It is the club’s intention to run trials for season 2023/24 on Saturday June 24th and Tuesday June 27th, just in advance of the First Team squad returning for pre-season training.

Spaces will be limited and our trials are always oversubscribed, so not every application will be successful. Players ideally should have at least Step 5 playing experience and whilst all applicants will be reviewed, places cannot be guaranteed.

For an application form, please apply in the first instance to graham.dodd@etfc.london

The club are delighted to announce that we have re-signed fan favourite Mickey Parcell.
Right-back Mickey needs no introduction to the Towner faithful; a local lad who featured on 193 occasions during his first spell with us, participating in the 2016-17 playoffs and playing a key role in our 2018-19 Velocity Trophy against Hornchurch. Since then, he has gone on to enjoy four hugely successful seasons with the Urchins, including a remarkable 2021 FA Trophy win and – individually – being named in the Isthmian Team of the Season for the last two years running.

Boss Gavin Macpherson commented: “To announce Mickey as my first Enfield signing is massively exciting. As we all know he is a quality, fully committed player who is excellent to have around the club. Mickey will drive standards within the group and, with him being one of the senior players, bring leadership qualities which any Manager will look for. I believe he will add heart and desire to what we are looking to achieve, it’s one of my best ever signings.”

Chairman Paul Reed was equally buoyant: “we’re thrilled to welcome Mickey back to the club. We all know what a fantastic player he was during his first spell with us and he has only improved during his successful time at Hornchurch. We know this news will be very well received by everyone at the club and we can’t wait to see Mickey in a Town shirt again.”

As the club enters a new era we are relaunching our GoToTown scheme. We have various packages in place to suit all – from those who watch all or most games to those who are less regular visitors.

All of the packages provide you with membership of the ETFC Supporters Society, making you an owner of the club. It also gives you the right to attend and vote at the AGM and on other important matters and to stand for the Board if you wish.

The packages allow you to spread the cost of supporting your club during the course of the year through monthly payments. Online matchday programmes are provided so you don’t miss any of the latest news plus you will receive weekly emails updates covering everything Enfield Town. You also are given a credit to help buy the latest shirt or anything else in our well-stocked Club Shop. The Gold membership provides everything you need to support the club for a whole season. It even provides you with a free pint at every home game!
Importantly, the Gold package gives you a saving of over £150 during the course of the season.

•Gold – £35 per month
Society membership, Season Ticket, admissions to home friendly and cup competitions, access to main stand, online and hard copy matchday programme, free drink in Butlers Bar for each home game, £40 Club Shop credit.

•Silver – £23 per month
Society membership, Season Ticket, online and hard copy matchday programme, £30 Club Shop credit.

•Senior/Student – £17.50 per month*
*For over 65’s and students 16 and over.
Society membership, Season Ticket, online matchday programme £20 Club Shop credit.

•Out of Towner – £12 per month
Society membership, tickets for 5 home league games, online programme, £20 Club Shop Credit.

Please support your club by signing up to one of the packages today! Click below to Join Us:

As our new manager Gavin Macpherson builds his squad ahead of the new campaign starting Aug 12, we can confirm the following pre-season friendlies have been agreed, subject to change.

3 PM Saturday 15 July QPR B — Home

QPR B are the club’s under-21 Side and play in the Professional Development League Two South.

7:45 Tuesday 18 July St Albans City — Home

Last season St Albans finished 6th in National League South and reached the Play-Off final before losing to Oxford City.

3 PM Saturday 22 July Bracknell Town — Home

Last season Bracknell finished second in the Southern Premier South, with 90 points, but lost to Truro City in the Play Off Final

7:45 PM Tuesday 25 July Welwyn Garden City — Away

Welwyn are managed by former Towner Marc Weatherstone and play in Southern League Central Division

3 PM Saturday 29 July Waltham Abbey — Away

Abbey also play in the Southern League South

3 PM Saturday 5 August Grays Athletic — Home

Grays finished 5th in Isthmian League North last season and were beaten by Sudbury in the Play-off Semifinal

We are hoping to add Tottenham Hotspur’s U21s to the list of friendlies but at the moment we don’t have a date for this fixture.

All the best to Adam Cunnington and James Dayton, who have departed the club. Ex-professional James was our first signing of the 2022-23 season, and he chipped in with six assists and a man-of-the-match award v Potters Bar during the campaign. Fans’ favourite Adam was first choice striker for a lengthy period last season and overall registered 14 goals in his 80 appearances in a blue and white shirt since joining in December 2020. His blockbuster against Herne Bay was voted by fans as Goal of the Season for 22-23.

In case you missed it, Lyle Della-Verde has also moved on. Lyle, who enjoyed two spells with us since initially joining in December 2019, notched 104 appearances, 7 man-of-the-match awards and 29 goals in a Town shirt – the majority of which were from the proverbial top drawer.

We thank them all for their services and wish them the best for the future.

Farewell, Macca!

Yesterday, Enfield Town stalwart Nathan McDonald also announced his intention to move on. Macca played 321 times across two spells with the club between 2014 and 2023, making him our second-highest appearance maker ever. Last season, he kept 12 clean sheets and was twice voted man-of-the-match as he picked up ETFC’s Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Year awards. We are immensely grateful to Nathan for his contributions over the years, and wish him all the best!

