Non-League and Academy football writer

Barkingside faced FC Baresi for the second time already this season, in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South, on Monday night at Cricklefields Stadium. Barkingside won the reverse fixture 2-1 on the opening day of this season, and after seven league matches played, they started this game in 12th place in the table. Tufail Amjad’s FC Baresi side started this game in 18th place (after seven matches played) in the league standings, after picking up their first win of the season on Saturday. This step 6 match was won 3-1 by FC Baresi.

Early on in this match and Barkingside would come close to taking the lead. A good through-ball pass would find the run of Leandro Alva, who went forward down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. His powerful low effort would whistle narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. FC Baresi would start to play their game well, following that early chance for Barkingside. After Stefan McKie had taken the ball forward through the middle of the pitch, he would hit a powerful effort over the Barkingside goal from distance. 

In the 15th minute of the game Baresi would take the lead. Kuba Vermont Ollivierre would receive the ball on the edge of the Barkingside box, before playing a short pass in behind of the Barkingside defence on the turn, to Alexandru Vtornicov, on the left-hand side of the penalty area. The centre-forward would unselfishly square the ball to the on rushing Junior Appiah, who finished low in to the goal from close range and at the back post, 0-1. A really well delivered corner-kick delivery from Baresi player Sertan Kirman, would result in Kishawn James heading an effort over the Barkingside goal from close range. A couple of minutes later and the impressive Joseph Ndongala would win the ball before quickly playing the ball towards Alexandru Vtornicov down the right-hand side of the Barkingside box. The striker would hit a powerful effort over the goal from close range and from a tight angle. 

FC Baresi were continuing to play really well. Shortly after Alexandru Strugurean had turned with the ball before hitting an effort wide of Graham Loki’s goal from distance, FC Baresi would double their lead just before the end of the first half. In the first minute of stoppage time Baresi substitute Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo would get on the ball out on the right-hand side of the pitch. Oshodi-Atinmo would play a quick and excellently weighted through-ball pass in to the run of Kishawn James, who had managed to get in behind of the Barkingside defence. Through on goal and inside of their penalty area, James would try to round the Barkingside goalkeeper Mackenzie Drew, who would foul him without getting anything on the ball. This resulted in a penalty being awarded to FC Baresi, and the inform Junior Appiah would finish powerfully and clinically from the penalty spot, in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2.

Barkingside would show signs of improvement during the early stages of the second half. Their number nine, Alexandru Strugurean, would spot Graham Loki slightly off his goal-line, and from some 35 to 40 yards out from goal, he would hit a lofted effort towards the goal, which almost caught the goalkeeper out. However, Graham Loki would recover really well, to push the ball behind for a corner-kick. FC Baresi substitute Afolabi Shonubi would, around five minutes after that important save from Graham Loki, create a good chance for Alexandru Vtornicov to score from. Afolabi Shonubi’s through-ball pass would find the fine run of the Baresi centre-forward, but through on goal and from the left-hand side of the Barkingside box, Alexandru Vtornicov’s well hit and powerful effort would hit the crossbar. However, Barkingside did manage to get a goal back soon after Baresi had gone close to making it 3-0.

For that Barkingside goal Jayden Mitchell-Brown would deliver a good free-kick from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, and in to the Baresi box. The ball found Harry Baker, who powerfully headed the ball beyond Graham Loki in the Baresi goal, 1-2. The game was definitely more open by this stage in the second half, and around five minutes after Mackenzie Drew had done well to stop Afolabi Shonubi from scoring, closing down his angles well inside of the Barkingside box following a throw-in, Barkingside would then go close to drawing level. As following a cross to the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area the ball wasn’t cleared away properly, and in the end Barkingside player Lewis Brougham would hit a low effort wide, across Graham Loki’s goal. Barkingside would continue to push for a leveller, as the second half progressed.

Graham Loki would do tremendously well to not handle the ball following a short back pass in side of his penalty area, from a Baresi defender. The Baresi goalkeeper would rush out well, before allowing the ball to go off a Barkingside forward, before then gathering the ball in time. That was a really clever piece of goalkeeping from the experienced Graham Loki. Following some good work from both Alexandru Vtornicov and Kishawn James, Baresi would win a late free-kick on the edge of the Barkingside box, which Junior Appiah would hit low and wide of the goal, with his left foot. Then in the 95th minute of the game, and FC Baresi did manage to get their third goal of the night. Junior Appiah’s lofted free-kick (from distance) towards Kishawn James inside of the Barkingside penalty area, was brought down by James, who quickly got a powerful effort away on goal after creating the space. James’ powerful low effort was parried by Mackenzie Drew, with the alert Afolabi Shonubi finishing well on the follow-up at the back post and from a tight angle, 1-3.

FC Baresi could have been 4-0 up in the first half of this game, and despite a much improved team performance from Barkingside during the second half, it was Baresi who were deserved winners in my opinion, even though Barkingside were pushing for that leveller for a good part of the second half. Once again Baresi showed good character as a team, from their impressive and well organised defence, to the midfield and the forward players. For Barkingside I thought that their captain Harry Baker was their player of the match. Regarding my overall player of the match award in this good team performance from Baresi, the relentlessly hardworking Junior Appiah (he scored two goals), Joseph Ndongala (Baresi’s influential number eight), Kishawn James and Romuald Boco, were all contenders. However, my player of the match award goes to Alexandru Vtornicov, on his club debut.

Alexandru Vtornicov had a really good game, in my opinion, against Barkingside. He provided a real outlet for FC Baresi, and he was a real presence in the forward areas of the pitch, working exceptionally hard off the ball, and really pressing and chasing down the Barkingside defenders. Very physical and with some really good pace, Alexandru Vtornicov set-up Junior Appiah’s opening goal of the game, and he was unlucky not get on the scoresheet himself. He will be a big player for FC Baresi this season, and keep an eye out for my post match interview that I did with Alexandru, which will be out on my blog soon.