Enfield Town FC

Report

Enfield Town 1*-1 Hornchurch
           *(Enfield Town win 8-7 on penalties)

Nerves Shredded As Town Progress
Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town finally won a knockout game this season but it took a nail-biting sudden death penalty shootout to keep us in the FA Trophy.

Town’s shootout record is pretty woeful but for once Lady Luck  was on our side as we dispatched former winners Hornchurch 8-7 on penalties after the sides couldn’t be separated in regulation time.

Not only will the £3,750 in prize money for reaching the third round come in handy, the fact that we managed to get through despite a number of absentees and against a team with such experience and know-how was another indication of the progress that is slowly coming together.

Hornchurch haven’t won an FA Trophy match since they lifted the trophy as a Step 3 side in 2021. Since then they have fallen at the first hurdle every time, all penalty defeats after the games finished level.

So it was very much a case of déjà vu when Giles Phillips lashed the ball over the bar with the 18^th spot kick, much to the delight of the home faithful.

Ten points separate the sides in the league where, as everyone knows, we have endured a challenging start to our first season at Step 2

It looked as though it might be another of those days when, after just eight minutes, the Red Sea parted and Uchins newcomer Henry Hearn was allowed to rampage unchallenged through the centre of the pitch and fire low beyond Rhys Forster.

As Hornchurch continued to have the better of the attacking play, dangerman Sean Scannell stung the hands of Forster who managed to grab the ball at the second attempt.

A robust challenge by former Towner Manny Harvest on  Ruben Shakpoke, our new centre-forward, saw the referee produce a card and although we lacked  fluidity against speedier opposition, we were still in the game at the interval.

H-T 0-1

No sooner had the players re-emerged than Urchins striker Liam Nash cleared the bar from fully 35 yards.

But on 53 we got the break we needed. Xavier Benjamin’s effort was deflected behind and Adam Thompson – who put in another masterful display at the back – moved up for the resultant corner and got the final touch in a goalmouth scramble (pictured) for his second goal in successive games.

Soon afterwards Dylan Adjei-Hersey limped off but now it was anyone’s to win.

Billy Leonard, who deserve huge praise for having to play in two unfamiliar positions, produced a magnificent clearance off the line while at the other end Jack Smith rifled a low shot just wide after Lennon Peake’s attempt against his former club was saved by the legs of Mason Terry.

And so to penalties, Town choosing to go first but Smith handing the advantage to Hornchurch as our second kick was saved. Forster then restored parity at 2-2 by going the right way to save from Myles Weston.

And so it went on…

Terry so nearly put his team back in the driving seat when he got a strong hand to Leonard’s effort but thankfully couldn’t keep it out.

And with the respective goalies braced for taking kicks themselves, Town’s third-round spot was finally clinched when Phillips lost his nerve and blazed over.

With Trophy shocks galore across the country, Town now eagerly await the third-round draw on Monday.

“I wouldn’t have been hard on them at all had we gone out on pens and it’s a good step forward that we’ve had the nerve to see it through against a top side,” said Gavin Macpherson who celebrated with the supporters afterwards.

“When Dylan came off, we were looking round wondering who to put there and Billy did a job in a position where he’s never played. These kinds of things are massive for us.”

His thoughts on Shakpoke’s debut in a Town shirt? “Ruben is obviously short of matches but we wanted to get him out there straight away. He’s a very good player but we need to play to his strengths and that will come.”

“I felt a bit detached from the fans in the first half to be honest but it’s a two-way thing. We’ve got to give them something to shout about and they were magnificent once we got our goal. It’s a competition you don’t turn your nose up at and creates a bit of a buzz. Hopefully we can take that forward in the league before the next round.”

The one big surprise for fans was the omission on the teamsheet of Fionn Mooney, who had signed for us the previous day along with Shakpoke yet was conspicuous by his absence.

“It was a bit of strange conversation on Friday,” Gavin explained  diplomatically.  “Someone has agreed to join, then an agent gets involved and it’s turned on its head and we no longer have that player. It’s a total one-off that I’ve never experienced before but I only want players who want to play for this football club.”

Town: Forster, Benjamin, Thompson, Payne; Adjei-Hersey (Hutchinson 62), Smith, Scott, Youngs, Peake; Leonard, Shakpoke (Whittaker  90)