Enfield Town FC

Report

Enfield Town 1-0 Weymouth

Town Take Down Terras
Report by Andrew Warshaw

Reece Beckles-Richards came off the bench to drive home a 74^th-minute winner as Enfield Town prevailed in this crucial basement battle in front of a bumper four-figure crowd on our annual Whole Club Day.

It may be too early in the season to call it a six-pointer but our first home win since that opening success in mid-August was just reward for a gutsy and largely dominant display.

After being trounced at Hampton and Richmond last week, Town needed a response and Gavin Macpherson made five changes to the starting line-up, resulting in arguably our best opening 45 minutes of the season.

Once we had settled down after a scrappy start, there was an energy and zip about our play, Sam Youngs striking the bar with a bullet header following a clever chip from Lennon Peake.

Three minutes later and the woodwork was struck again. A trademark Joe Payne long throw was only half-cleared and Mickey Parcell – once again wearing the captain’s armband and superb on the day apart from an early booking – saw his long-range shot come back off the post.

Weymouth might have taken the lead against the run of play but for Xavier Benjamin sticking out a leg to thwart Euan Pollock but most of the danger was at the other end.

Harley Mills’ superb diagonal pass put home debutant Jake Hutchinson through on goal, only for Will Bose to save. Then, when Harry Ottoway kept the ball alive, Alfie Tuck blasted wide.

Alfie really looked the part all afternoon protecting the back three but will be conspicuous by his absence next Saturday at Farnborough after being called up by Wales under-18. Congratulations Alfie!

H-T 0-0

Town needed to capitalise on their first-half domination after letting Weymouth off the hook but when the visitors changed their shape and threw on a flurry of subs, they made it a far more even encounter.

Clear cut chances suddenly dried up but Town were still probing and Hutchinson’s cross was played in just behind the darting Beckles-Richards.

Finally, on 74 minutes, the deadlock was broken as Reece latched on to a poor clearance and finished with aplomb.

Only now did the Terras threaten and the last 15 minutes were heart in the mouth stuff. Twice they had shots cleared off the line, one hitting their own player, the other a timely Parcell intervention.

And twice they saw headers flash wide including  right at the death when Ezio Touray somehow missed the target from the centre of the goal.

But this was a deserved win and a vital one given we have played one game more than those around us.

“We could have been out of sight at half time,” said Gavin. “It may have looked like we were hanging on at the end but  I think largely we dealt with it.”

“Really pleased with the guys. We sat in the dressing room for an hour after Hampton because it was so poor but today the boys really rolled their sleeves up.”

“We haven’t had too many successes but the boys reminded me that’s now two wins in three. We worked incredibly hard in training and are still in a way playing catch-up to sustain ourselves at this level. Hopefully we’re on the right track. We’re all trying to grow and Farnborough will be massively difficult. No disrespect to Weymouth but next Saturday is a step up in terms of opposition.”

Town: Forster; Parcell, Benjamin, Payne; Mills, Youngs (Smith 76), Tuck, Peake (Leonard 65), Adjei-Hersey; Ottaway (Beckles-Richards, 65), Hutchinson (Nembhard, 90)