Enfield Town 2 Grays Atheltic 1

Report from Andrew warshaw

A pair of worldies from Scott Thomas and Sam Youngs earned us a come-from-behind victory against an at times over-physical Grays Athletic on Saturday, making it four straight wins in what was our final pre-season fixture before next weekend’s big kickoff.

Missing the likes of Ollie Knight, Mickey Parcell, James Richmond and Louis Birch, there were loads of positives to take away despite, in Gavin Macpherson’s words, plenty of work still to be done on the training pitch before we entertain Concord Rangers.

In horribly wet conditions, Town were hit with an unfortunate blow just before kickoff when Ryhs Forster slipped during a routine goalkeeping drill and appeared to turn his ankle.

Adi Connolly ended up keeping goal throughout but it is hoped Rhys will recover in time for next Saturday.

Grays, one of the favourites to be promoted from Step 4 and now managed by former Hornchurch boss Mark Stimson, made it hard for us in the first half, cutting off our supply lines and dealing out some tasty challenges to put it mildly.

 On 33 minutes, the visitors took the lead when Kyle Bailey, making an unusual error, was caught in possession and Sully Buchannon tucked the ball home inside Adi’s near post.

H-T 0-1

The second half, as so often in pre-season, was a different story. Just two minutes after the break, skipper Scott hit a 25-yard screamer to pull us level  and just after the hour mark we were in front courtesy of Sam’s audacious back heel (pictured, no. 8) from recent signing Carlos Garcia-Velasco’s curling cross.

A mix-up at the back almost let Grays back in, shortly after which new signing Dylan Adjei-Hersey had to be substituted holding his left shoulder as a result of perhaps the most brutal challenge of the game.

A few more half-chances for Town came and went, two falling to Jake Cass who managed to play the full 90 minutes – a huge tonic for both himself and the management – before the referee brought an end to proceedings.

“Stimmo’s sides are always competitive,” said Gavin with more than a hint of understatement. “To be honest that side of the game is perhaps something we are short on. People like to see the football played but 15 to 20 points a season will be won out of possession when you need to stand up and be counted.”

“I appreciate we are not set up to play that way but in a way this was the sort of game I wanted.”

Except, of course, we need to play well in both halves rather than just one.

“That’s exactly right. Again I was a bit grumpy at halftime which is not how I am very often. We have to look after ourselves a little bit better when things get a bit more physical, and be better retaining possession.”

“But two very good goals, we could have had more and the second half was a really good step forward from where we’ve been.”

Town starting line-up

 Connolly; Velasco, Okotcha, Bailey, Payne; Thomas, Youngs, Adjei-Hersey; Beckles-Richards, Cass, Wyllie

As the management team puts the finishing touches to the squad, we have brought in another player who caught the eye during pre-season.

Carlos Velasco is a familiar name having initially signed for us on a dual registration with Welwyn Garden City towards the back end of last season.

A Spanish rightback, Carlos began his career in the fifth tier in Spain with CDA Navalcamero and we are delighted to have him rejoin for a second spell.

Welcome Back Carlos

Tomorrow, Saturday, we wrap up our pre-season campaign with a home game against step 4 Grays Athletic (kickoff 3pm).

Last season Grays finished 5th in Isthmian League North and were beaten by Sudbury in the playoff semifinal.

They are now managed by former Hornchurch boss Mark Stimson and expected to mount a strong promotion challenge this season.

In their most recent pre-season friendly,  Grays  showed their mettle by securing  a creditable 1-1 draw away at Canvey Island.

Tomorrow’s match gives our management team one final chance to fine tune preparations on the pitch, with two training sessions due to take place next week ahead of the big Aug 12 kickoff.

With a week to go before the start of the new season, we are thrilled to announce the signing of Dylan Adjei-Hersey, an ex-professional winger with AFC Wimbledon.

Dylan played part of last season on loan at Step 2 Hungerford Town and spent much of this pre-season at Weymouth in National League South.

Acquiring his services from a higher level is hugely exciting and Dylan, still only 20, trained with us on Thursday.

“I was aware he had not renewed his contract under the current Wimbledon manager,” said Gavin Macpherson. “I’d been keeping tabs on him last season at Hungerford but he went to Weymouth during this pre-season.”

