Report

TOWN STALL AFTER OVERHEATING

Enfield Town 2 Potters Bar Town 2

Another game played in sweltering conditions saw Andy Leese go with the same starting line-up as at Leatherhead 48 hours previously. Less than two minutes into the game, an early chance from Ken Charles flew just wide of the post, the striker looking to keep up his great start to the season.

The visitors’ first chance came through a well worked sequence of passes, and a cross from the right delivered by Ryan Young found the head of Bradley Sach, later to mahe a major bearing on the outcome, but he was off target.

Nine minutes in and Bar took the lead, from a corner which was swung-in by George Craddock, inch perfect for Sach to rise highest to meet and nudge the visitors ahead. For a spell the the visitors kept a firm grip on the game and controlled the majority of the possession and tempo in the first quarter of an hour or so. Charles and Mo Faal up front for Town continued to work hard but to no avail, thanks to a disciplined Scholars’ back line.

In the 20th minute Sam Youngs sliced a low effort low and wide, as the hosts continued to be frustrated. Approaching the half-hour mark, Town were presented with a glorious opportunity when Youngs played through a brilliant pass which found Charles to spring the offside trap and find himself one on one with Bar keeper Matt Nolan, but he blazed his effort over the top.

Ten minutes before the break, Town were beginning to control the game, enjoying some good spells in possession but still unable to make the final ball count, much to their frustration.

Finally, after some admirable persistence, Town made a breakthrough to level the scores in the 39th minute. From the edge of the area, a neat one-two played between Youngs and Charles, slipped Town into the area and, following a flick from Lewis Taaffe, Charles was through on goal and this time the youngster made no mistake.

Then just two minutes later, the game was turned on its head. A corner from the left delivered by Sam Hatton found the head of Faal at the near post, and the big striker nodded home to make it 2-1 at the break.

Half-time: Enfield Town 2 Potters Bar Town 1

Sixty seconds into the second-half, Charles almost grabbed a second after a neat flick by Youngs found him, but he drove his effort just wide. Town picking up from where they left off and looking good at this point.

Faal then saw another chance saved by Nolan. But, as had been the case against Horsham, a dominant spell either side of the break failed to produce enough in the way of chances converted and, against the run of play, Bar equalised with an almost identical goal. Another corner from Craddock was headed in by Sach in the 54th minute.

A miraculous one on one save by Nathan McDonald denied Josh Hutchinson from adding a third for the Scholars  After Youngs had tried his luck from distance, and with the game at this point looked anybody’s, a quick break found Thomas Gogo in space on the left; he made a lively forward and cut inside, but his shot was sent wide.

Understandably the tempo of the game dipped towards the latter stages, although Hatton made a good burst forward, beating two defenders and squaring the ball across the box to Ryan Blackman but the substitute put the ball wide of the post.

Another Craddock corner saw James Budden rise highest, but his header bounced wide. Town appeared to be struggling to defend set-pieces and it was the visitors looked the most likely to get a third goal. Keagan Cole’s corner created problems, but thankfully from a home perspective it came to nothing on that occasion.

Given the conditions it was a reasonably entertaining game, but tinged with frustration for Town fans, who nevertheless can look forward to improvement on their current 7th position, with the FA Cup first qualifying round draw looming.

Enfield Town: Nathan McDonald, Sam Hatton, Joe Payne, Scott Thomas, Marc Weatherstone, Jon Muleba, Lewis Taaffe (Billy Bricknel, 74), Sam Youngs, Ken Charles, Muhammadu Faal, Sam Bantick (Ryan Blackman 64). Unused subs: Dan Rumens, Junior Mubiayi, Nathan Livings.

Potters Bar Town: Matt Nolan, Chris Doyle (Jack Humphrey 84), Andy Lomas, George Craddock (George Nicholas 87), James Budden, Will Wambeek, Thomas Gogo (Ben Ward-Cochrane 69), Keagan Cole, Josh Hutchinson, Bradley Sach, Ryan Young. Unused subs: Joakim Ehui, Yiannis Constantinou.

Attendance: 476.

Details

Date Time League Season
26/08/2019 3:00 pm Pitching In Isthmian League Premier 2019-20

Ground

Queen Elizabeth II Stadium
Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield EN1 3PL

Results

ClubGoals
Enfield Town2
Potters Bar Town2