Non-League and Academy football writer

In what was the first ever meeting (hopefully this becomes an annual pre-season friendly) between FC Baresi and PFC Victoria London, the Thurlow Nunn League First Division South and Combined Counties Football League Division One sides, met at Aylward Academy in Edmonton on Tuesday evening, in a pre-season friendly match. The game, which finished in a 1-1 draw, was a competitive one, which would have been very useful for both sides, ahead of their respective league seasons starting on the 25th of July.

FC Baresi would go on to create the first goalscoring chance of the game. After midfielder Sertan Kirman had gone on a skilful surging forward run from midfield, into the PFC Victoria box, where he was challenged. However, the ball would come to Amir Abbani, who from inside of the penalty area, would hit a low effort on goal, which was well turned behind by Ksawery Kukla in the PFC Victoria goal. Then, soon after, and following some closing down from both Issac Zumbu and Mubaarak Hameed inside of the away team’s box, Mubaarak Hameed would lift the ball up for Issac Zumbu, whose overhead kick effort from close range would go over the goal.

In an open game of football, it was now PFC Victoria’s chance to test the FC Baresi defence. And after Jakub Matwiejszyn’s good, lofted forward pass to Roman Kindrat had set the PFC Victoria player running through towards goal, from the left-hand side of the home team’s box, he would hit his low effort a fraction wide of the goal. However, a couple of minutes later and Kamil Zielinski would give PFC Victoria the lead, after showing some good perseverance inside of the FC Baresi penalty area, before finishing just past the goal-line.

FC Baresi did go on to finish the first half strongly, though. Following a powerful effort on goal by Mahmut Emirali, which was parried behind by Ksawery Kukla, just before half-time, and FC Baresi managed to get an equalising goal. With defender Abiodun Kamalu finishing from close range inside of the PFC Victoria box, after Mubaarak Hameed’s powerful low free-kick effort had been saved by the goalkeeper. The introduction of FC Baresi midfielder Sajid Aziz would give the home side some additional creativity on the ball during the second half. Soon after entering the pitch, the experienced midfielder would deliver an excellently weighted forward pass towards the run of Issac Zumbu, who would hit an effort narrowly wide of the goal, from inside of the PFC Victoria penalty area.

As the game progressed, it became more open. Next, Kacper Kloc’s clipped effort from out wide would go very close to nestling into the inside of the FC Baresi goal, before the home side came close to getting a winner at the other end of the pitch. As after Sajid Aziz had found the FC Baresi number 18, the wide forward would, from the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, hit an effort against the base of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Towards the very latter stages of the game, FC Baresi’s number 18 once again came very close to scoring a late winner, after hitting an effort (from out on the right-hand side of the penalty area) against the crossbar. But, the game did see one additional chance, as PFC Victoria’s number 20 went close to making it 1-2 with a good, powerful effort.

It was really good to see both of these sides meet for the first time, in what was a really good pre-season friendly. For PFC Victoria London, my player of the match was Kamil Zielinski. For my overall player of the match award, and despite competition from Kamil Zielinski and Eugene Sagoe, Sajid Aziz was my player of the match on Tuesday.