Chippenham 3 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

 For 25 minutes in the first half yesterday and a good chunk of the second, Enfield Town played perhaps our best football of the season to date.

No wonder, at the final whistle, Gavin Macpherson once again cut a frustrated figure.

For the third time in six games, we led a lead slip – in this case not once but twice – after going in front. And for the second match in a row, we were beaten with virtually the last kick of the game.

Did we deserve more? Without a doubt but that will be of scant consolation  players, management and fans after our fifth loss in six games.

All in yellow, it all started so brightly for Town on a grey, humid Wiltshire day, backed by a noisy thong of away fans who outsung the home supporters all afternoon.

After Chippenham’s Tom Owen-Evans was correctly denied a first minute penalty following minimal contact, we took the game to the Bluebirds.

Hisham Kasimu, back from injury and enjoying his best game so far in an Enfield shirt, rattled the crossbar after intercepting a terrible backpass, then Billy Leonard hit the side netting from a tight angle.

And on 17 minutes our early promise yielded dividends. Hisham, a physical presence all game, won the ball in a dangerous position and picked out Ollie Knight who raced down the wing before delivering a sublime cross for Billy Leonard to slide in at the far post (pictured).

It was just what we deserved at the time but as so often in this campaign, we couldn’t hold on to the advantage. Just before the half hour, Matt McClure found a pocket of space just outside the area and rifled a fierce drive into the top corner despite Rhys Forster getting a hand to the ball.

It was Chippenham’s first moment of real danger but they immediatly built on it and started to stretch us. Owen-Evans had another penalty appeal turned down, this one more plausible, while Forster held on to a Joe Andrews low drive and Dawes had another effort blocked on the line.

H-T 1-1

Chippenham started the second half as they had finished the first with Dawes pulling the strings and shooting over after some fine interplay.

But we, too, looked a threat going forward and Kasimu had the ball in the net again after a wonderful move through the middle of the pitch, only to be ruled offside.

Now it was end to end stuff. McClure scuffed his shot in front of goal after Dawes had skimmed past three Town players, then Owen-Evans drew  an excellent save from Forster.

But on 70 minutes we were back in front  with Kasimu’s first goal for the club, pouncing on  a defensive howler to shoot past Will Henry.

Hisham so nearly extended our lead as could only find the side netting from Ollie Knight’s pass but then came the denouement we had all hoped to avoid.

With 11 minutes to go, Bernie Tanner’s attempted clearance went straight to the opposition and after the ball was recycled, Owen-Evans fired home an angled shot.

Now it was all about trying to see the game out for a point but it was not to be as we struggled to keep possession. Two Chippenham chances came and went before, in the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Aaron Amadi-Holloway took advantage of another defensive slip and crashed home the winner through the hands of Forster who didn’t even see it.

“To be honest I’ve never been more angry after a game,” declared Gavin. “When you see so much effort, both from management and players, and when you see a strategy that is largely working and then you chuck away a game with two very basic errors, these are things that you will get exploited for at this level.”

Falling too deep in the pitch after scoring is becoming a pattern. “Maybe it’s because getting in amongst the opposition is unsustainable if we don’t have enough legs in the side,” said Gavin. “But if you can’t secure the ball, you can’t get up if you smash the ball up the pitch and it comes straight back. When you’re playing against better teams you can’t avoid to do that. Unlike, perhaps, last season.”

“Whether it’s a mindset thing, it has to be addressed. For 20 minutes or so we got strung out between the units. We were much better in the second half but we have fallen short again and it’s for me to decide whether we coach our way out of this or make changes.”

Gavin rejected the idea that our subs may have been made too late. “If there was a valid argument  that the lack of subs contributed to the defeat, I would accept it. But that’s not what happened. It’s absolutely not why we lost the game.”

Next up another away trip, to Eastbourne on Tuesday, an even tougher game on paper. But no-one can fault us — as Gavin pointed out — for effort and intention.

Town: Forster, Soloman (Parcell 86), Payne, Joash Nembhard, Tanner, Adjei-Hersey, Youngs (Leshabela 83), Leonard,  Thomas, Knight, Kasimu (Beckles-Richards 86)