Enfield Town 2 Maidstone United 1
Report by Andrew Warshaw
First back-to-back wins of the season, first time we’ve come from behind to take all three points – against a full-time team to boot – and out of the bottom four. Whisper it quietly but is the tide turning?
In one sense last night’s victory over Maidstone was even more impressive than Saturday’s demolition of Farnborough in terms of quality of opposition and the way the game unfolded.
Just shows you what squad depth can do even though we were missing Hayden Bullas (recalled for one night by Orient to captain their academy team), Mickey Parcell and the still absent Henry Hawkins.
On a bitterly cold evening, Sam Youngs, complete with protective headgear, returned to the starting line-up after his various setbacks to skipper the side, only to suffer a potentially broken nose when he took an accidental bang in the face and needed lengthy treatment yet stayed on.
Bailey Brown also came into the side and we started on the front foot and took the game to the Stones, our best effort coming on 38 minutes when Youngs, with back to goal, expertly hooked the ball into the path of Lemar Reynolds who had two bites of the cherry, his first shot well parried by Nathan Harness, only to put the follow-up narrowly wide.
Three minutes later, slightly against the run of play, we were made to pay as Maidstone went in front with some neat transition play. A superb through ball by Dajon Golding was collected in the channels by Jesphite Tanga who squared for Deon Moore to finish.
A flurry of Maidstone corners ensued and it was Town who were the team that needed halftime to regroup.
H-T 0-1
Maidstone continued to threaten straight afterwards, however, and it needed a double save by George Barratt to keep us in the game.
But that was pretty much the visitors’ last worthwhile threat.
On 63 minutes Nino Adom-Malaki, making up for being dispossesed in the move that led to Maidstone’s goal, drilled in a brilliant low cross and although Harness kept out Youngs’ first effort, Sam pounced on the rebound to equalise (pictured).
Five minutes later, Olly Davis, off the bench to replace Cian Dillon, helped turn the game on its head, skipping past two defenders before releasing Billy Leonard.
Billy’s low cross fell to Youngs whose shot on the turn was superbly palmed away by Harness, only for Reynolds – against his old club of course – to fire home the rebound for the winner.
Gavin admitted later that the substitution was anything but a canny managerial move. Cian had taken a knock in training at QPR and Gavin was instructed to only play him for 60 minutes.
Ironically, the switch made all the difference and a shellshocked Maidstone offered precious little in terms of a response despite another flurry of corners, dealt with comfortably by a defence in which Joe Kizzi again showed his class.
Indeed, in the dying moments, Reynolds should have made more of a half-chance presented to him by the direct running of the hugely impactful Davis, quickly becoming a fans’ favourite.
“A really good night against a full-time team,” said Gavin. “We’re normally a first-half team but we showed we can be a second half one as well.”
“The reaction after halftime, after the first 10 minutes or so when they span it, was largely what we wanted. We got further up the pitch and gained a foothold. We’ve got some squad depth now after all the injuries.”
Town: Barrett; Thompson, Benjamin, Kizzi; Adom-Malaki, Gallimore, Youngs (Knight, 87), Brown, Leonard; Reynolds (Wood 87), Dillon (Davis 60)