Non-League and Academy football writer

AS London have made a fine start to the Thurlow Nunn Football League First Division South, with seven league wins from their first 13 league matches played this season. The club who started this league fixture in eighth place in the league, faced an FC Baresi (they started this game in 14th place in the league) side on Wednesday night at New River Stadium, who were looking to respond following a 5-0 home loss to Dunmow Town on Saturday afternoon. This step 6 match was emphatically won 8-0 by AS London, who put in an outstanding team performance. Starting the game well, Francesco Zabotti’s AS London side would go on to create a number of good early goalscoring chances. Following a fine, surging forward run into the away team’s penalty area from an AS London forward, a low ball across goal wasn’t quite gathered by Baresi goalkeeper Harvey Simson. However, despite the AS London player’s calling for a penalty after he had initially rushed out of his goal, Simson would recover really well to then make a good stop at his right-hand post.

Following on from that early chance, a really well worked passing move from the home side would see the ball worked to Alie Bangura, in the centre of the FC Baresi penalty area. With Bangura’s resulting first time effort going just wide of Simson’s left-hand post. A couple of minutes later Alie Bangura would hit an effort wide on the turn from inside of the away team’s penalty area, not long at all before AS London were awarded a penalty in the opening ten minutes of the game. The penalty had been awarded to AS London by the referee, after Baresi defender Stephen Ellery had brought down Mohamed Mahmoud, on the left-hand side of Baresi’s penalty area, after Mahmoud had met a good lofted pass into the box. Reece Simpson stepped up to clinically find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

AS London were pressing the visiting side aggressively, making it difficult for them to settle on the ball. However, before AS London would double their lead in the game, Tufail Amjad’s FC Baresi side would create some good chances. After Teyon Weston had got to a long pass on the left flank, he would take the ball into the AS London penalty area, before lifting the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper (Martin Arnauchkov), with the impressive Zachary Argent clearing the ball off the goal-line. After the highly skilful Qusay Mohammed had received Marvin Smith’s pass in the middle of the pitch, the winger would continue forward with the ball, before hitting a brilliant and powerful effort on goal. His effort dipped over the head of the AS London goalkeeper, before hitting the crossbar.

After FC Baresi player Junior Appiah had made a clever pass to find Matthew Newman on the right-hand side of the AS London box, he would see his effort on goal held by Martin Arnauchkov. Just as Baresi were improving however, AS London would double their lead in the game. Mohamed Mahmoud would receive the ball before surging forward at pace down the right-hand side of the away side’s penalty area, and his low ball across the face of the goal seemed to be unfortunately turned into the goal by Junior Appiah, as he had attempted to clear it, 2-0. Following a great sliding block from Tashan Richmond to stop Reece Simpson’s effort from the centre of the away team’s box, AS London would then get their third goal of the game, just before half-time.

After Harvey Simson’s pass out of his goal was met by Mohamed Mahmoud (on the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area), he would just take the ball into the box, before then calmly slotting the ball into the goal, 3-0. AS London would start the second half with an even greater pace to their passing game and intensity. After a long AS London throw-in into the centre of the FC Baresi penalty area, the ball was flicked on to Evander Lopes at the back post, and his resulting effort on goal was well pushed behind by Simson. A couple of minutes later some fantastic skill on the ball from the impressive Juan Araque, would see him hit an effort over the Baresi goal from the edge of their penalty area. AS London’s fourth goal of this game would arrive soon after, with the dominant home team having essentially won the game already. A good low pass from Mohamed Mahmoud (from the right-hand side of the pitch), to Evander Lopes in the centre of the away side’s penalty area, would see Lopes show some great skill with the before clinically finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 4-0.

Shortly after Reece Simpson had hit a low volleyed effort from the edge of the Baresi penalty area, which was gathered by Simson, the home team would get their fifth goal of the game. As Alie Bangura went on a superb forward run to the left-hand side of the Baresi penalty area, skilfully working his way beyond two defenders, before then finishing cleverly, low into the goal, 5-0. AS London were really dominant with the ball, and a couple of minutes after FC Baresi substitute Jerrell Cato had hit an effort goal on which had been held by Martin Arnauchkov, things went from bad to worse for the visiting side. A lofted ball over the top (from Zachary Argent) of the Baresi defence saw Reece Simpson get to the ball, in behind. Simpson would then take the ball into the penalty area, before finishing into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, beyond the goalkeeper, 6-0.

Experienced former professional footballer Yannick Kamanan had by this point in the game been substituted on for FC Baresi. The Frenchman would see his flicked headed effort on goal (from the edge of the AS London box) be well tipped around his right-hand post by Martin Arnauchkov. However, following on from the resulting corner-kick AS London would counter with the ball superbly well. Reece Simpson went forward with the ball at pace down the right flank, before making a fine forward pass to Wilson Mendes, who from inside of the FC Baresi penalty area would finish low into the goal, 7-0. And a couple of moments after the game had restarted, AS London had made it 8-0. A fine low pass from Nicholas Sanchez, to Reece Simpson in behind the away team’s defence would result in Simpson taking the ball into their penalty area, before finishing low into the goal, 8-0.

FC Baresi did finish the game by creating some goalscoring chances. After Yannick Kamanan had headed an effort just wide of the AS London goal, after meeting Murat Karagul’s cross into their penalty area, Martin Arnauchkov would then push behind Qusay Mohammed’s (he was FC Baresi’s best player) good effort on goal, following his run to the left-hand side of the penalty area. Murat Karagul would then have an effort from the edge of the AS London box, which was saved by Martin Arnauchkov, before the referee brought the game to an end. AS London are the most impressive step 6 side that I have seen so far this season, for the football that they played as a team last night. Every single player in their team was superb, doing their roles diligently on the pitch, they were faultless, and the home team played some outstanding football.

I could’ve given my player of the match award to any of the AS London players, but with four goal involvements (a hat-trick of goals and one assist) as well as some brilliant work and movement off the ball, I’m going to give the player of the match award to AS London’s very clinical centre-forward, Reece Simpson.