Enfield Town 2 Wingate and Finchley 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town staged a stirring second-half fightback yet will ultimately rue not taking all three points in a highly entertaining derby between fifth and fourth.

On a pitch passed playable only four hours before kick-off largely thanks to the work of our volunteers, it was a credit to both teams that they put on such a watchable encounter though that will be of little consolation to the pair of them – Wingate squandering a two-goal lead and Town doing more than enough to win the game.

Gavin Macpherson promised a better performance after Tuesday’s drab draw with Kingstonian and kept his word, going with a back three and making a string of changes that gave us a more cohesive look.

Mickey Parcell skippered the side in the absence of injured Scott Thomas, playing on the right of a three, while Lewis Taaffe took Scott’s place in defensive midfield and Jonathan Hippolyte was given a start up front.

Dylan Adjei-Hersey and Herson Alves also came into the side but in front of a healthy crowd of almost 650 – including a noisy throng of Dave Bryant’s special guests (inset) –  we didn’t get off to the best of starts.

Town have conceded some questionable penalties of late and there was another soft one as Taylor Mackenzie was penalised for a push after just seven minutes and Anointed Chukwu made no mistake from the spot.

Town’s response was immediate as Blues keeper Ben Goode came off best in a one on with  Marcus  Wyllie, only for Hippolyte to somehow screw the rebound wide.

It looked as though Marcus had left his scoring boots at home as three more  presentable chances came and went, the last of them drilled inches wide after a fabulous passing movement.

But the visitors, marshalled at the back by Ben Frempah and swift on the counter-attack, continued to pose a threat.

Rhys Forster saved superbly from Elliot Long and three minutes before the break, the Blues doubled their lead.  A slip by Mackenzie allowed Mathew Achuba to find Zack Newton who produced a sublime first touch before firing past Forster.

H-T 0-2

Town now had a mountain to climb on the rain-lashed surface but came out with all guns blazing and quickly reduced the deficit as Marcus showed that class is permanent  with a moment of magic, taking the ball on his chest before unleashing an unstoppable volley in a single movement (pictured).

Now there was only one team in it, aided by the fact that Frempah, after needing lengthy treatment, at last looked vulnerable.

Alves and Adjei-Hersey both went close before, on 73 minutes, we finally broke through again as the quick-thinking Youngs  outfoxed the Wingate defence to steer home Wyllie’s left-wing cross.

As we pushed for the winner that would have enabled us to leapfrog our opponents,  Wingate clung on though it needed an outstretched leg by Forster at the other end to keep out Long after the otherwise impeccable Youngs was uncharacteristically robbed in possession.

“Early in the season we ran, we harried and we hassled and the change of system today allowed us to regain some of those energy levels,” said Gavin.

“We all recognise that in recent weeks we let the fans down and obviously I’m disappointed with the result today because we deserved to win the game handsomely.”

“There was a clearly foul on Youngy in the build-up to their second goal but we can only control what we control.  I never thought at half time the game was over. We played a very good team today and at times made them look ordinary.”

Town

Forster; Parcell, Mackenzie, Tanner; Adjei-Hersey (Onyeagwara, 85),  Taaffe (75), Youngs, Alves, Payne; Wyllie, Hippolyte (beckles-richards 65)

Gavin Macpherson has urged the crowd to get behind us in our latest derby against Wingate and Finchley tomorrow (kickoff 3pm) and fully accepts they should expect a far better performance than Tuesday night’s goalless draw with Kingstonian.

Weather permitting, it’s fourth against fifth with both sides needing the points to cement playoff places, making for a potential mount-watering fixture with the prospect of us leapfrogging our opponents.

Only two points separate us from the Blues, both after 30 games with 12 remaining, with the likes of Horsham and Hastings breathing down our necks.

With no local afternoon Premier League fixtures to worry about,  the Dave Bryant stadium will be very much the place to be on what has been designated “bobble hat and scarf” day, making for a colourful occasion.

Our visitors are unbeaten in their last four league games including a 4-2 win over high-flying Chatham.

“They’ve got some good players and with competition for places, we are expecting a really tough game,” said Gavin.

“They do both sides of the game very well so we will need to be so much better than Tuesday. I’m well aware that the energy coming from the terraces is often a product of what’s happening on the pitch.

“We’ve got to give the supporters something to get excited about. They understand that the application against teams like Carshalton was excellent but against K’s it fell short. One thing I’m sure of, our support can make the difference.”

AW

We are delighted to announce a major new sponsorship agreement with Hertfordshire Zoo, formerly known as Paradise Wildlife Park, based in White Stubbs Lane, Broxbourne, EN10 7QA.

For the past four decades the much loved Paradise Wildlife Park has grown into one of the most beloved destinations in the area. Becoming Hertfordshire Zoo allows them to show everyone our continuous, unwavering dedication for the welfare of the animals in their care and in conservation across the world.

