Enfield Town FC

Report

Record score for Town

Enfield Town 8 Ramsgate 1

Town banished their recent dip in league form with a stress-free passage into the first round proper of the Buildbase FA Trophy at a soggy QEII Stadium. The margin of victory put this result into equal third position for best-ever competitive wins, and it was certainly the greatest margin in Town’s FA Trophy history.

Lyle Della-Verde got the ball rolling after five minutes with an angled drive after a move down the hosts’ left involving Billy Bricknell before Neville Nzembela blazed over. But the young striker subsequently doubled Town’s advantage – rifling past Rams’ keeper Jacob Russell a few minutes later.

Della-Verde, who went on to claim the man of the match award, was in the mood to shoot at every opportunity, and he saw an effort kept out by Russell before switching wings, from left to right.

In truth the Isthmian South-East Division visitors had few answers, although Ryan Johnson saw his header from a corner saved by Dan Lincoln in the home goal after 25 minutes. But then, just beyond the half hour mark after collecting a diagonal ball, Della-Verde fed Bricknell, who buried a low right-foot drive with ease before Luke Carey shot narrowly wide for the Rams. After Della-Verde had fired just off target, the game was well and truly up when Bricknell controlled the ball in the inside left position, and squeezed the ball in superbly, possibly with the aid for a slide rule, and definitely via the post to Russell’s left, for four.

Half time: Enfield Town 4 Ramsgate 0

A minute after the break it was five when Della-Verde’s effort found its way over the line with the aid of a deflection off Ben Wilson. There was a brief hold up while referee Ivan Gelov consulted with one of his assistants who had raised his flag, but the goal stood.

Johnson cleared a dangerous Sam Youngs cross acrobatically as Town piled on further pressure. In the 57th minute Ramgate put together their best move of the game when Tom Chapman delivered a fine low cross from the left and Joshua Ajayi ghosted in at the back post to convert from close range.

Youngs stretched unsuccessfully to connect with a Ryan Blackman free kick on 67 minutes. Then, a minute later, Bricknell’s excellent chip from distance was tipped over by the fingertips of a back-pedalling Russell. Bricknell and substitute Lewis Taaffe both tested Russell further before, with eight minutes of normal time remaining, another sub Jared Small cross accurately from the right for Josh Urquhart to head home emphatically.

The scoring sequence continued when Taaffe found himself in acres of space and chipped over the advancing Russell, who got his fingers to the ball but couldn’t get enough purchase with his leap and the ball was soon nestling in the back of the net. Ramsgate’s day to forget was complete when Nzembela was tripped by Johnson and Bricknell stepped up to grab his hat-trick from the spot four minutes from time.

Enfield Town: Dan Lincoln, Josh Urquhart, Lee Chappell, Ryan Blackman, Harold Joseph (Jeremiah Gyebi 70), Adam Pepera, Sam Youngs, Percy Kiangebeni (Jared Small 76), Billy Bricknell, Neville Nzembela, Lyle Della-Verde (Lewis Taaffe 58). Unused subs: Junior Mubiayi, Sam Hatton, Larry Asare, Jon Muleba.

Ramsgate: Jacob Russell, Jerald Aboagye, Ryan Johnson, James Morrish, Ben Wilson, Theo White (Ollie Boulding 60), Tom Chapman, Mitchell Chapman, Joshua Ajayi, Ashley Miller (George Nikaj 60), Luke Carey. Unused subs: Sobechi Nwaokolo, Jake McIntyre, Edward Harvey. Booked: Mitchell Chapman.

Attendance: 415.