They’re third in the table, have won their last SIX National League South games, are top of the form guide, a full-time outfit and havn’t lost a league game since the end of October.

That gives you some idea of the task facing Gavin Macpherson’s men at Maidstone United tomorrow, a game Gavin describes as our hardest of the season to date on paper against a former EFL team.

Town fans wont need reminding of the corresponding fixture back in September when we were on the wrong side of a 4-1 defeat.

We’re undoubtedly a more settled side now than we were then but it’s still a learning curve as we try to build on last Saturday’s confidence-boosting last-gasp win over Chelmsford.

Although Alfie Tuck and Dan Cox have returned to their respective clubs, Gavin has virtually a clean bill of health at his disposal other than the likes of John Oyenuga who has resumed training but isn’t quite ready.

A couple of Maidstone’s most influential loan players have returned to their parent clubs but they nevertheless pose a considerable threat, spearheaded by Aaron Blair who scored a hattrick against us in September.

“It’s a really difficult one, make no mistake,” said Gavin. “Obviously Blair is a major threat but he’s not the only one. But hopefully we’ve ironed out a few of the issues we had when we met them before.”

One of Gav’s decisions will be  whether to keep Sam Youngs – seven goals in 10 games – up top or push him back into his regular role and employ exciting on-loan teenager Amaru Kaunda alongside either Anointed Chukwu or Jake Hutchinson. “Youngy has been really effective as a nine so it’s one of a number of things we are working on in terms of selection,” said Gav.

It’s probably fair to say that Town need 1.5 points per game to have a realistic chance of staying up so whenever we fall short, theoretically we have to win the subsequent game. But having picked up three points last time out who’se to say we can’t go on a run?  

“I anticipate the top sides will by and large keep winning — hopefully not against us – and it’s then a question of which sides further down can pick up enough points,” said Gavin. “I know it’s a cliché but we’re taking each game in isolation. We’re a completely different outfit to last time we played Maidstone but if we don’t get it right, we will pay the price.”

AW

Many congratulations to Lennon Peake, who scooped December’s V&S Player of the Month Award after a series of fine performances on the wing.

Ahead of our win over Chelmsford, Lennon was handed his award by Rick Howlett from partners Vanderpump & Sykes Solicitors.

For being named National League South manager of the week following our victory over Chelmsford

Enfield Town 2 Chelmsford City 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A game of few clearcut chances burst into life late on as Enfield Town moved off the bottom of the table with a desperately needed first win in five.

Not since early October have we triumphed at home in the league but a Sam Youngs brace got us over the line after the Clarets threatened to spoil the party  by cancelling out his first in a nerve-shredding finale.

With two changes from the New Year’s Day defeat at St Albans – Adam Thompson returning and Jake Hutchinson preferred up front — Town tore out of the blocks and could have been two up inside the first 15 minutes.

Hutchinson had the ball taken off his feet just as he was about to pull the trigger, then saw his close-range effort come back off the post when it seemed easier to score.

As the one-way traffic continued, Bayley Brown also missed an excellent chance but when Town didn’t make their domination count, Chelmsford settled into the contest with some neat build-up play though without much cutting edge having seen 12-goal Osman Foyo return to Ipswich following his loan spell.

The visitors were fortunate when a Lennon Peake cross deflected off Harry Barbrook and bobbled into the  arms off his own keeper but the latter stages of the half were somewhat scrappy, Chelmsford forced into a switch just before the break when Charlie Ruff hobbled off.

H-T 0-0

The second half began in the same vein with neither side being able to string three passes together. But on 63 minutes, having a spilled a  long-range shot from Ruaridh Donaldson, Rhys Forster redeemed himself with a brilliant stop from substitute Finley Wilkinson’s follow-up.

Rhys was on hand again to palm away Glenn McConnell’s  powerful effort but after a Chelmsford spell Town came on strong again, in part due to the timely introduction  of  our new teenage on-loan striker Amaru Kaunda, an adventurous replacement off the bench for defender Xavier Benjamin who had taken a knock.

