Enfield Town FC

Report

Maidstone United 4-0 Enfield Town

Stones Roll Over Enfield
Report by Andrew Warshaw

For over 75 minutes, against full-time opponents who were on a 17-match unbeaten league run, Enfield Town were well in the game and, at one stage when trailing by a single goal, looked the side more likely to score. Only a penalty, conceded late on the first half and needlessly given away by a handball, separated the sides as we stuck to our game plan of being difficult to break down. Then it all fell apart as we fell to a 4-0 defeat against a bang in-form Maidstone United side who ran out worthy winners courtesy of substitute Shaq Coulthirst’s 13-minute hat-trick, though the final scoreline perhaps flattered them.

No wonder Gavin Macpherson, consigned to the away directors box to watch game through an accumulation of yellow cards in the Town dugout over the season, was left feeling so aggrieved. Missing the unavailable Lennon Peake, Joe Payne came into the side while Amaru Kaunda made his first start for the club though, perhaps surprisingly, alongside Sam Youngs rather than playing off either Jake Hutchinson or Anointed Chukwu.

The Stones started brightly, hurling a long throw into our box from which George Fowler’s curling effort just cleared the bar. It continued to be a case of attack versus defence, with Stones’ leading marksman Aaron Blair giving Henry Hawkins a tough time and Fowler planting a free header over. But Town were holding their own in terms of organisation and discipline until the 35th minute when an extremely harshly awarded free kick was handled in the box by Bayley Brown and Ben Brookes stroked home the penalty. Town hadn’t really threatened going forward but now we did, twice in fact. Sam Youngs saw his header pushed over by Alexis Andre Jr (pictured) and from the resultant corner, Hawkins missed a great opportunity.

Half Time: Maidstone Utd 1-0 Enfield Town

Maidstone continued to have the lion’s share of the possession but Chukwu, just off the bench with Youngs pushed into his more familiar position, so nearly pulled us level, somehow missing the target from three yards out. We proceeded to carve out a couple more half chances, Mickey Parcell blasting over, but after our best spell of the game, the Stones doubled their lead on 78 minutes when Blair beat his man and pulled the ball back for Coulthirst to rifle into the net. All our hard work was suddenly undone and as concentration lapsed, mistakes were made and the same pair were at it again, Blair slipping the ball into the path of Coulthirst who drilled home. And there was still time for Coulthirst to complete his hat-trick, tapping home after Forster could only parry a powerful Riley Court drive.

“Probably outside of our dressing room no-one expected us to get anything from the game but the penalty aside, I was fairly happy at half time”, said Gavin Macpherson. “We expected the stats to be in their favour but the first 25 minutes after half time, we were the better side. Then the last 15 minutes were a complete disaster and littered with mistakes which cost us and I’m livid.”

Town: Forster; Benjamin, Thompson, Hawkins (Adjei-Hersey 89), Leonard, Mickey Parcell, Smith (Chukwu 71), Brown, Payne, Youngs, Kaunda.