“He had three deals on the table so I’m absolutely delighted. He’s going to give us pace and is very versatile and can also play wing-back.”

Welcome, Dylan!

We are delighted to announce the signing of Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo who has been on trial with us and has impressed the management team.

Gucci, whose first stint with us was in August and September last season, joins from Sutton United whose academy he captained to the third round of the 21-22 U18 FA youth cup.

The 19-year-old midfielder also spent some time with Corinthian-Casuals last season.

“I’ve been impressed with Gucci, he’s young and hungry to succeed at Enfield and I love that,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“He gives us a different option in midfield which can only be healthy for the squad.”

Welcome back, Gucci!

Two goals from Jake Cass ensured Enfield Town picked up a third pre-season win on the bounce on Tuesday evening, but they were made to work for their victory by a dogged Rayners Lane side.

Although on paper this was a test against a Step 5 outfit, the hosts started with several players who spent last season two divisions higher and they frustrated Town for large spells in a stop-start first half punctuated by a series of fouls.

The visitors were unable to carve through the Lane defence or muster any clear-cut chances of note, with Joe Payne’s 25-yard free-kick on 20 minutes easily gathered by the goalkeeper, while at the other end former Towner Alex Cathline missed a gilt-edged header from close range following a swift counter down the left flank. On the cusp of half time, Town’s best chance fell to James Richmond, whose hooked shot following a Payne long throw was directed straight at the keeper.

HT: 0-0

An unchanged XI after the break, but there was now far more verve to Town’s performance. Adi Connolly stood tall and remained sharp to hold onto an effort at his near post before a trialist embarked on a surging run through the centre and nudged the ball into the path of Cass, whose low snapshot bobbled into the goalkeeper.

But Town’s number 9 made amends a minute later and in quite some fashion. After good combination play on the edge of the box by two midfield trialists, a fizzed cross found Cass in the centre, who brought it down with the side of the boot and, on the bounce, produced a sensational overhead kick which looped into the left-hand corner.

It was soon two in as many minutes as Mickey Parcell’s sweeping pass picked out Cass at the gallop to clip the ball over the advancing goalkeeper for his, and Town’s, second of the evening.

Town were now in control of proceedings and were denied a third by a lick of paint; a driving run from a midfield trialist concluding with his long-range shot smacking the post. Town introduced five changes to the fold for the final quarter of the game and – with the exception of Lane’s Keano Robinson striking a post from a sloppy free-kick – saw out the game in relative comfort.

While this could be summed up as another display of two halves, Town’s marked improvement after the restart, as well as a clean sheet, pleased manager Gavin Macpherson:

“Firstly, credit to [Rayners Lane]: they’re not a Step 5 side, that’s for sure. They are in league terms, but there’s a lot of Step 3 and above players out there.”

“I wasn’t best pleased at half time and I told [the players], if I’m honest. I won’t know if the reaction is due to me telling them but I thought the second half was really good, especially that initial half an hour … legs, energy, passion: everything I’m asking from the team. I thought the first half, even though we spoke about it before the game, was devoid of that.”

“Players are sometimes too accountable by managers, and I’ve told them the first thing I’ll do is go away and look at what we’re doing and how we’ve set them up and see whether that first half is anything to do with that. There are certainly concerns that I have at the moment, of course, it’s pre-season – why wouldn’t you? You’re taking over a team that’s trying to learn your methods. But all in all, it’s a fairly pleasing night I think.”

“Massively pleased with Cassy; scored two and could have had more, so that’s a real bonus for us to see him functioning.”

Enfield Town: Connolly; Parcell, Richmond (Okotcha), Bailey, Payne (Bessadi); Birch, Trialist (Thomas), Trialist, Trialist; Wyllie (Youngs), Cass (Beckles-Richards)

Tonight we visit Step 5 Rayners Lane FC in our penultimate pre-season fixture hoping to build on two successive victories.

In May, Rayners Lane beat Langley 2-0 in their divisional playoff final  to secure promotion to Step 5 for the first time since 1994

You may have noticed last Saturday that the management team introduced a couple of Ian Hart’s academy players in the second half, a deliberate move to give them a taste of first-team action.

