Non-League and Academy football writer

Newbury Forest faced FC Baresi in this Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture on Saturday afternoon, at The Techsoc Stadium. The home side, Newbury Forest, started this game in 19th place in the league table after 16 league matches played. The visiting side, FC Baresi, started this match in 17th place in the league standings, after 17 league matches played. This step 6 match was won 2-1 by FC Baresi. Started at a good pace, FC Baresi would create the first chance of the match, early on. As Marvin McCoy hit an effort wide of the Newbury Forest goal, from the edge of their penalty area. Soon after that effort, a long forward ball would cause some problems for the visitors’ defence. With Chaka Barnett getting to the ball just inside of the away side’s penalty area, however, closely followed by Baresi defender Jerrell Cato, Barnett’s resulting low effort went wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post.

Not long at all after that fine chance for Leo Connolly’s Newbury Forest side, FC Baresi would take an early lead. It was a clever move from Tufail Amjad’s side, as Kishawn James’ short pass found Ahmed Abdulla on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. Abdulla would then thread a pass through to Murat Karagul, on the left-hand side of the penalty area. Under pressure, Karagul showed good composure in front of goal, to finish low, underneath the goalkeeper and into the goal, 0-1. Newbury Forest looked for an immediate response to going 1-0 down. After Soumen Nandi had hit an effort from the edge of the Baresi penalty area, which was deflected behind for a corner-kick, Patrick Clarke would then receive a short pass from the resulting corner-kick. After Clarke had shown some good skill to take the ball from the right flank, into the penalty area, he would see his resulting curling effort on goal be gathered by Baresi goalkeeper Harvey Simson.

Teyon Weston had been impressing out on the left flank for FC Baresi, during the opening stages of this game. After receiving Ahmed Abdulla’s pass out on the left flank, Weston would show some good skill and strength, to take the ball across, to the centre of the Newbury Forest penalty area. His powerful resulting effort on goal was tipped over the goal by the Newbury Forest goalkeeper, James Scammell. In what was a good spell for FC Baresi, the visiting side would continue to create chances. Soon after Edson Lami had won the ball on the edge of the home team’s box, he would pass the ball to Murat Karagul, whose low effort on goal was well turned behind by Scammell. FC Baresi thought that they had made it 2-0, soon after that chance for Murat Karagul. But Teyon Weston’s well taken goal would be ruled out for offside, after the referee had consulted one of the linesmen, close by. From FC Baresi thinking that they had doubled their lead, to then conceding a penalty following Edson Lami’s foul on Chaka Barnett inside of the penalty area soon after, FC Baresi goalkeeper Harvey Simson now had to try and save a penalty.

Harvey Simson was unable to keep out Roberto Carvalho’s well taken penalty, into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. FC Baresi would finish the second half well, however. After Junior Appiah’s effort from the right-hand side of the Newbury Forest box was well saved and closed down well by Scammell, then a couple of minutes later Junior Appiah would do well to meet Teyon Weston’s cross at the back post, on the volley. However, his volleyed effort went just over Scammell’s goal. Baresi continued to play well. Edson Lami’s headed effort from a Marvin Hamilton free-kick into the Newbury Forest box, would be headed against the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. And then from a Stephen Ellery cross to the centre of the home team’s box, Edson Lami’s resulting looping headed effort was well gathered by Scammell. Just before half-time Kishawn James would get to the ball in behind the Newbury Forest defence. He would take the ball forward, down the right-hand side of their penalty area, before seeing his powerful effort on goal be well kept out by Scammell, at his near post.

Early on in the second half FC Baresi player Stephen Ellery would get to the ball on the left-hand side of the Newbury Forest penalty area, following a corner-kick. However, the defender’s effort would spin wide of James Scammell’s goal. A powerful free-kick effort from 25 yards out was then hit by Marvin Hamilton, but the vastly experienced FC Baresi player’s effort went over the Newbury Forest goal. After a bit of a quiet spell in the game which hardly saw any goalscoring opportunities (for either side), the home side would go on to enjoy a good spell in the match. Firstly substitute Ifeanyi Umeh would whip an effort over Simson’s goal, from the edge of the Baresi penalty area. And then a long forward pass would find Chaka Barnett, who when in behind of the visitors’ defence, Barnett would travel forward with the ball at pace, down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. However, through on goal but from a fairly difficult angle, the forward’s powerful low effort went narrowly wide of Simson’s right-hand post. Finally, in that relatively short but effective spell for Newbury Forest, Ifeanyi Umeh would hit an effort over following a good passing move to the left-hand side of the visitors’ penalty area.

After a free-kick in a good position had been awarded right on the edge of the Newbury Forest penalty area for FC Baresi, Marvin Hamilton would elect to take it. However, his powerful effort on goal was tipped over his crossbar by James Scammell. Both sides went for the winner during the final stages of the game, but shortly after Ifeanyi Umeh had worked some space on the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area and then hit an effort wide of their goal, FC Baresi would score a late winning goal. Kishawn James passed the ball to Benyamin Warren on the right-hand side of the Newbury Forest penalty area. Warren had a powerful effort on goal which was parried by Scammell, but Murat Karagul was on hand to tap the ball home from close range on the follow-up, 1-2.

This was a good and competitive game of football, in which FC Baresi were able to win very late on. However, Newbury Forest would make this a real contest after having conceded the opening goal of the game during the first half. It was a close second half of football, with FC Baresi managing to create more goalscoring chances on the day, and they were just able to win the game late on, in what was a hard fought win for the club who play at Ware FC’s Wodson Park ground. For Newbury Forest, I thought that their player of the match was Chaka Barnett, who is a player who has always impressed me. The skilful forward impressed with some great and clever off the ball movement, and some good runs in behind the FC Baresi defence. On another day he could’ve scored two goals. Also, a special mention to Newbury Forest’s vocal goalkeeper James Scammell, who made some good and important saves on Saturday, and I thought that he had a really fine game. 

Always creative with his movement off the ball, FC Baresi forward Murat Karagul scored two goals today, and he was my overall player of the match. The experienced player worked tirelessly off the ball, pressing and chasing down the ball well. However, he also linked the play well on occasions, and he made a really important contribution to this very big win for FC Baresi.