hit a low effort on the Southend Manor goal (from the edge of their box) which was gathered by Danny Biggs, before Kishawn James came close to doubling FC Baresi’s lead.

After James had managed to get to a lofted pass on the left-hand side of the home team’s box, he would travel inside with the ball (following some good holdup play) before hitting a low effort just wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. A couple of minutes later Teyon Weston would receive Isioma Richard’s lofted pass on the right-hand side of the Southend Manor box, his resulting volleyed effort under pressure,  went wide of the goal. The final chance was also created by FC Baresi, as after Ahmed Abdulla had won the ball in midfield, the impressive and experienced player would find Teyon Weston on the right-hand side of the Southend Manor box, but Weston’s low effort on goal was gathered by Danny Biggs. The early stages of the second half saw Southend Manor improve as a team, and they were pushing for an equaliser. After Aaron Akoman-Ehikpa had passed the ball to Southend Manor substitute Lewis Brougham on the edge of the Baresi box, Brougham would hit his first time effort over the goal.

FC Baresi were managing the game well, and after Baresi captain Edson Lami had found Jerrell Cato on the right-hand side of the home side’s box, he would hit a low effort on goal which was gathered by Danny Biggs. There weren’t a lot of chances in the second half, but after Ross Barnes of Southend Manor, had hit a volleyed effort from inside the centre of the Baresi box, which was saved by Simson, Baresi would finish the second half well. And following an outside of the boot effort from FC Baresi substitute Nicola Rapacchiani (from the edge of the Southend Manor penalty area) that was saved and held by Danny Biggs, the visitors would double their lead a couple of minutes later. A good and decisive move from FC Baresi on the counter would result in Edson Lami passing the ball to Kishawn James out on the left flank. Edson Lami would sprint forward to the edge of the Southend Manor penalty area, which was where he received the ball back from James, before calmly finishing into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2.

During the final moments of the game Southend Manor substitute Divine Phiri headed an effort on the Baresi goal, following a free-kick delivery into their penalty area, but Simson was able to gather the ball. This was a professional performance from FC Baresi, as they got their first win of the season, against a good Southend Manor side. FC Baresi managed the game really well, I thought. However, with so many impressive/professional performances in the FC Baresi team on Saturday, such as those from Kishawn James, Isioma Richard, Jerrell Cato and Abiodun Kamalu, my player of the match from this game wasn’t an easy decision. But in my opinion the FC Baresi captain, Edson Lami, was the player of the match. An excellent midfield performance from the experienced midfielder alongside Ahmed Abdulla, would see him win a lot of challenges, and he also protected the ball really well. The hardworking and skilful player also took his goal well, to cap off a really fine all-round performance. This wasn’t Southend Manor’s finest performance. However, the side who have started this season well, will definitely respond well to Saturday’s defeat, I’m sure.