“Of course they are not ready yet but it’s the start of a pathway,” Gavin Macpherson explained. “We want to give those lads a focus.”

Bringing young players through is a fundamental part of Gavin’s management philosophy.

“It’s a passion of mine. I know it can’t be done en masse but it gives them a focus that Enfield Town is where they should be looking.”

Waltham Abbey 2 Enfield Town 3

Report By Andrew Warshaw

Entertaining passages of play mixed with defensive sloppiness. In other words, plenty of work still to do in the remaining two weeks before the big kick-off.

That was pretty much how sum up another tight pre-season win over Step 4 opposition on Saturday.

On a pitch that was a credit to our opponents, we were again missing a number of key players and Waltham Abbey presented more than a decent challenge, if anything enjoying the better of the second half.

While there was much to admire about some of our build-up play, there is still some concern about several aspects going into the final two friendlies, not least relinquishing possession when going forward and our new-look pressing game at times not working as instructed, leaving us too strung out on occasions.

We could not really have got off to a better start, however. With just 55 seconds on the clock, a Sam Youngs shot was blocked and Marcus Wyllie followed up to score.

Marcus is getting more and more confident and his second goal on 32 minutes was a joy to behold. A clever Sami Bessadi dummy from a right-wing cross fell to Mickey Parcell whose forward pass appeared to be cut out by a defender, only for Marcus to nick the ball away and finish deftly (pictured).

In between, Rhys Forster had to be on his toes to keep out a couple of home efforts whilst Abbey also hit our woodwork.

With halftime approaching, they reduced the deficit under farcical circumstances courtesy of an own goal, a dodgy back pass to Rhys hitting him in the stomach and rolling over the line despite him back-pedalling to try and keep it out.

But we quickly restored out two-goal lead, Sam Youngs burying a free header from a Jo Payne long throw.

The sight of Jake Cass leading the line with power and authority was a huge tonic for the management and all Towners fans. Jake almost scored with an audacious overhead kick, managing 45 minutes in his first pre-season outing as he improves his fitness.

H-T 1-3

We might well have been out of sight on chances but six minutes after halftime, Abbey cut the deficit again as a result of yet more defensive hesitation.

They then proceeded to have more of the ball as Gavin rang the changes though with three minutes left, we should have wrapped things up when triallist shot straight at the keeper with the goal at his mercy.

“If there was going to be a lull, it was probably this game because they’ve been going Tuesday, Thursday in training, then Saturday,” Gavin explained afterwards.

“Some of what I saw was very pleasing. On the other hand some players didn’t step up and take responsibility for certain things. And you can’t legislate for the goals which were two of the worst I’ve seen in a long time, and that can’t go on.”

“But they were a week, if not two,  ahead of us in terms of their pre-season and were therefore a little bit sharper.”

“There’s still work to do to get the players round to our way of thinking. We are transitioning from a certain style of football into another but we should hopefully  see a progression going forward by the time we play  Concord Rangers. Everyone needs to be singing from the same songsheet.”

Town starting lineup:

Forster; Parcell, Okotcha, Richmond, Payne; Thomas, Youngs, Bessadi, Becles-Richards; Cass, Wyllie

The draw for the 23-24 Fenix Trophy has been announced, with the 12 participating teams learning where they will travel across the continent.

Enfield Town have been drawn in Group A with Copenhagen-based side BK Skjold, the current colders of the tournament; and Welsh side Llantwit Major.

We are in discussions with both sides and will meet with players and management to schedule the fixtures. We will of course update you on any news if and when we get it.

Town make the short trip to Waltham Abbey tomorrow, Saturday, for the next assignment in our pre-season campaign, kickoff 3pm

Gavin Macpherson was distinctly displeased with Tuesday’s display and tomorrow should give an indication of how he intends to shape the group going forward.

Our Step 4 opponents, in the same division as Tuesday’s opponents Welwyn Garden City, finished last season mid-table but have won two and drawn two of their pre-season fixtures to date, scoring 14 goals in the process.

Waltham Abbey’s address is Capershotts, Sewardstone Road, Waltham Abbey EN9 1NX. See you there!