It never rains…unless it pours. Enfield Town face the nightmare scenario of being without new fewer than ELEVEN players for our FA Trophy tie at high-flying Harborough tomorrow – described by both manager and assistant manager as the worst crisis either of them has ever seen in all their years in football.
Two more senior players have now joined the list of casualties which, added to suspensions and international call-ups, stretches us to the barest of bones with a number of academy kids potentially having to be drafted in.
A free midweek next Tuesday cannot come soon enough in order to try and recover some of the walking wounded. Four of the current absentees – those suspended and on international duty – will thankfully be available again for our Whole Club Day next weekend against Farnborough when we try and arrest a slump that has seen us lose five league games on the spin. But that will still leave a crippling injury list which has now lengthened to include two more crucial and hugely experienced players ruled out after Thursday’s training session.
Before training, Gavin Macpherson was talking of nine absentees rather than 11 but bullish about at least putting a competitive team on the pitch against unbeaten Harborough, top of Southern League Premier Central with games in hand.
The fixture would have been tough enough anyway even with one or two sidelined. But when a non-league side is shorn of a whole first team of experienced individuals for an important cup tie on a plastic pitch with not enough time to draft in emergency loanees, you could be forgiven for concluding the footballing gods have got it in for us.
“There’s a bit of bad luck going our way but we have to take it on the chin,” Gavin conceded. “It’s very rare for all this to happen at the same time but there’s no doom and gloom about the place.”
“The FA Trophy is a really important competition that clubs at our level have done well in,” said Gavin. “Harborough need no introduction in terms of where they are. You don’t stay unbeaten into November without being a very solid outfit. I acknowledge they are geared up to be at our level and it’s probably like playing another Step 2 side. But we’ll go there with a plan despite all the absentees.”
If the match is drawn over 90 minutes there will be a penalty shootout with no extra time. Let’s hope, given our record, it doesn’t come down to pens!
For fans still wishing to travel, there are match tickets and places on the coach available on the following link:
Coach: £30 – text 07493 425359 to reserve your seat. Leaving at 10:30am
AW