Enfield Town FC

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Tonbridge Angels 1-3 Enfield Town

Angels Fall to Resurgent Town

Enfield Town climbed off the foot of the National League South with a hard-fought and richly deserved 3-1 victory over Tonbridge Angels at Longmead on Tuesday evening; their first league win in two months.

Having crashed out of the FA Trophy at Sittingbourne three days earlier – and with regulars Dan Cox (illness), Dylan Adjei-Hersey (unavailable), and Joe Payne (suspended) all sidelined – Town certainly had their work cut out in Kent, facing an Angels side yet to taste defeat at home in the league this term. Yet they produced some of their best football of the campaign so far and on another night may well have notched more than the three goals they managed. Bayley Brown and Henry Hawkins, each making their full debuts, slotted in seamlessly and added a welcome physical presence, while there were much-improved individual performances in practically every department.

It was the hosts who were quickest out of the blocks, though, with Sean Shields’ swerving cross-shot forcing Rhys Forster into action inside the opening minute, and Jeremy Santos testing the Enfield ‘keeper following the resulting corner. The Towners were soon into their own rhythm, however, with a well-worked move ending in Jake Hutchinson dragging an effort wide in front of goal. As both sides enjoyed early spells of possession, it was the visitors who hit the front on 20 minutes as the in-form Lennon Peake, deployed at left wing-back, swung in a teasing cross and Hutchinson darted across goal to glance a deft header in off the back stick.

While Town may have retreated into their shell upon taking the lead in recent games, it was anything but here as there was now a real confidence about their game. Barely a minute after going ahead, Sam Youngs, again deployed as an auxiliary forward, would have doubled Enfield’s advantage but for ‘keeper Matt Rowley tipping his side-footed effort against the post at full stretch. And their efforts soon paid dividends as they found a crucial second after the half-hour mark. Moments after themselves being threatened from a corner kick, Town added a second from a set piece of their own; Bayley Brown met Peake’s delivery in the air and Hutchinson was again well-positioned to nod home from point-blank range. The Angels were now smarting and were handed a lifeline six minutes later through another set piece; Jamie Fielding with an easy header from a Shields corner. Town needed to remain resolute, and defended well to keep their lead intact to half time; Forster denying former Towner Harry Ottaway’s header just before the break.

HT: Tonbridge Angels 1-2 Enfield Town

The second half was a far slower burner than the first, with a slew of Tonbridge substitutions failing to muster a response as Town contained the Angels’ attacks. The flashpoint came on 74 minutes as Enfield were opened up down their left channel, and required a vital stop from Forster to deny winger Mo Dabre with the goal at his mercy. As the match entered its closing stages, Town found their momentum with some neat one-touch passes. They spurned a gilt-edged chance on the counter as substitute Jack Smith and Peake exchanged a neat one-two into the box, only for Peake to shank his eventual effort agonisingly wide of the mark, but with ten minutes to play, Town clinched it with a crucial third. A short throw was worked to Sam Youngs down the right flank and, with the angle to goal narrowing, he drilled a low effort through the goalie’s legs and in, to the jubilation of a pocket of Town supporters behind the goal.

“You’ve got to look at it for what it is especially with the way we’ve been recently: we’re coming to a tough side who I don’t think have lost here all season”, said boss Gavin Macpherson. “…I have to pay due respect to what we’ve done here tonight because it’s a really good result. We had a few square pegs in round holes and everyone played their part, including my management team.”