Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Baresi started the new Thurlow Nunn League First Division South season with a 2-1 home defeat to Barkingside, last Saturday. Baresi would welcome 2024/25 First Division South play-off finalists Rayleigh Town to Wodson Park on Wednesday night, for what was both side’s second league fixture of the new season. Rayleigh Town drew their opening league match of the 2025/26 season 1-1 against May & Baker ECFC (away), on Saturday of last week. However, Rayleigh Town impressively won this match 6-1.

Rayleigh created the first real chance of this game, after Tommy Sykes had shown some impressive pace to get to a long lofted pass, in behind the Baresi defence. Sykes would continue forward down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area, before hitting a low effort on goal which was gathered by Graham Loki in the Baresi goal. Then, FC Baresi debutant Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo would press the Rayleigh defence well, getting to the ball on the right-hand side of the Rayleigh box. His resulting low effort was parried by the Rayleigh goalkeeper, Josh Hudson, before Junior Appiah hit an effort wide, across the goal, on the follow-up.

Still early on in the game (in the fifth minute), and Rayleigh would take the lead. The impressive Arnold Acheampong would meet a long, lofted forward pass, in behind of the Baresi defence. In to the penalty area, Arnold Acheampong’s initial effort on goal was parried by Graham Loki, but he would finish low in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal on the follow-up, 0-1. Trying to respond to going 1-0 down, a good forward pass on the floor from Baresi debutant Konhegnan Durand Bla, would find the run of Yannick Kamanan. Doing well to hold off a Rayleigh defender on the right-hand side of their penalty area, he then hit a low effort across goal, which went narrowly wide of Hudson’s right-hand post. 

Soon after that effort from Yannick Kamanan, and Baresi player Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo would play a one-two pass with Kishawn James, on the edge of the Rayleigh box, before seeing his low effort on goal be saved and gathered by Hudson. Despite FC Baresi improving with the ball, Rayleigh Town were still highly effective when going forward. The Essex club would make it 2-0 on 28 minutes. Tommy Sykes would play the ball across to Arnold Acheampong, finding his run to the left-hand side of the Baresi box. Arnold Acheampong would then finish low and clinically beyond Graham Loki, in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2.

Less than two minutes after making it 2-0, Rayleigh would further extend their lead in the first half of this game. Arnold Acheampong’s third goal involvement of the game would see him get to a loose pass back to the Baresi goalkeeper, on the left-hand side of their penalty area. He would then square the ball for Louie Watkins, who tapped the ball in to the empty goal, 0-3. Around seven minutes later Rayleigh would get their fourth goal of the game. However, just before that goal, Tommy Sykes would have a low effort on goal from the right-hand side of the home team’s box, be saved and gathered by Graham Loki. It was the highly creative Tommy Sykes, who created goal number four of the game. As the winger played a pass forward to Louie Watkins, who skilfully went beyond a Baresi defender, before going in to the box and finishing in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-4.

A fine Rayleigh counter with the ball would result in Mohammed Yaqoob playing a one-two pass with Louie Watkins in the final third, before then receiving the ball on the left-hand side of the Baresi box. The Rayleigh midfielder’s effort (he was slightly off balance) would go wide of the goal. Right on the stroke of half-time and Rayleigh Town would add a further two goals to their tally, in less than two minutes.  The first of these two goals was scored by Arnold Acheampong, in what was his hat-trick goal. Mohammed Yaqoob’s effort from the edge of the Baresi box was blocked by a Baresi defender, but Arnold Acheampong was on hand to find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal on the follow-up, in clinical fashion once again, 0-5.

Rayleigh Town’s last goal before half-time was came about once again as the result of good movement in the forward areas. With the lively and creative Tommy Sykes running on to Mohammed Yaqoob’s through-ball pass, in behind the Baresi defence and to the left-hand side of their box. From there Sykes would go around the outrushing goalkeeper, before calmly finishing low in to the goal, 0-6.

In what was a much more uneventful second half of football, Rayleigh would go close to making it 7-0 during the early stages of the second half. As Louie Watkins’ powerful low effort from close to the edge of the Baresi box, hit the bottom of Graham Loki’s left-hand post. Some time later, during the second half, Baresi did manage to get a goal back. With Junior Appiah scoring his second goal in two matches, as he finished low in to the bottom right-hand corner of the Rayleigh goal, after getting to Lamine Gomes’ lay-off inside of the penalty area, 1-6. There weren’t very many further goalscoring chances during the latter stages of the game, with the exception of a good double save from Graham Loki. The experienced Baresi goalkeeper’s second save was to keep out Rayleigh substitute Joel Bevan’s low effort on goal, from the edge of the box.

This was a very professional performance from Rayleigh Town, who caused a lot of problems for FC Baresi during the first half, and who at 6-0 up, managed the game well during the second half. Rayleigh players such as Arnold Acheampong, Tommy Sykes, Mohammed Yaqoob and Louie Watkins were excellent in the forward areas of the pitch, with their movement and linkup play. Hat-trick hero Arnold Acheampong was my player of the match, for his excellent and highly influential first half performance, but the previously mentioned players, and the Rayleigh Town team as a whole, did their individual jobs really, really well.

FC Baresi did improve in their all-round play during the second half, and overall in forward areas they didn’t play badly. However, Baresi debutant and former Jolof Sports player Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo was in my opinion their player of the match. His directness and positivity with the ball resulted in him being Baresi’s most creative player during the first half.