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Brightlingsea Regent 2 Enfield Town 1

Report by Martin Bentley

The curse of the Manager of the Month award landed on Andy Leese’s unsuspecting head as an injury-time winner from Brightlingsea’s Ollie Bell saw Enfield Town slip to their first defeat in seven games.

The unexpected setback saw the Town hold on to third place in the league, but with Hornchurch two points behind them with a game in hand going into their fixture against Cray and possibly now in the driving seat to achieve that coveted home draw in the playoffs.

By contrast, this was only Regent’s second win in 11 games but could prove vital in their battle against relegation. It must be said that their win was deserved in the light of a strangely uninspired Town showing.

With Jake Cass returning in place of the injured Adam Cunnington, the Town started the game at a gallop, having two shots blocked in the opening 20 seconds and Lewis Taaffe hitting a free kick over the bar two minutes later.

Town were comfortably in control in the opening stages, and got their noses in front after 22 minutes, when Cass fired home the loose ball (pictured) after home keeper Charlie Turner had spilled a left wing corner.

We continued to enjoy the greater share of possession for most of the first half without managing to trouble Turner again, and were not helped by the enforced retirement from the game of Jerry Gyebi after 32 minutes.

As the home side started to come into the game, Town once again conceded an annoying equaliser on 39 minutes. A cross from the right was met by a first-time effort from Aaron Blair that was probably destined to finish closer to the corner flag than the goal until the ball was deflected in via the shin of Nathan Smith who had replaced Gyebi.

H-T 1-1

With Town now facing a stiff breeze in the second half, Brightlingsea started the brighter of the sides although most of their efforts were landing in the car park.

Their winger Valter Cachicote da Rocha embarked on a mazy dribble that was almost as long as his name but his final effort was disappointing.

 Town were struggling now to make any decent headway although Mo Faal hit a shot wide from Cass’ flick on and substitute Lyle Della Verde had a freekick well saved by Turner on 68 minutes. Ten minutes later Faal  thought he’d won the match, only for his effort to be  disallowed for offside as Town’s frustrations grew.

The final period of the game saw the home side force a string of corners that were dealt with by Town’s defence, before Regent administered the coup de grace in the first minute of injury time that sent the home crowd wild.

Rocha’s 30-yard freekick was partially cleared to the feet of Ollie Bell, whose low shot through a forest of legs beat Nathan McDonald to his left.

“A bitterly disappointing performance and result,” was how Andy Leese summed up proceedings. “Apart from 25 minutes at the start of the game we weren’t at it  and you get what happened in the second half when you do that.”

“We have to reset this week and get back to basic principles. We have to focus on the next game where we still need maximum points to secure a top-5 place.”

Town line-up: McDonald, Chappell, Kirwan, Thomas, Bray, Gyebi (Smith 32), Youngs, Cass, Faal, Taaffe (Kiangebeni 77), Maja (Della Verde 65). Unused subs: Muleba, Sayoud

Vital Game Time

Enfield Town 2 Southend  United U-23 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A specially arranged friendly designed to give precious game time to those who have not been selected in recent matches ended with an impressive 2-1 over tenacious and skillful opponents on Tuesday night.

The management team put out a mixture of experienced first-teamers and academy players in what was an extremely useful exercise as we approach an eagerly anticipated run-in to the league season and then, almost certainly, the playoffs.

Several of the lesser known players produced eye-catching performances all over the pitch which certainly augurs well for the future including fullbacks Monty Clarke and Yahke Solomon, diminutive central midfielder James Bone and substitutes Ross Busunda and George Rankin.

As he gets back to full fitness, Jake Cass was among the senior players who started and had an early chance, producing a decent save from the visiting keeper as Southend tried and failed to play offside.

Many of their players may have been under-18 but Southend, two divisions higher than us, were a highly drilled unit and almost went in front when Jack Wood’s freekick came back off our bar.

H-T 0-0

Wood broke the deadlock on 53 minutes but within six minutes we were on level terms as Cass’ flick found Busanda who finished with aplomb.

The game was won on 62 minutes when Cass rifled the ball home from the edge of box and while all wins build confidence, this was mainly about players getting fit as well as trying to impress the management staff.

“Tonight was a great workout for us and thanks to Southend FC for coming and making it a very competitive game,” said Andy Leese.

“We were able to give first-team players some much needed match time and were also able to look at some as some of the young players who have been showing promise.”

