Ebbsfleet United 2 Enfield Town 2
Report by Andrew Warshaw
Talk about bitter-sweet. On another day, under different circumstances, an away point against full-time opponents with a formidable home record would be cause for celebration.
Instead, Enfield Town’s hard-fought draw at a rain-lashed Ebbsfleet on Tuesday served only to push us further into the mire courtesy of our three closest rivals in the hunt for survival all winning.
Few could have imagined that Hampton and Richmond, Eastbourne and Chippenham would all gain maximum points on the same evening.
But so it was, only goal difference now separating us from Chippenham – remarkably, victorious over leaders Torquay – at the bottom of the table.
The argument of course is that you can only manage your own results and in that respect Town left Ebbsfleet with their heads held high as they twice came from behind.
For once, given how many times the ball has been on the other foot, it was Gavin Macpherson’s men who produced last-gasp drama, Bailey Brown’s 94th-minute header gaining an invaluable point.
Yet the reality is that away draws, even at extremely tough opponents, aren’t going to get us out of a relegation scrap. Winless in 10 tells its own story. We simply have to start winning games especially at home.
Still missing T’Sharne Gallimore but otherwise relatively injury-free, Town looked comfortable for much of the first half in a cavernous stadium where every instruction barked from the dug-out could be heard from above.
Hayden Bullas – a close second behind Henry Hawkins in the man of the match stakes – saw two shots blocked but at the other end former Towner Lennon Peake looked a constant threat with his pace and customary delivery.
And it was from one of those crosses that the hosts took a 27th minute lead, Dom Samuel supplying a close-range finish that Joe Wright only managed to half stop. It looked for all the world like Samuel was offside, only for Xav Benjamin to have played him on.
The lead was short-lived, however. Just 90 seconds later, Town levelled as Lamar Reynolds played in Corie Andrews who powered home a fine equaliser to open his Town account (pictured celebrating with fans). Five minutes before the interval, Corie had the ball in the net again but an offside flag had already been raised.
Shortly after, Benjamin, who had struggled against Peake in an unfamiliar rightback role, was cautioned on the edge of the area. The freekick came to nothing but the yellow didn’t help Xav’s cause of which more later.
Quite how an Ebbsfleet defender avoided a similar caution for pulling back Lamar when he burst forward from halfway is anyone’s guess but Town had been arguably the better side in the opening 45 minutes.
H-T 1-1
Whatever was said at halftime, The Fleet burst out of the traps and started to push us back. Toby Edser, Ebbsfleet’s danger man in midfield, curled a shot narrowly side while a rare mix-up at the back almost cost us dearly, Hawkins managing to hack clear. Two Fleet penalty shouts went unheeded (as did one for Town late on) while another effort was cleared off the line.
Town appeared to have weathered to storm only to concede with 82 minutes on the clock as Josh Passley took a touch from just outside the box before rifling home a magnificent strike off the far post.
With time running out, on came Ely Ackeson and Ruben Bartlettt-Antwi but it was the third of three successive Nino Adom-Malaki throws that ultimately salvaged a point. The first two were taken short to Mickey Parcell (how good to see him back in a Town shirt) and came to nothing. But the third was launched long and found the head of Brown, who had only just come on and rose to beat his marker despite a suspicion the ball had skimmed off a home defender.
There was still time for more drama, however, as Benjamin was adjudged to have bundled over an Ebbsfleet player on the edge of the area and received a second yellow, resulting in a one-match ban. Fortunately, the resultant freekick was ineffective and Town had their precious point.
“Obviously we have an interest in what the others are doing but I can only talk about the boys who were magnificent,” said Gavin. “They worked so hard. Although we shouldn’t necessarily celebrate draws, there is a recognition that this is a very good one.”
“We had to change shape to slow them down. It took a lot after the lad’s fantastic strike for us to go again. But we went at it and I’m full of praise for them. Corie is lacking game and is still not up to speed but it was good step forward. As for Mickey, it’s been difficult for him and I was champing at the bit to get him on. It’s a cliché but I hope coming off the back of two away draws it can act a springboard with a lot of home games to come.”
ETFC: Wright; Adom-Malaki, Thompson, Hawkins, Benjamin; Bullas (Parcell 80), Knight (Bartlett-Antwi 87), Traore (Brown 89), Youngs: Andrews (Ackason 76), Reynolds (Leonard 61),