The agreement starts with immediate effect and runs through until the end of the 2024-25 season. The agreement includes new stand signs at the A10 end of the ground, an advertisement in the match day programme, and a perimeter banner in front of the stand opposite the main stand.  

Enfield Town 0 Kingstonian 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Gavin Macpherson cut a frustrated figure admitting  he was embarrassed and apologising to fans after an sluggish off-night against the league’s bottom club.

At times it looked like we were the side battling against relegation and they were the team in playoff contention as we lacked drive and cohesion across the pitch and composure in front of goal.

That’s the downside. The fact remains that despite our first goalless draw of the season, we are still fifth in the league and very much in the mix though the dangerous Horsham are only one point behind having played three games fewer.

And we didn’t lose the game, unlike cash-rich Billericay at Concord Rangers, a stark illustration that nothing can be taken for granted in this league.

Town made three changes from the starting line-up at Carshalton, with Ollie Knight returning from suspension, Josh Okocha in central defence with both Jimbo and Taylor McKenzie injured, the latter on the bench, and Lewis Taaffe coming into midfield.

From the opening minutes it was clear Kingstonian, fresh from their first league win since October at the weekend and under new management, had not just come to sit back.

Using the left flank in particular to their advantage, they were quick on the break and had several excellent early chances, one of which fell to former Towner Tom Collins who was a whisker away from converting Freddie Price’s centre.

With the shackles off despite their perilous position, the visitors should have gone in front on 15 minutes, only for Sam German’s bullet header from a corner to be superbly headed off the line by Taaffe.

Eddie D’Sane was another player who troubled us with pace as two goalbound shots were blocked.

Town were far too predictable without the vision of the injured Manny Harvest and took an age to get going, our first shot on target not coming until the 35^th minute as Kingstonian’s debutant keeper Daniel Cruz Domench held on to a Sam Youngs shot.

Things began to improve as halftime approached with back-to-back Marcus Wyllie efforts. First his half-volley was just the wrong side of the crossbar, then he got even closer as Mark Waters cleared off the line.

H-T 0-0

Town needed a radical shake-up but Kingstonian had the first big chance of the second half, Collins thankfully only managing to roll a pull-back into the arms of Rhys Forster.

Only now did we push Kingstonian back as a flurry of substitutions gave us fresh legs and greater impetus. But we still couldn’t get past man of the match German, on-loan from Bromley and a powerhouse at the back for the K’s.

A brilliant cross from Mickey Parcell found the boot of Wyllie who volleyed over and although there were further half-chances for Okotcha (pictured) and, twice, Jonathan Hippolyte, there was no happy ending to round off the first game at the newly-named Dave Bryant stadium.

“The first 30 minutes was without doubt the worst I’ve ever seen us play,” said Gavin who kept the players inside the dressing room for almost 30 minutes afterwards. “We just had a frank chat and agreed we couldn’t make the playoffs if our form doesn’t get better.”

“As a manager you rely on the players to bring some quality to the table but that was severely lacking.  We couldn’t pass the ball five yards which is hard for me to legislate for. It’s unrecognisable from earlier in the season.”

“The second half was better but I actually feel quite embarrassed and absolutely sympathise with the supporters who know the side is capable of a lot more. It’s not what they pay their money to see.”

Town: Foster, Parcell, Okotcha, Tanner, Payne; Thomas (Alves, 75) , Youngs,  Taaffe (Onyeagwara, 66), Knight, Wyllie,  Beckles-Richards (Hippolyte, 66)

Our recently postponed home fixture against Kingstonian takes place tomorrow night, Tuesday, kick-off 7.45.

Kingstonian are bottom of the league but gave themselves a mighty confidence boost with a 3-2 home win over Bognor Regis on Saturday under interim manager Tutu Henriques —  their first  league success since  October.

The K’s parted company with Simon Lane earlier this month, the two sides issuing somewhat conflicting statements.

No-one will underestimate our opponents on Tuesday but the fixture gives us a terrific chance to cement our playoff position with another home game to come against Wingate and Finchley on Saturday.

Carshalton Athletic 1 Enfield Town 1

Town snatched a point at fellow play-off hopefuls Carshalton Athletic in a game of few chances.

We were looking for revenge after the Robins took the points in a 3-0 win earlier in the season but went into the game without Taylor McKenzie and Manny Harvest, both injured, as well as Ollie Knight who was still suspended.

It left us with only four on the bench but changing our usual formation to 3-5-2 with the impressive Bernie Tanner making his debut in defence (pictured) and Mickey Parcell on the right of a three, we began on the front foot.

Reece Beckles-Richards blazed over after being set up by Marcus Wyllie, then Sam Youngs dragged a shot wide but it was promising play from Town.