What an impact Amara made, using his pace and control to immediate effect as he turned inside the box and forced City goalkeeper Ted Collins into a smart save.

As the game sprung into life, Hutchinson’s chip into the box narrowly evaded two teammates  while Peake stung the hands of Collins after a fabulous run in which he beat three opponents.

After a yellow card was brandished towards the Town dugout supposedly for dissent, we finally made our pressure count in the 82nd minute. Billy Leonard took advantage of a poor clearance and  drove the ball across goal for Youngs to convert at the back post.

Now it was a case of game management but hearts seemed to have been broken six minutes later when a Clarets corner was steered home by Cameron James courtesy of an unfortunate lapse of judgement from Forster.

How it would have hurt to come away with just a point after all our hard work.

Yet five minutes into seven added on, Peake’s peach of a freekick, awarded for a foul on Alfie Tuck and the best delivery of the afternoon, was met by an evergreen Youngs to head home the winner in a thrilling climax.

“It’s been coming and the key now is to build on it,” said a relieved Gavin Macpherson.

“I was absolutely livid with the equaliser when Rhys missed the ball but in fairness he made a couple of excellent saves before.”

“We probably played as well in previous games but today we put the ball in the net. When we do that and are mean at the back, then we have a chance of beating sides.”

“Amaru is a different type of forward with what he possesses. When we’ve made subs recently, they haven’t always made a difference.”

Tactically spot on against Chelmsford, Gavin admits it hasn’t always been easy. “I’m now managing against managers and coaches who are full-time and it’s been difficult sometimes to make up the gap. I’ve given both the players and myself a few hard truths. We as a collective have had to be better and I believe we have been in recent games.”

The one downside of the afternoon is that Alfie Tuck now returns to his parent club, much to the disappointment of fans behind the goal who chanted “we want you to stay” at the end.

“It’s his decision and he’s made a massive contribution since he’s been here,” said Gav.

Enfield Town 3-5-2

Forster; Benjamin (Kaunda 63), Thompson, Hawkins; Peake, Parcell, Tuck, Brown, Leonard; Youngs, Hutchinson (Chukwu, 83)

Ahead of this weekend’s match with Chelmsford, we are pleased to welcome athletic striker Amaru Kaunda to the club, on an initial month’s loan from Cambridge United.

Amaru, 18, penned pro terms at the Abbey Stadium in the summer and has made four senior appearances for the U’s this campaign, scoring against Chelsea U21s in the EFL Trophy. Having spent last season on loan at Biggleswade FC, scoring 9 times in 13 appearances, he gained further senior experience with St Ives Town earlier this season.

“It’s not just about adding a forward, it’s all about the type of forward, one that we haven’t had maybe since Hish,” said Gavin Macpherson. “Something a bit different to what we’ve already got.”

“He’s a young lad learning his trade and is local from Hendon. Cambridge think very highly of him and he was one of two given a pro contract there at the start of the season. They feel a 28-day loan will be beneficial and we were quick enough to fend off another Step 2 side.”

Welcome, Amaru!

Enfield Town are at home for the first time in 2025 on Saturday (weather permitting) aiming to end a run of three straight defeats and in the process narrow the gap to safety.

While we slumped to the bottom of the league over the holiday period, tomorrow’s visitors Chelmsford City, by contrast, pulled off  back-to-back victories on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, pushing the Clarets up to 13^th place.

Whilst much has been made of us having the worst defensive record in the league, that ironically is the one area of the pitch where we have looked more solid in recent outings and whilst Dan Cox has returned to Derby, we could be boosted by the return of the highly influential Adam Thompson whilst Chelmsford represents Alfie Tuck’s last game – if selected – before his loan spell also ends.

It’s in front of goal where everyone knows we have struggled but we have a great chance to put that right in front of our own fans.

It should be noted that three Chelmsford loan players – goalkeeper Woody Williamson, 12-goal Osman Foyo (his last two being match winners) and Alfie Bendle — have all returned to their parent clubs.

