Enfield Town 2 Lewes 0
Report by Paul Manel
Photo: Tom Scott
It was the stuff of long-ago tales in ‘Boys’ Own’ or ‘Roy of the Rovers’ as Sam Youngs came off the bench in the second half to score the first and assist the second on his 400th appearance as Towners won this enthralling top of the table encounter at the Dave Bryant.
The 501 fans who braved the driving rain were rewarded by witnessing a slice of Towners history as Sam became the first player to hit the 400 matches mark for the club. He is also now only five goals away from equalling Liam Hope’s all-time scoring record.
Boss Billy Holland made five changes to the side that disappointingly lost to AFC Whytleafe last Saturday. Mackaye Townsend-West and Tariq Al-Sadi were both on international duty and they were replaced by Ayo Tanimowo and Olly Davis. Adam Thompson was back with EJ Mensah one of the subs. Amrit Bansal- McNulty had recovered from the flu that kept him out last weekend and young Cambridge United loanee Dan Efobi made his first start. Jez Davies and Sam Youngs dropped to the bench.
Lewes came into the game on good form having lost only three times since the four-nil reverse to the Towners on the opening day. Their away record was particularly impressive. Indeed, it was the visitors who started the brightest with Ryan Gondoh looking particularly lively on the right. An early corner was delivered by Tyler Cox, and a free header went wide.
Towners soon got their passing game going with the returning Amrit Bansal-McNulty orchestrating the home side’s attacks. Tommy Avgoustidis had gone close before Amrit waltzed past a defender into the Lewes box and he was felled by Cox. Referee Matthew Rowling pointed to the spot. Sam Youngs had uncharacteristically missed a spot kick against AFC Whyteleafe on Saturday and he of course hadn’t started. It was Olly Davis who stepped up but his effort clipped the bar and went over. Olly revealed after the game that he had slipped on the greasy surface as he hit the ball.
Town continued to dominate possession, and they suffocated attempted Rooks counter attacks with a successful high press. Sonny Hart thought he had scored when he met an Olly Davis cross with his head, but the officials ruled that the ball had not crossed the line despite protestations from the home players and the fans behind the goal.
The first half was a story of Towners dominance, missed chances and at times wrong decision making in the final third. All very reminiscent of the first 45 on Saturday. Surely, we were not going to be punished again?
HT 0-0
Lewes made two changes at the break as they tried to stem the Town tide, but it was the home team who continued to dominate as the rain lashed down. Dan Efobi was played through but Rooks keeper Louis Rogers was quickly off his line to close the angle and smother.
The biggest noise of the night so far came on 57 minutes as Sam Youngs emerged from the bench to become a history maker! He replaced Dan Efobi. The Enfield number eight had the ball in the net nine minutes later, but he was denied his goal by the offside flag. Before that the industrious Amrit Bansal-McNulty had his dipping shot tipped over by keeper Rogers.
And on 68 minutes it happened! Ayo Tanimowo made a familiar burst down the left. Youngs swivelled and hit a powerful shot which took a deflection on its way into the net. It would take a very brave or silly person to give it as an own goal! Cue bedlam as Sam ran to the fans behind the goal.
The ‘400’ man was not finished there. Four minutes later he was released down the right by a great ball from Declan Rydings. Youngs squared to Bansal-McNulty in space in the box. The expectation was that Amrit would hit it but instead he rounded Rogers. It looked like he had taken the ball too far, but Amrit managed to get his shot in, and it dribbled over the line. It might have been a scuffed effort but the majority inside the Dave Bryant didn’t care.
Lewes continued to struggle to put together any meaningful moves mainly down to Towners high energy pressing game. Substitutes Jez Davies and Luke May-Parrott made a major contribution to this.
As the final whistle went, news filtered through that Welling United had drawn at Whitehawk which meant that Town were back on top on goal difference. The Towners faithful acclaimed a hard-fought victory against a good side and a rare league double over the Rooks. It also seems that it had been ‘written in the stars’ that Sam was the man!
Town: D Thompson, Parcell©, Hart, Thompson, Tanimowo, Avgoustidis(Remy 71), Leonard (Davies 65), Rydings, Bansal-McNulty, Davis ( May – Parrott 58), Efobi ( Youngs 57)