Joe Payne’s hopeful punt was the only other chance of note for Town in the first half and as the home side grew into the game, a header over the bar was the Robins’ first attempt on goal.

As if our injury problems weren’t enough, Josh Okotcha had to replace James Richmond who suffered a freak injury on 37 minutes.

To make matters worse, in added time, the deadlock was broken with the first shot on target of the match. 

From a Carshalton freekick, the ball bounced around in the box before Oluwabunmi Babajide swept it into the bottom right corner when our defence switched off.

It was perhaps harsh on Town but in truth we hadn’t created enough.

HT 0-1

Carshalton started the second half how they ended the first, on front foot, with Kwaku Frimpong shooting just wide.

Babajide continued to cause problems for Town, forcing Rhys Forster into a low save from the edge of the box.

Town now started to apply more pressure, but still hadn’t sufficiently tested Aaron Jones in the Robins goal.

Then out of nowhere, Wyllie delivered as he has done so many times this season, losing his marker to head home at the back post from a rare Town corner for his 19th goal of the season.

Obi Onyeagwara’s introduction injected life into a pretty flat game, giving the home defence more to think about.

And just as it looked destined for a draw, Town substitute Jonathan Hippolyte’s cross fell to Beckles-Richards in the six-yard box, but he couldn’t sort his feet out at the vital moment.

With the Hastings game called off, we moved back into playoff places on goal difference ahead of a rearranged home game against Kingstonian on Tuesday night.

“We were without three of our very important players so overall you have to pleased with a point though in a way I was slightly disappointed it wasn’t all three because they hardly caused us any problems,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“The system change was planned a week ago to deal with the way Carshalton exploit certain areas of the pitch. It was very a tight game but on clearcut chances – and there weren’t many — we might have won it.”

Town: Forster, Parcell, Richmond (Okotcha, 37), Tanner, Payne, Alves (Hippolyte, 74), Thomas, Adjei-Hersey (Obi Onyeagwara, 63), Youngs, Beckles-Richards, Wyllie

Charlie Baker/Andrew Warshaw

After two weeks without a fixture, Enfield Town visit Carshalton Athletic tomorrow hoping to maintain a return to the kind of form shown in our excellent 3-0 win at Canvey Island following somewhat of a downturn.

Carshalton surrendered a two-goal lead at Hashtag last Saturday and although their last home game resulted in a 2-1 defeat to Cray, the previous two yielded four points from Hornchurch and Hastings.

Four points behind Town having played two games more, the Robins are nevertheless dangerous opponents on their day – as their 3-0 win at our place earlier in the season illustrated.

And the fact that they have lost only one of their last nine games says everything you need to know about the challenge ahead.

 “Having two weeks without a game is not ideal but we’ve worked hard in training,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“ Carshalton will be tough, especially on their own patch which is not our natural surface. But after a good solid win at Canvey we should be in good spirits, I’ve asked the players to increase their levels and I’ve been pleased with how they are applying themselves.”

AW

We are delighted to bring the brilliant singer/songwriter Charlotte Campbell to Enfield Town FC in the latest of our musical evenings.

Often found busking along the river Thames and in London’s busiest train stations, Charlotte’s street performances have led to sold out shows across the capital and slots at Henley and Glastonbury festivals. 

She will be making her third appearance at Butler’s Bar but her first for several years.

​Building an online fanbase through street art, Charlotte recently performed at Twickenham at the Six Nations tournament and can also be seen playing at Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Brentford, on matchdays as well as at some of London’s most prestigious clubs and bars.

As a teenager, she attended the prestigious BRIT School in South London and went on to study songwriting at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance.

She soon fell in love with the art of street performance and continues to use London’s pavements as her main platform for promoting her music to new audiences.

Charlotte now has a loyal and growing following as an independent singer-songwriter and in 2023 she celebrated 10 years since her first album, ‘Blue Eyed Soul’, with an innovative show at St Pancras Old Church, imitating her beloved Taylor Swift.

When: Friday 15th March

Where: Butler’s Bar

Time: Doors 7.30, On Stage 8pm

Tickets: £10 in advance using the following link

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/concert2/charlotte-campbell-live-butlers-bar

Alternatively, on the door pending availability.

Contact Christine Hamilton 07949 071587, email: ianchrisham@hotmail.com

We are pleased to confirm the addition of centre-back Bernie Tanner. A versatile, left-footed defender, he is no stranger to the management team having spent a couple of years under their tutelage at Met Police, where he also picked up their Club Player of the Year award for the 21-22 season. The 23-year-old has also previously featured for Farnborough, the former Walton Casuals, and most recently Hanwell Town.

“Bernie will certainly add to our defensive options”, explained Gavin. “He’s left footed which provides a balance that we haven’t had. He’s a good defender with pace and is a really good character so for me I’m really happy he’s decided to come over to Enfield.”

Welcome, Bernie!