Enfield Town FC

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It’s Town…..just

Enfield T 1 Leatherhead 0

A scrappy encounter, short on quality but with plenty of endeavour, produced a welcome three points for Town in this one, who deserved the win thanks to having created by far the better of the chances, coupled with some excellent discipline in defence.

After Will Salmon had headed just wide, possibly via a slight deflection, for the Tanners on 13 minutes, the hosts thought they had scored three minutes later when Adam Pepera, making his competitive debut, rose to flick home Sam Youngs’ free-kick, but he had been flagged offside. Then, a few minutes later, Pepera replicated his earlier leap, and this time was unlucky to see his header hit the crossbar. Lee Chappell was next to show, with a lob that had Zaki Oualah in goal relieved to see it drop onto the roof of the net out of harm’s way.

The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the 22nd minute. Josh Urquhart floated a ball into the box from the right and, as Leatherhead hesitated, Billy Bricknell made space for himself to blast home low and hard past Oualah with his right boot in trademark style. In truth, the visitors created very little in reply, although Charlie Hester-Cook should perhaps have done better with a free header at the back post from a corner on the right. Jared Small’s shot from distance was gathered easily by Oualah and Bricknell fired way over with his left foot off balance.

As the half-time whistle approached, Jack Currie’s low cross evaded everyone while, at the other end, Oualah was relieved to be able to fall onto a loose ball in his goal area following a corner.

Half-time: Enfield Town 1 Leatherhead 0

After the break, Lyle Della-Verde’s shot from distance was too ambitious, and Sam Youngs found himself crowded out after being set up by Della-Verde. Bricknell tested Oualah further, as the game became increasingly fractious with Leatherhead in particular showing frustration that it didn’t look as though it was going to be their day.

Nathan McDonald saved well from Hester-Cook, and a Dan Rowe free-kick hit the side netting. Small went on a run and ended up on the byline, but he was tackled before he could play the ball into the danger area. Leatherhead forced a series of late corners, the vast majority of which were headed clear, but Town hung on with an admirably solid defensive display to see the game out.

Enfield Town: Nathan McDonald, Josh Urquhart, Lee Chappell, Scott Thomas, Marc Weatherstone, Adam Pepera, Jared Small (Larry Asare 90), Ryan Blackman, Billy Bricknell, Sam Youngs (Percy Kiangebeni 81), Lyle Della-Verde. Unused: Jon Muleba, Junior Mubiayi. Booked: Della Verde, Thomas, Blackman.

Leatherhead: Zaki Oualah, Crossley Lema, Jack Currie, Craig McGee (Andrew Biggs 90), Will Salmon, Will Seager,Charlie Hester-Cook, Dan Hector (Jerry Nnamani 46), Stefan Brown, Joe Leslie, Dan Rowe. Unused: David Ompreon, Charlie Dawkins, Jacob Bennett. Booked: Rowe.

Attendance: 350.