Non-League and Academy football writer

In this second round tie of this season’s Thurlow Nunn League Challenge Cup, May & Baker ECFC faced FC Baresi at Parsloes Park Hub on Tuesday evening. May & Baker have made a fantastic start to the 2026/26 season. They’ve won all five of their league matches so far this season, as well as also winning their FA Vase tie against London Harts United. FC Baresi had overcome AS London to make the second round of this league cup competition, and they are currently in 13th place in the league standings. This cup tie was won 5-3 by May & Baker, who came from 3-1 down to win this game in style during the second half.

FC Baresi would take the lead in the eighth minute of this cup tie. Carlos Solis would play a short pass to Mubaarak Hameed on the right flank. Mubaarak Hameed would skilfully cut inside with the ball onto his left foot and from 19 yards out he would whip an excellent effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. However, May & Baker would respond almost immediately after the resumption of play, to quickly draw level. With Joao Cruz volleying home at the back post well, after meeting a lofted cross from the left flank, 1-1.

This game continued to be a lively one, and in the 19th minute FC Baresi would retake the lead. Mubaarak Hameed’s pass down the line (on the right flank) to Richard Arhin, would result in the FC Baresi right-back delivering a great low cross to find the clever run of Isaac Zumbu, who finished emphatically beyond Fletcher Everingham and high into the goal, 2-1. Things got even better for Yannick Kamanan’s FC Baresi side, who soon made it 3-1. Nathan Jean Stanislas Kanga’s long ball from deep, would bounce on to the run of the tireless Carlos Solis, who chased the ball down and put pressure on a May & Baker defender. He would then bravely loop a header over the outrushing goalkeeper and into the goal, 1-3.

Just before half-time May & Baker would get a goal back in the game. Georgie Downes would curl a free-kick effort from deep and out on the left flank, over the head of Ilyas Baig, who was just unable to recover the ball before it went across the goal-line, 2-3. May & Baker had certainly stepped up the pace during the early stages of the second half. The influential Akiljo Balliu would, from 25 yards out, power a swerving effort narrowly wide of Ilyas Baig’s goal, before the home team had made it 3-3. After a very good and sustained spell in the game, for their third goal of the evening, Addae Paponette would get to the ball inside the centre of the FC Baresi penalty area. His effort on goal was well parried by Ilyas Baig, as Joao Cruz finished into the goal from close range on the follow-up, 3-3.

May & Baker were now definitely on top, as they continued to create a number of goalscoring chances one after the other. For the goal that saw the east London club take the lead for the first time in the game, Georgie Downes would whip a great cross into the FC Baresi box from the right flank. He would expertly pick out Max Hart, whose good header went high into Ilyas Baig’s goal, 4-3. FC Baresi did try to respond against a relentless May & Baker side, who were also winning the ball back really well. A fast and free flowing move from the visiting team resulted in FC Baresi substitute Nicola Rappachiani playing a good one-two pass with Richard Arhin, before seeing his powerful side-footed effort from the edge of the home team’s box, be excellently tipped over by the outstretched Fletcher Everingham.

However, it was May & Baker who would continue to finish the game in style, adding a fifth goal to their tally late on, after Ilyas Baig had done well to turn behind Joao Cruz’s powerful low effort for a corner-kick. With the unmarked Robbie Farrell heading the ball into the goal, after meeting a good delivery to the back post of the FC Baresi goal, 5-3. A youthful FC Baresi side should be proud of how they played during the first half of this cup tie. And they were unlucky not to be 4-1 up before the half-time break. There were some very strong performances on Yannick Kamanan’s side on Tuesday, such as those from Carlos Solis, Richard Arhin and Mubaarak Hameed, who was my FC Baresi player of the match.

For May & Baker, the excellent and highly influential Joao Cruz was my overall player of the match. With special mentions also going to Akiljo Balliu and Robbie Farrell. You can really see why May & Baker are top of the league, such was their excellent team performance in the second half.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

May & Baker EC: 

(1) Fletcher Everingham 

(2) Joao Cruz 

(3) Junayd Subhi

(4) Alozie Ohuono

(6) Georgie Downes 

(7) Yahya Islam

(9) Addae Paponette

(10) Akiljo Balliu

(11) Anjeolaoluwa Adamu

(17) Zivonimir Lopes (captain)

(19) Robbie Farrell

Substitutes:

(5) Lamar Ellis

(8) Kelson McFarlane

(14) Max Hart

(15) Jayden Thiongo

(20) Petrit Elbi

FC Baresi:

(1) Ilyas Baig 

(5) Daniel Alawode 

(2) Richard Arhin

(17) Roberto-William Asaro (captain)

(16) Saeed Emmanuel Bangura 

(8) Archie Flynn 

(11) Eduin Saul Cruz Aguilar 

(7) Mubaarak Hameed

(3) Nathan Jean Stanislas Kanga

(9) Carlos Solis

(14) Isaac Zumbu

Substitutes:

(4) Mahmut Emirali 

(6) Jeremiah Francis 

(15) Nicola Rappachiani

(10) Ali Shikheey 

(18) Errol Ozkumru