Non-League and Academy football writer

Barkingside FC faced FC Baresi in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture on Friday night, at Cricklefields Stadium. Barkingside started this match in 12th place in the league standings, after nine league matches played. FC Baresi started this match in 18th place, after seven league matches played. This step 6 match was won 5-0 by FC Baresi, in what was a five star performance from them. The game started at a decent pace. After Kishawn James had hit an effort wide of the Barkingside goal (from the edge of their penalty area), a couple of minutes later and at the opposite end of the pitch, Barkingside forward Eman Sergio hit a low effort wide of the Baresi goal. His effort had taken a deflection off a defender. From the resulting corner-kick the ball came to Ronaldo Kapica (close to the edge of the FC Baresi box), but his whipped effort went over Harvey Simson’s goal.

FC Baresi were looking to play their game effectively, and shortly after Edson Lami had hit a curling effort over the Barkingside goal, from the edge of their penalty area, the visiting side would take an early lead in the match. Some good work from Teyon Weston on the right-hand side of the Barkingside box, would result in him passing the ball to Murat Karagul, in the centre of the box. Karagul’s effort on the turn took a big deflection off a Barkingside defender, which saw the ball go into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, with it likely going down as an own goal, 0-1. Shortly after having taken the lead in the game, Thomas Beadle would hit a good whipped effort on the Barkingside goal, from 25 yards out, which was held by the Barkingside goalkeeper, Lubomir Georgiev. And following on from that chance, FC Baresi would continue to use the ball well.

After Kishawn James had found Murat Karagul on the right-hand side of the Barkingside box, Karagul would hit a low effort wide, with the outside of his boot. Following a header from a corner-kick into the FC Baresi penalty area, which went over Simson’s goal, Tufail Amjad’s side would double their lead in the match. The influential Murat Karagul’s lofted ball (from out on the right flank) into the centre of the Barkingside box, was met by Teyon Weston, whose clever flicked header on goal found the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. Thomas Beadle’s powerful, whipped free-kick effort (from 25 yards out) went just over Georgiev’s crossbar, and then shortly after that effort, FC Baresi would get their third goal of the first half. A good run inside from the right flank by Qusay Mohammed, would result in him finding Kishawn James on the left-hand side of the home team’s box, with a well weighted forward pass. James quickly got the ball out of his feet, before hitting a low effort, which went into the goal off the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, 0-3.

FC Baresi had been creating all of the chances, towards the latter stages of the first half. One final fine chance was created shortly before half-time, as Karagul found James down the right-hand side of the Barkingside penalty area. Through on goal, James tried to round the goalkeeper, who was able to gather the ball from his feet. FC Baresi would start the second half in a similar fashion to how they had ended the first half, going on to score two goals in quick succession. The first goal arrived early on in the second half, as following Jerrell Cato’s low cross into the Barkingside box, from the left flank, it wasn’t gathered properly by the goalkeeper, with Baresi forward Kishawn James alert and on hand to get to the loose ball, and finish low into the goal from close range, 0-4. Soon after the game had resumed Teyon Weston would get his second goal of the game. After getting to the ball just inside of the Barkingside box, Weston would find the top right-hand corner of the goal, with a powerful effort, 0-5.

An ambitious and admirable long distance effort from Murat Karagul, was gathered by Georgiev, before the same FC Baresi player almost provided another assist. His lofted ball into the Barkingside penalty area being met by the run of Teyon Weston, whose headed effort hit the crossbar. The rest of the match was played at a slower pace, with not many notable efforts on goal. After Eman Sergio had hit a powerful effort from the edge of the away side’s box, over their goal, Baresi substitute Nicola Rapacchiani would hit an effort (from the edge of the Barkingside box) over, following a good move. And then late on the impressive Qusay Mohammed hit a low effort wide of the Barkingside goal, from 20 yards out. FC Baresi thoroughly deserved their win on Friday. They were clinical in front of goal, but they played their passing game to good effect, against the hosts, and it just wasn’t Barkingside’s night, at all.

With two goals and some really fine work off the ball in the forward areas of the pitch, FC Baresi youngster Teyon Weston was my player of the match on Friday night. He worked hard off the ball, took both of his goals well, and he was also unlucky not to get a third goal before being substituted off quite late on in the match. Murat Karagul and Kishawn James were also very influential and impressive for Baresi, but it was a professional all-round performance from the newly promoted club.