In a first round tie of this season’s London Sunday Challenge Cup, Yeni Bogazici of Division One of the Essex Sunday Corinthian Football League, faced Baddoo FC of the Hackney & Leyton Sunday Football League Premier Division on early Sunday afternoon. Played at Chigwell School, this eventful county cup tie was won 7-2 by Yeni Bogazici. The pace at which this game started at was good, and it was Yeni Bogazici who took an early lead after making a strong start to the game. With Obed Sunkwah winning the ball after Baddoo had lost possession of it on the edge of their penalty area. The forward would get a low deflected effort away on goal, which had hit the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, before the alert Raymond Poku finished into the goal on the follow-up and from close range, 1-0.
Soon after play had resumed, Conor Russel would loft a good pass into the path of Raymond Poku down the right flank. After entering the Baddoo penalty area, he would curl a good effort which was destined for the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, but for a great save low down by Samuel Owusu to turn the ball behind. Things got worse for Baddoo after one of their players had been sin-binned, as soon afterwards they would concede their second goal of the game. It was a well worked second goal by the home team, as a free-kick had been played short to Ahret Tunc out on the right flank, from where he would float a good ball into the Baddoo penalty area, with Sertan Kirman doing well to just guide the ball home with a clever volleyed finish, 2-0.
Baddoo did certainly improve as the first half went on. And shortly after Yeni Bogazici goalkeeper Brandon Bullman had done well to push behind Alex Solomon’s powerfully hit effort on his goal from distance, Baddoo were awarded a penalty. That penalty was awarded to Baddoo after Jordan Monk had been fouled by a Yeni Bogazici defender down the left-hand side of their penalty area. With David Gillespie calmly finishing into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal from the penalty spot before half-time, 2-1.
The opening minutes of the second half of this cup tie was quite end to end. Both sides came close to scoring the next goal of the game early on in the second half, but in the end it was Yeni Bogazici who scored the next goal of the game. Sajid Aziz would win the ball in midfield, before giving it to Conor Russel, who threaded an excellent pass forward to Tamirian Mirzoev down the left. As the Yeni Bogazici winger then took the ball into the Baddoo penalty area, where through on goal he would curl the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 3-1. Then relatively soon after the fourth goal of this lively game had been scored, the home side would make it 4-1.
For Yeni Bogazici’s fourth goal of the afternoon, Baddoo had appealed strongly for a penalty at the other end of the pitch for what they had deemed a hand ball inside the home team’s penalty area. No penalty was given and Yeni Bogazici would break forward with the ball down the opposite end of the pitch, as Tamirian Mirzoev played the ball forward to the run of Raymond Poku, in behind the Baddoo defence. From inside of the away team’s half of the pitch, Raymond Poku would show good pace to sprint forward with the ball down the left-hand side of the penalty area before unselfishly squaring the ball to the onrushing Obed Sunkwah, who slotted the ball past Samuel Owusu and into the goal, 4-1.
Baddoo did react well as a team to conceding those two goals in quick succession. And the away side would quickly get their second goal of the game. After Tope Olateju had lifted the ball into the Yeni Bogazici box, from deep. His lofted ball had found Joe Thomas, who in between two defenders would jump up well to plant a good, looping header into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 4-2. Yet, Baddoo, who had the momentum going their way after scoring that goal, would have a player shown a straight red card soon after, as Alex Solomon was sent off.
Yeni Bogazici had been the more creative side during this contest, playing some really good and effective football. And just before Baddoo had a player sent off in the game, the highly influential Raymond Poku had came so close to scoring the goal of the game. As his excellent rabona style effort from inside the Baddoo box had hit the inside of their goalkeeper’s right-hand post, before Samuel Owusu had been able to gratefully gather the ball.
Three late stylish goals from Yeni Bogazici would however, seal the win and their place in the next round of this London Cup in style. For their fifth goal of the game another good move would this time see the skilful Conor Russel curl a really good ball into the middle of the Baddoo box, where Papa Anim Anno had jumped up well to loop an excellent and powerful header over Samuel Owusu and into the goal, 5-2. The game had become very difficult for the ten men of Baddoo, who would soon concede their sixth goal of the game. With Raymond Poku getting another goal, as he showed good awareness inside the away team’s penalty area, before finishing low and calmly into the goal, 6-2.
Then very late on in this cup tie, Yeni Bogazici substitute Jesse Mansaray would get to Conor Russel’s lay off on the edge of the Baddoo penalty area. Jesse Mansaray would curl a fabulous first time effort high into the goal beyond Samuel Owusu, with the ball going into the goal of the underside of his crossbar, 7-2. Two fine sides from their respective leagues, it was Yeni Bogazici’s day, as they progressed into the second round of the cup in style, and in deserved fashion. This was a really good game to cover, and although Baddoo did definitely do well in parts of this game, it was Yeni Bogazici who for the majority of the game would really create a lot of very good chances. They moved the ball around the pitch well with both pace and purpose, and they were clinical in front of goal on Sunday.
Despite a lot of competition (special mentions must also go to the excellent Conor Russel and Hasan Acar) for my player of the match award, I’m going to name Raymond Poku (he scored two goals and provided one assist) as my player of the match. He worked really hard, and he was outstanding in forward areas against Baddoo.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Yeni Bogazici:
(33) Brandon Bullman
(15) Ahret Tunc
(99) Erol Hassan (captain)
(5) Hasan Acar
(4) Venance Lupumba
(6) Sajid Aziz
(12) Sertan Kirman
(11) Tamirian Mirzoev
(10) Conor Russel
(7) Raymond Poku
(9) Obed Sunkwah
(13) Charlie Clarke
(18) Papa Anim Anno
(2) Jordan Anderson
(14) Jesse Mansaray
(8) Alison Junio De Pavia
Baddoo FC:
(1) Samuel Owusu
(10) Tope Olateju
(99) Yinka Akinlabi
(7) Alex Solomon
(50) Peter Dixon
(8) Joe Thomas
(71) Johneli Lungikisa
(66) Napoli Ni
(56) David Gillespie
(5) Michael Ade (captain)
(77) Jordan Monk
(6) Ahmed Faisal
(53) Arthur Wright
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