Whether that gives us a lift remains to be seen but Gavin Macpherson admits it’s time we turned decent performances into much-needed wins.

“No-one felt the defeat at St Albans harder than me,” said Gav. “I realise how disappointed people were and Chelmsford gives us another chance.”

“For us at the moment there are some positive signs in respect of how we are playing but ultimately it’s all about results and we are not getting them anywhere near often enough. We need to try and put a string of form together which we haven’t managed to do so far.”

AW

St Albans 2 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

It’s beginning to sound like a broken record but another painful defeat which could easily have been avoided sent Town back to the bottom of the table on New Year’s Day, still nine points from safety.

Mistakes at one end and not enough belief or quality – or both – to convert chances at the other made for a frustrating and disappointing start to 2025 in a proverbial six-pointer watched by a huge crowd of just under 2,000, including a sizeable Town contingent, the majority behind the goal (pictured).

Back-to-back losses over the holiday period – making it three in a row — have only intensified the task of arresting a worrying slump, notwithstanding the commitment the players continue to show in spades.

The phrase “our luck has to change sometime” is becoming somewhat worn. You make your own luck but we have been competitive in all of the last three games without managing to squeeze out any points.

It’s often down to small margins. Our victory at Tonbridge and point at Weston-Super-Mare showed what can be done but lack of confidence in front of goal is costing us dearly.

So it was at St Albans where we were unchanged with Dan Cox making his final appearance before returning to Derby.

Both sides had early chances, Lennon Peake – once again our most effective player on the day – shooting into the side netting and Rhys Forster saving from close range from Shaun Jeffers.

But it was the hosts who struck on 10 minutes,  David Longe-King lashing home a right-wing cross that followed a needlessly conceded freekick.

We immediately responded but with the goal at his mercy and the home keeper flat-footed, Alfie Tuck somehow missed a sitter after a fine run and pull-back from Sam Youngs. An equaliser then and who knows what might have unfolded.

Yellow cards for Peake and Henry Hawkins for challenges on Jack James were questionable, especially Peake’s, but we continued to pose a threat without enough cutting edge .

Youngs forced Michael Johnson into a smothering stop whilst Anointed Chukwu got his feet in a  muddle when a tap-in would have converted a superb Mickey Parcell centre.

H-T 0-1

Too many of Town’s passes had been intercepted, resulting in too many moves breaking down, and the same pattern frustratingly continued after the break.

St Albans now looked the more threatening side and when we did manage to threaten the Saints goal, which was rare, Youngs showed great skill from a tight angle, only to see the ball drop agonisingly the wrong side of the net.

You sensed the next goal would prove crucial and with their extra pace, St. Albans – no great shakes on the day if truth be told – got it.

Forster had already saved smartly from Jeffers when we didn’t track the run of the dangerous James who collected a misplaced pass from substitute Jack Smith and doubled his team’s lead after his first effort was blocked.

A Youngs header halved the deficit late into six minutes of stoppage time, prompting ironic chants of “We’ve scored a goal” from the Town faithful, but it was too little, too late and at the final whistle the reaction of the home fans and players said much about the importance — and no doubt relief — of getting over the line.

“We’ve lost a game we shouldn’t have by not picking up the second phase — again,” said a hugely frustrated Gavin Macpherson who now has to rally the troops for Saturday’s home fixture with Chelmsford. “It’s another one we deserved more from and I’m fed up with saying that. We worked religiously in training on getting in the box in respect of being more potent so I was really disappointed. We had more than enough chances and we haven’t hit the target.”

“I’m sick of the opposition saying we were the better side and I gave virtually the same after-match team talk as I’ve been giving for weeks. We need more of a ruthless streak but I’m not a psychologist.

“I want to say a personal thanks to the fans who once again were nothing but supportive whereas they might well have given me stick. I might come out one day and say we deserved to lose but have got three points. I’d much prefer that to where I am at the moment.”

Forster; Cox, Benjamin, Hawkins; Peake, Parcell (Smith 77), Tuck, Brown, Leonard; Youngs;, Chukwu (Hutchinson 73)