Non-League and Academy football writer

For both May & Baker ECFC and FC Baresi on Saturday afternoon at Parsloes Park Hub, this was a very important league fixture, in the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South (step 6). After 34 league matches, May & Baker started this league fixture in 20th place in the league table. FC Baresi started this game in 15th place, and three points above May & Baker in the table, after the same amount of league matches played. On Saturday it was May & Baker who won this match, coming from behind (0-2), to win 4-2 on the day.

Straight from kick-off, and May & Baker came very close to taking an early lead in this game. As Amari Perkins played a one-two pass with a teammate inside the FC Baresi penalty area, before hitting an effort just wide of goalkeeper Razvan Marcu’s goal. That was a great, early chance for the home side, who in the 18th minute went 1-0 down. Baresi would win a penalty after Kuba Vermont Ollivierre had been fouled just inside the May & Baker penalty area, by a defender, after meeting Stefan McKie’s pass. Baresi forward Immanuel Soetan would then finish clinically into the bottom left-hand corner of Dino Maras’ goal, from the penalty spot, 0-1.

FC Baresi had grown into the game well, and less than six minutes after having taken the lead in this game, on a sunny day in east London, they would double their advantage for the afternoon. With Immanuel Soetan showing good awareness, to cleverly back-heel a forward pass, on the edge of the May & Baker box, to the onrushing Sertan Kirman. One versus one with Dino Maras inside of the penalty area, but under pressure from a defender, Sertan Kirman would finish well into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. 

Having established a two goal cushion in the game, FC Baresi would continue to play well in this contest. Bryn Byworth’s forward pass would allow Stefan McKie to run forwards with the ball, taking the ball beyond a defender on the edge of the May & Baker box, before seeing his effort from relatively close range, be well turned behind by the outrushing Dino Maras. And in a dramatic turn of events, and to May & Baker’s credit, the home side would score two late first half goals, in quick succession, to stun the visiting team.

For May & Baker’s first goal of the afternoon, Idris Aminu would take on the FC Baresi defence with the ball. Having got to the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch, he would drive forwards with the ball at pace, around 35 yards out from goal, before doing really well to enter the FC Baresi box, despite not being challenged successfully by a Baresi player. Idris Aminu would then finish low into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-2. And things got even better for May & Baker before half-time. As Idris Aminu passed the ball forward to Amari Perkins down the right-hand side of the Baresi penalty area. Amari Perkins would show good skill with the ball, doing well to keep it inside of the busy penalty area, before playing the ball across goal to Kevin Musimami, who at the back post, would finish into the goal from close range, 2-2.

The opening stages of the second half of Saturday’s game were quite end to end. FC Baresi forward Kishawn James would see his low effort (from the left-hand side of the home team’s box) be well saved by the outrushing Dino Maras, before FC Baresi’s captain, Erol Hassan, would hit a powerful effort narrowly over Dino Maras’ goal. However, May & Baker would also create some good openings/goalscoring chances, for themselves. And it was May & Baker who would undoubtedly finish this game the stronger of the two sides, showing real character, as they had done already, to get the scores back to 2-2.

Quite late on in the game, and a couple of moments after Razvan Marcu had made a great reaction stop from close range, the ball would roll out to Harry Carter, who from the edge of the Baresi penalty area, would power a low effort beyond a number of players inside of the box, and low into the goal, 3-2. That goal meant a lot to the May & Baker players and coaching staff. And although FC Baresi managed to go close to drawing level, with Dino Maras doing well to stop Kishawn James’ one versus one effort inside of his penalty area, May & Baker would seal the win late on. A good May & Baker move saw the impressive Kevin Musimami play a good forward pass towards the run of Wesley Embedzi, down the left-hand side of the Baresi box. Wesley Embedzi would then do well to round the goalkeeper, before finishing well across goal from a tight angle, 4-2.

FC Baresi did go close on two further occasions to scoring, very late on in the game, but May & Baker held on to record a well deserved 4-2 win in the end, after being 2-0 down in the game. For FC Baresi (I thought that Sertan Kirman was their player of the match), during the first half they played some really good football, going 2-0 up in the game, but they will be bitterly disappointed with how the game played out, from the latter stages of the first half. However, at the same time, a determined response from May & Baker saw the home side take their chances, and in the second half they did of course win this game by a two goal cushion.

Dino Maras, the very alert May & Baker goalkeeper, made some very important saves at crucial moments in this game, and he was my player of the match today. However, it was a close decision, with Kevin Musimami, Amari Perkins, and Harry Carter being some of the other contenders for my player of the match award on the day.