Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Baresi faced Cannons Wood on Saturday afternoon at Wodson Park, in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. FC Baresi won the reverse league fixture 7-0, and they started this league match in 12th place in the table, after 26 matches played. Cannons Wood started this game in fourth place in the league table, after 27 matches played. This step 6 match was won 5-1 by Cannons Wood, who were dominant throughout this match. After Baresi player Rui Giovanni Monteiro-Da-Costa had managed to get to the ball close to the edge of the Cannons Wood box and had then hit an effort over their goal, Cannons Wood would go on to take a very early lead in the match. A long pass forward from a free-kick which had been awarded inside of Cannons Wood’s half of the pitch, was met by the fine run of Eric Koduah, down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. The Cannons Wood forward would then powerfully finish into the bottom left-hand corner of Harvey Simson’s goal, 0-1.

Soon after having taken that early lead in the match, Cannons Would double their lead. As a good move would lead to Michael Mignot getting to a short pass from the edge of the Baresi penalty area, down the right-hand side of their box, from where he would finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. FC Baresi looked to respond, as Teyon Weston hit an effort wide of the Cannons Wood goal, from the edge of their box, and on the turn. But, Cannons Wood’s early dominance on this game, really was making it difficult for Baresi to play their passing game to good effect. Shortly after Callum Berg had hit a powerful, moving effort on the Baresi goal (from the edge of their penalty area), which Simson had pushed away, Eric Koduah would get to the ball inside of the penalty area. His chipped effort on goal was also well kept out by Simson, in the Baresi goal. 

Just before the 30 minute mark of the first half, Cannons Wood would extend their lead further. A good counter forward with the ball from the visitors, would lead to Eric Koduah bringing the ball forward, before playing a pass in the final third of the home team’s half of the pitch, to Manny Shoderu, down the right-hand side of the box. Shoderu’s initial effort on goal was well kept out by Simson, but on the follow-up, the Cannons Wood number ten would finish into the goal from close range, 0-3. For the home side, Stephen Ellery managed to get to an Ahmed Abdulla free-kick delivery on the left-hand side of the Cannons Wood penalty area, but Ellery’s effort on goal was gathered by their goalkeeper, David Leader. Eric Koduah almost got his second goal of the game, not long before half-time. With the Cannons Wood forward getting to Joe Thomas’ cross into the centre of the Baresi box, but his quickly taken effort went narrowly over Simson’s goal.

Cannons Wood would finish the first half with the same good intensity, going on to create two further goalscoring chances. As after Callum Berg had hit an effort from the edge of the Baresi box, wide of their goal, a good passing move from the visitors would follow. With Eric Koduah’s pass finding Junior Nkwonta, on the right hand side of the Baresi box, but his resulting effort went over their goal. Cannons Wood would also start the second half impressively, extending their lead early on in the half. And their fourth goal of the game was scored by Eric Koduah, who after getting to a cross inside the centre of the home team’s penalty area, would finish clinically past Simson and into the goal, 0-4. Tufail Amjad’s FC Baresi side were trying to make a better impression on the game. Soon after the game had resumed, Baresi substitute Junior Appiah would get to Kishawn James’ lay off, just inside of the visitor’s penalty area. However, David Leader was quick to close down the space, making a good save to keep out Junior Appiah’s resulting effort on goal.

Cannons Wood continued to play good and effective football, as the second half progressed. Eric Koduah would hit an effort into the side-netting of Baresi’s goal, after receiving Junior Nkwonta’s pass on the right-hand side of their penalty area. However, Eric Koduah would deservedly get his hat-trick goal soon after that chance. As following a good and well worked Cannons Wood forward move, Junior Nkwonta would thread a pass to Eric Koduah, down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area, before chipping the ball over the outrushing Harvey Simson, and into the goal, 0-5. Baresi player Tashan Richmond would head an effort over the Cannons Wood goal, following Ahmed Abdulla’s free-kick delivery into their penalty area, before Baresi would get a goal back in the game. Kishawn James would get to the loose ball on the edge of the Cannons Wood penalty area, before sprinting forward into the centre of the box, and then finishing into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-5.

A great volley on the edge of the Baresi penalty area, from Cannons Wood substitute Harry Lloyd, was well pushed away from his goal by Simson. And then, soon after that fine effort on goal, Baresi defender Murat Karagul would make an excellent and decisive challenge on Lloyd, on the edge of the Baresi penalty area, to stop him from going through on goal. Just before the end of this very one sided match, two Cannons Wood substitutes would combine really well, in a move which would almost lead to the away side scoring a sixth goal of the afternoon. As Chandler Wray picked the ball up in midfield and quickly turned on the ball, before playing a great through-ball pass to Jesse Mansaray, down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. However, Jesse Mansaray’s low, deflected effort from inside of the box, would whistle past Simson’s right-hand post.

This was a very one sided game for so much of it, with Cannons Wood deservedly winning by a big margin. Right from the start the visiting side had the better intensity, and they were also a lot quicker with their passing. Cannons Wood played really well as a team, were well organised, and also didn’t allow Baresi hardly any space in behind their defence. Cannons Wood’s number nine, Eric Koduah, was outstanding against FC Baresi on Saturday afternoon. His movement off the ball and clever runs in behind the FC Baresi defence, caused the home side a lot of problems, and he took all three of his goals really well. Eric was my player of the match on Saturday, with Joe Thomas, Manny Shoderu, and Junior Nkwonta, just some of the other Cannons Wood players who impressed greatly, in this real team performance. For FC Baresi, I thought that Kishawn James (their goalscorer) and defender Murat Karagul, were their best players on the day.