We should also congratulate Andy on his award as manager of the month for March for our division, a thoroughly deserved achievement after six wins on the bounce that have put us to within touching distance of the play-offs.

Town: Connolly; Clarke, Muleba, Smith, Mohamed (Busunda); Kiangebeni, Solomon, Bone (Rankin), Della-Verde; Cass (Jordan), Sayoud.

With the playoffs looming ever closer, the club has arranged a friendly for tomorrow against Southend United’s U-23 team, specifically to give game time to members of our first-team squad who have not been in the starting eleven in recent matches.

They will be joined by some of our promising younger players who have been loaned out to other clubs this season.

The fixture makes eminent sense given who we might still need for the run-in, with four games to go.

“We need to keep the squad match-fit and this game gives us the opportunity to do that,” said Andy Leese.

“We will also get the chance to check on some of the players who have been out getting games elsewhere.”

Reduced admission prices of £5 for adults and £1 for under 16s will apply for this game.

Enfield Town 1 Horsham 0

Match Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town made it six wins on the bounce and are now within touching distance of that much coveted play-off spot with just four games to go.

Jerry Gyebi’s towering header midway through the second half put paid to a Horsham side that competed well but didn’t do enough to justify sharing the spoils.

With a couple of other key results going our way, mathematically we are one win away from securing a playoff spot, a testament to the players and management staff who have worked tirelessly to get us to where we are now.

It might seem like job done already as we remain third just a point behind Bishop Stortford but we want to finish as high as we can to get that home draw and to  try and beat our record points tally.

Games against Horsham invariably throw up a goalfest but whereas the corresponding fixture in January produced nine goals, this one was an entirely different affair. Control was difficult on a hard pitch and in tough conditions that included bright sun, driving rain and even a flurry of snow.

The visitors had arguably had the best chance of a well contested opening half when Eddie Dsane’s flashing header grazed the top of the bar with six minutes on the clock.

As Town responded, a lightning three man move down the left almost paid dividends while Manny Maja brought a superb tip-over save from Sam Howes and Sam Youngs almost broke the deadlock with a 25-yard freekick.

H-T 0-0

Whilst we just about shaded the first half, Shamir Fenelon came within a whisker of giving the Hornets a shock lead just after the restart but blasted his shot just wide.

Cue a timely double substitution, one of them forced, as Jake Cass replaced the limping, leg-strapped Adam Cunnington and Lyle Della-Verde took over from Lewis Taaffe.

Cass came close with a superb turn and half-volley before Mo Faal provided the game’s outstanding piece of individual skill, picking the ball up close to the halfway line and leaving not one, not two but FIVE Hornets players in his wake as he burst forward.

The only thing lacking was Mo’s finish as he got too close to the keeper before deciding to shoot.

The points were ultimately settled by an unchallenged Jerry Gyebi who rose above the visitors’ defence (pictured) to head home a Della-Verde corner on 68 minutes.

There was still time for Della-Verde to force Howes into a scrambled save from a fizzing 30-yard freekick and for Faal to square the ball for Cass who couldn’t quite get nearer enough to convert.

You can’t ask for more than a six-match winning streak at this time of the season, partly down to the fact that we have had a settled squad for most of the campaign with a fantastic team spirit drilled into them by the management team.

 “Another demanding game which only changed when we altered our shape in the second half,” said manager Andy Leese. “Horsham are a very decent team but we limited them to very few clear opportunities on goal.”

Town:

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Thomas, Maja, Youngs (Smith 90), Taaffe (Della-Verde, 65) Cunnington (Cass 57), Faal.

Five league games to go, three home, two away, starting with entertaining Horsham on Saturday which, if recent encounters between the sides are anything to go by, could be a goalfest.

Our record against the Hornets in recent meetings may be somewhat iffy but we recorded a 4-3 win at the Camping World Community Stadium in the corresponding fixture in January with goals from Sam Youngs, Lyle Della-Verde, Mo Faal and Jake Cass.

Horsham are currently 13th in the table with 42 points from 36 games but on their day are a dangerous proposition as Tuesday’s 3-2 win over  Folkestone Invicta showed.

They are through to the final of the Velocity Trophy having beaten the same opposition  5-0 in the Semi Final.

And earlier this season they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup before going out 0-2 at Carlisle United, having beaten National League Woking 1-0 in the 4th Qualifying Round.

Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available at:

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets