Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Baresi welcomed Coggeshall Town to Wodson Park, on Wednesday night in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. FC Baresi started this match in 13th place in the league table, after 30 matches played. Play-off contenders Coggeshall Town, started this game in ninth place in the league standings, after 24 matches played. Coggeshall Town would win this game 6-1. Coggeshall would start this game considerably better than FC Baresi, with the visiting side seeing more of the ball in the final third. Following an early effort from a Coggeshall player (from the edge of the Baresi penalty area), which went wide of Harvey Simson’s goal, the away side would take an early lead. As following a challenge (the Baresi players would appeal for a foul) on Baresi defender Can Arioglu, Coggeshall player Todd Hollocks would go forward with the ball down the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, and in space, he would finish well into the top left-hand corner of their goal, 0-1.

After having made a good start to this game, playing the game at an impressive intensity, Coggeshall would soon double their lead in this match. With the influential Todd Hollocks getting to the ball down the left-hand side of the Baresi penalty area, before sending in a low cross towards the back post, which was where Alex Banyard would finish into the goal from close range, 0-2. However, Tufail Amjad’s FC Baresi side would improve as the first half of the match progressed. And after club captain Edson Lami’s flicked header from a long forward pass, had found the run of Kishawn James, down the left-hand side of the Coggeshall penalty area, James would see his effort on goal from a tight angle, saved behind off of Coggeshall goalkeeper Josh Blackburn. And then not long before half-time FC Baresi would get a goal back in the game. A good forward run down the left-hand side of the Coggeshall box, from Kishawn James, would result in the forward’s short pass coming to Ahmed Abdulla’s, whose first time effort from the centre of the box was parried by the goalkeeper Josh Blackburn, with Teyon Weston then on hand on the follow-up, to tap the ball into the goal, 1-2.

Just before the end of the first half, an FC Baresi free-kick on the left-hand side of the pitch, was delivered by Marvin Hamilton, into the centre of the Coggeshall box, from where FC Baresi defender Murat Karagul would glance a header wide of the goal. FC Baresi would initially start the second half quite well, going on to create a fine, early chance. A really fine pass from Stefan Reid, would find the run of Teyon Weston, down the right-hand side of the visitor’s penalty area. However, Weston’s effort went just over the goal, at the goalkeeper’s near post. But, Coggeshall would soon find their rhythm again, after that chance for FC Baresi. After Lewis Wallman had taken the ball off of a Baresi defender down the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, the Coggeshall centre-forward would square the ball to Alex Banyard, whose first time effort was well cleared off the goal-line by Can Arioglu. 

In the 58th minute of the game, the referee would award a penalty to Coggeshall, following a handball inside of the FC Baresi box (following an effort on goal) by a Baresi player. Lewis Wallman would step up to find the back of the net from the penalty spot, despite the very best efforts of Harvey Simson, who had managed to get a hand to the ball, 1-3. Coggeshall were now looking to get another goal, and after a free-kick had been awarded to the away side, some 20 or so yards out from goal, the highly impressive Todd Hollocks would take it. And his clever curling effort around the Baresi wall, would nestle into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-4.

The game was now pretty much all Coggeshall Town, by this point in the game. And, after Baresi player Kishawn James had been shown a straight red card off the ball, the result of this game was now never really in doubt. Following Marvin Hamilton’s decent free-kick effort from 25 yards out, which went wide of the Coggeshall goal, the club from Essex would extend their lead further. As after Alex Banyard had delivered a corner-kick to the near post of the Baresi goal, Tom Johnson’s header on goal was turned in off of Abiola Makanjuola, 1-5. FC Baresi goalkeeper Harvey Simson (he was one of the home side’s best players on the night) would then gather the ball from the feet of Abiola Makanjuola, following a one versus one chance inside of the home team’s box, before a rare chance for FC Baresi followed. As after Teyon Weston had received the ball inside of the Coggeshall box, he would then pass the ball across to substitute, Qusay Mohammed, whose first time effort on goal was saved by the feet of the goalkeeper.

A good move, late on in the game from the away side, would see them score their sixth goal of the game. Alex Banyard would pass the ball to Josh Ambrose, on the right-hand side of the FC Baresi box. Ambrose’s effort on goal in the 90th minute of the game was well parried by Simson, with Abiola Makanjuola, on hand to finish into the goal from close range, on the follow-up, 1-6. FC Baresi would have to play the final moments of the game with nine men, after Can Arioglu had been shown two yellow cards in quick succession, by the referee. Coggeshall Town were very efficient against FC Baresi, competing really well, and putting in a very good team performance, to win this game comfortably. I also thought that they managed the game well.

For FC Baresi, Kishawn James put in a good performance down the left flank, prior to being sent off, and I thought that he was the home side’s player of the match. However, with two goals and an assist to his name, Coggeshall Town midfielder Todd Hollocks was my player of the match on Wednesday. He played the game really well during his time on the pitch, and he was very clever with the ball at his feet. Abiola Makanjuola, Alex Banyard, and Coggeshall’s captain, Tom Johnson, were other contenders for my player of the match award.