Non-League and Academy football writer

May & Baker ECFC faced FC Baresi at Parsloes Park Hub on Saturday afternoon, in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. May & Baker started this league match in 11th place in the table, after 27 matches played. FC Baresi started this game in 13th place in the league standings, after 27 matches played. This step 6  match was won 7-2 by May & Baker. Early on in this match, Baresi forward and debutant, Saweed Djinadou, would get to the ball on the edge of the home team’s penalty area, before hitting an effort over the goal. After that early effort from FC Baresi, May & Baker would start to play their football to good effect, as they caused the visitors some problems. After Jasan Pauline had passed the ball to May & Baker player Wesley Dos Santos on the edge of the Baresi box, Dos Santos would turn with the ball before hitting an effort over their goal. The pace of this game was good, with chances continuing to be created.

Following Baresi captain Edson Lami’s effort with the outside of his boot and from the edge of the home side’s penalty area, which went wide of their goal, May & Baker would take an early lead in this match. Wesley Dos Santos passed the ball to Tom Cottle-Wood down the left-hand side of the visitor’s penalty area. The May & Baker winger would then whip a low cross at pace, to Ollie Beadle, at the back post. And it was from there that May & Baker’s number nine and captain finished into the goal from close range, 1-0. Baresi did create a chance after the game had resumed, with Teyon Weston getting to Ahmed Abdulla’s pass on the edge of the May & Baker box. Weston would then continue forward with the ball before delivering a lofted cross to the centre of the box, to Saweed Djinadou, who controlled the ball and then turned, before seeing his low deflected effort on goal gathered by Ryan Bungaradu, the May & Baker goalkeeper. 

May & Baker’s fine start to this game was rewarded, after they scored two goals in quick succession, as the first half progressed. The first of these two goals came as the result of a good move. Idris Aminu received the ball on the edge of the Baresi penalty area, before finding Ollie Beadle, in space, on the right-hand side of the box. Beadle would then powerfully and clinically finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-0. And then very soon after, and following a challenge from Idris Aminu, to win the ball on the edge of the Baresi box (off a Baresi defender), he would hit a powerful effort from inside of the box, which was was saved by the feet of Harvey Simson. However, on the follow-up and from the left-hand side of the box, Cottle-Wood would hit an unstoppable and powerful effort into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 3-0. 

An important block was made from May & Baker defender Cain Brougham (inside of the box), to stop Saweed Djinadou’s effort from going into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. However, Baresi would get a goal back in the game, not long before half-time. Ahmed Abdulla’s corner-kick delivery into the May & Baker box was met by Edson Lami at the back post, from where he finished into the goal from close range, 3-1. Baresi tried to get another goal before half-time, and they came very close to doing just that, after Ahmed Abdulla had reached Celeany Filho’s deflected cross, on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. Abdulla’s excellent and powerful effort was heading for the top left-hand corner of the goal, but for an outstanding save from Ryan Bungaradu, to somehow push the ball away from his goal. That was a really crucial save in the context of this game, as a couple of minutes later and on the stroke of half-time, May & Baker would score their fourth goal of the afternoon.

May & Baker’s fourth goal of the game came as a result of a well delivered corner-kick from Tom Cottle-Wood, to find Ollie Beadle at the back post of the Baresi goal, and it was from there that Beadle volleyed the ball into the goal, 4-1. May & Baker started the second half at a really good pace and intensity. After Idris Aminu had passed the ball across to Tom Cottle-Wood on the left-hand side of the visitor’s penalty area, the inventive and skilful winger would hit a powerful low effort, which whistled just wide of Harvey Simson’s left-hand post. Simson would then do well to push away Jonathan Ogunsanya’s fine effort on goal from the edge of the Baresi box, a couple of minutes later. A decent volley (following a lofted ball to the Baresi penalty area) from Ollie Beadle, which went over Simson’s goal would follow, before Baresi managed to get some control of the game. FC Baresi substitute Isaac Jacobs would manage to bring down Stephen Ellery’s long pass to the right-hand side of the May & Baker penalty area, before hitting a low effort across the face of the goal.

Baresi did manage to get their second goal of the game soon after that effort from Isaac Jacobs, with Kishawn James eventually getting to a Teyon Weston cross, inside of the home team’s box. James would then hit a great effort, with pace, into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 2-4. No sooner had Baresi managed to get back into the game again, May & Baker would score another goal, to this time effectively make sure of the win. As a result of a foul from Murat Karagul inside of the Baresi box, and on a May & Baker player, a penalty was awarded to the home side. And Tom Cottle-Wood would clinically find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 5-2. Baresi’s captain, Edson Lami, was then sin-binned, to make the afternoon even more difficult for the visiting side. And then shortly after Ahmed Abdulla had hit a powerful effort wide of Ryan Bungaradu’s goal from the edge of the penalty area, a good forward move from May & Baker would result in them extending their lead further.

For May & Baker’s sixth goal of the game, Ollie Beadle would find Wesley Dos  Santos, with a pass to the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. After skilfully twisting and turning with the ball, Dos Santos would finish, via a deflection off a defender, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, to deservedly get his first goal of the game, 6-2. May & Baker substitute Lamina Abidemi would start a good passing move which would then lead to the home side making it 7-2. As Lamina Abidemi passed the ball to Tom Cottle-Wood on the left-hand side of the away team’s box, before then getting the ball inside of the penalty area, and finding the top of left-hand corner of the goal, with a good whipped effort, 7-2.

There was to be two very late efforts from FC Baresi, during the remaining minutes of the game. And after Edson Lami had hit an effort against Ryan Bungaradu’s crossbar, following an effort from the edge of the penalty area, Kishawn James would then have an effort on goal (on the left-hand side of the box) which was well saved and closed down by Ryan Bungaradu. May & Baker are a very good side, who are capable of beating any team in this league. They really deserved to win this game so emphatically, against FC Baresi, and they were a lot more clinical in the final third, today. May & Baker played really well as a team, and their movement in the final third and understanding of each other’s positioning, was very impressive.

For my player of the match award on Saturday, there was a number of contenders, such as Idris Aminu, Ollie Beadle (he scored an excellent hat-trick), and Wesley Dos Santos, who were just some of May & Baker’s excellent performers on the day. However, out on the left flank, highly creative May & Baker winger Tom Cottle-Wood, made a tremendous impression on this game, with five goal involvements, and he was my player of the match.