Non-League and Academy football writer

FC Baresi welcomed Brimsdown to Wodson Park (Ware FC) on Wednesday night, as two sides in good form in the league went head to head, in a Thurlow Nunn League First Division South fixture. FC Baresi started this match in 12th place in the league table, after 12 league matches played. The visiting team on Wednesday, Brimsdown, started this game in sixth place in the league standings, and just outside of the play-off positions, after 13 league matches played. This very competitive step 6 match would end in a 2-2 draw.

Brimsdown would start this match well, going on to be the more creative side during its early stages. An early cross from Theo Higson-Farrell on the right-hand side of the pitch, would see the ball eventually come to Matas Machovas, on the edge of the FC Baresi penalty area. The Brimsdown number ten’s resulting curling effort would go wide of Baresi goalkeeper Graham Loki’s right-hand post. A couple of minutes after that early chance for the away side, and Brimsdown would create another chance. Taylan Kilinc’s clipped ball into the centre of the Baresi box would find Matas Machovas, whose resulting looping header would go narrowly wide of the goal.

Brimsdown had certainly been the better side early on in this contest, and they would go on to take a deserved lead, still early on in the game. After Shaun Diboussi had played a pass from midfield out to Theo Higson-Farrell on the edge of the Baresi box, the Brimsdown winger would float a good ball towards Callum Catheline, inside of the penalty area. His clever dipping header would dip over the goalkeeper and into the goal, 0-1. That goal would prompt a real response from FC Baresi, who soon afterwards would draw level.

A good and well worked move from the home side saw Alexandru Vtornicov play a short pass across to Erol Hassan on the right-hand side of the pitch. The defender would spot the forward run of Junior Appiah into the Brimsdown box. Junior Appiah did well under pressure from a Brimsdown defender to get an effort away. His low effort on goal was well parried by the goalkeeper, Kris Ozols, with the onrushing Alexandru Vtornicov getting to the ball on the follow-up and from close range, he finished powerfully into the roof of the goal, 1-1.

Baresi had now started to play their football well, and very effectively. A couple of minutes after play had resumed, Romuald Boco would play a lofted pass from deep into the centre of the Brimsdown box. Having found Junior Appiah, who had jumped up ahead of a Brimsdown defender, the Baresi forward’s headed effort would go just wide of Kris Ozols’ goal. FC Baresi were certainly looking the more likely side to get another goal before half-time, but after Junior Appiah’s curling free-kick effort (after Stefan McKie had done well to win the free-kick on the edge of the box) was well turned around his near post by Kris Ozols, Brimsdown would go close to retaking the lead before half-time. With Theo Higson-Farrell hitting a powerful low effort on the Baresi goal (from the left-hand side of the penalty area), and but for an important block from Erol Hassan, Brimsdown could have gone into half-time 2-1 up.

The second half of the game was started at a good pace by both sides, with FC Baresi going on to create the first real chance of the second half. As Stefan McKie travelled forwards with the ball from midfield, as Baresi countered forward with the ball, the Baresi defender would pass to the ball to Junior Appiah. From the edge of the Brimsdown penalty area, his brilliant low effort would hit the outside of Kris Ozols’ left-hand post. A couple of minutes later, Baresi player Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo’s curling free-kick effort from around 23 yards on goal, was well parried by Kris Ozols. It continued to be quite an end to end game of football. Next, and Taylan Kilinc’s short pass towards Callum Catheline (in a bit of space) on the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area, would result in the forward hitting a powerful effort just wide, across the face of Graham Loki’s goal.

In what was proving to be a good spell in the game for Brimsdown, they would soon go on to retake the lead. After Matas Machovas had received the ball inside of the busy FC Baresi penalty area, his curling effort was deflected into the path of Kwasi Amoah at the back post, and the vastly experienced Brimsdown player would finish well from close range, off the underside of Graham Loki’s crossbar and into the goal, 1-2. It was now Baresi’s time to react, again. And they certainly did react in a positive fashion. Shortly after Sajid Aziz had hit a powerful effort (from 20 yards out) on Kris Ozols’s goal, which was well pushed over by the Brimsdown goalkeeper, Baresi were awarded a penalty.

Sertan Kirman’s excellently weighted lofted forward pass from midfield, would find the run of Alexandru Vtornicov, in behind of the Brimsdown defence. Closely followed by a Brimsdown defender on the left-hand side of the penalty area, it was there that he was fouled/tripped, resulting in the referee pointing immediately to the penalty spot. Junior Appiah would calmly curl the ball into the right-hand corner of the goal from the resulting penalty, 2-2. Both sides would really go for the win during the latter stages of the game, but in the end both of these very good footballing sides would have to settle for a point. This was a good game, which was played at a good pace and intensity throughout. FC Baresi did well to draw level on two occasions, and although Brimsdown will be disappointed not to have won the game, I thought that overall, a draw was probably the fair result.

For Brimsdown I thought that their player of the match was Matas Machovas, whose movement off the ball as well as his quality and influence on it, was very good, again. Also, experienced central-midfielder Kwasi Amoah, Marquez Cadette and Callum Catheline, all had fine games. For FC Baresi, Erol Hassan, Blerdon Kurtolli, Alexandru Vtornicov and Junior Appiah also had fine games. For my overall player of the match award, I’m going to award it to FC Baresi’s tireless midfielder, Sertan Kirman, whose energy levels in the midfield, as well as his work with the ball and at winning it back, was just as good as ever. He was always looking to play the ball forward, and one such well weighted forward pass towards Alexandru Vtornicov, would result in Baresi being awarded a very important late penalty.