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gavin Macpherson as manager of Enfield Town FC.

Gavin joins us after parting company with Met Police FC, where he spent over twenty years as a player, assistant, and manager.

Following a playing career for Barnet and Carlisle, as well as spells at Wealdstone, Slough Town and Woking, Macpherson took the managerial reins at the Met for the 2018-19 season after the resignation of Jim Cooper, guiding them to victory in the Southern League playoffs – only to be denied promotion at the final hurdle against Tonbridge Angels in the ‘Super Playoff’. With another play-off campaign, as well as a couple of Surrey Senior Cups to his record, he is a widely-regarded coach who has gained a reputation for moulding highly competitive squads.

Chairman Paul Reed said: “I’m delighted that we have reached an agreement with Gavin and his team. We had a number of impressive applicants, but Gavin was our clear favourite. His short-term and longer-term intentions as manager align closely to ours and he certainly fulfilled the criteria set out at the start of our recruitment process. He brings with him a very strong track record and considerable expertise at step three. I am very much looking forward to working with him and his coaching team.”

We hope to announce a ‘Meet The Manager’ event in due course.

Everyone at Enfield Town FC wishes Gavin and his team a warm welcome, and every success moving forwards!

The club invites applications for the post of first team manager. The preferred candidate will have experience of managing at a similar level or above and be able to demonstrate a proven track record of success in their career to date.

Please submit your application to chairman@etfc.london

After six years at the helm, manager Andy Leese and the club have agreed to part company with immediate effect.

Andy took over in May 2017 and steered the Town through an initial rebuild and the two Covid interrupted seasons before guiding the club in to the play-offs and our highest ever league finish in the 2021/22 campaign. He also steered us to Isthmian League Cup success in 2019, the 4^th qualifying round of the FA Cup in his first season and a record run to the 3^rd round of the FA Trophy in 2021.

Chairman Paul Reed said “Both personally and on behalf of the club I would like to thank Andy and his staff for all of their efforts during his time at the club. He’s given us many highs and fantastic performances, putting together a team that our supporters could be proud of. Andy has always proven himself to be a honourable, hard working and talented manager who has constantly had the best interests of the club at heart. On a personal level we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship and I truly appreciate his enormous contribution to our club over the past six seasons.

The club wish Andy and his staff all our best wishes for the future.

Huge congratulations to all those who won our season-ending awards, presented after Saturday’s final game.

Nathan McDonald (pictured with skipper Scott Thomas) picked up two prizes —  supporters’ player of the year and players’ player for a series of outstanding saves made throughout the season.

Adam Cunnington won the management’s player of the season while Marcus Wyllie took the young player award.

Jake Cass took the Golden Boot award for his 18 goals while Ian Hamilton deservedly won the club person of the year award, having been an invaluable volunteer in a variety of different roles, all of them crucial – not least on the turnstiles.

Well done, each and every winner!

Enfield Town 1 Aveley 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Despite a healthy 600-plus final-day crowd, there was an inevitable sense of anti-climax on Saturday as we ended the league season in a disappointing ninth position, having taken just three of a possible 18 points during a tough run-in.

No-one can fault the players or the management team for their sterling efforts throughout the season and whilst no-one wanted or anticipated this outcome after we spent so long in the top 5, it gives everyone a chance to take stock and come again in the summer.

Lewis Knight was missing with an achilles problem but James Richmond returned after illness while Adam Cunnington was restored to the starting line-up.

 Set pieces have been our downfall for much of the season and after starting slowly we were punished again on 13 minutes when Ryan Scott rose highest to head home a freekick.

Harry Gibbs headed another freekick just wide before we had a couple of dangerous moments ourselves, first when Andre Coker wriggled his way into the box but was stopped before he could get a shot away, then when Khale da costa ran on to a long ball upfield but was ruled offside.

We just couldn’t get going in the final third, however, and as Aveley continued to probe, Temilolu Babalola got in front of his marker but thankfully shot weakly wide.

H-T 0-1

With the supply line to our forwards frustratingly off-key, we just couldn’t test Jonathan North enough.

Until, that is, the 67^th minute when Sam Youngs sent North the wrong way from the penalty spot (pictured) after substitute Lewis Taaffe was impeded after slaloming  his way into the box.

That should have been the springboard for Town to burst into life. Instead, on 70 minutes, Babaoloa got his head to an inswinging corner to win the points for Aveley who finished fourth and can look forward to a semifinal against Canvey Island.

To compound our frustration, Taaffe received a straight red with 10 minutes remaining after he was adjudged to have lunged in dangerously on Emannuel Ogunrinde though it looked to many like he slammed the ball into Ogunrinde’s midriff.

Town

McDonald; Renee, Richmond, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Thomas, Youngs (Cass, 77), Da Costa (Bakare, 63), Isaac (Taaffe, 61); Cunnington, Coker

Anyone who anticipates the team lacking fight in our final fixture of the season at home to Aveley on Saturday (3pm kickoff) after agonisingly missing out on the playoffs can think again.

As the management team pointed out after last weekend’s gut-wrenching disappointment at Bishop’s Stortford (to whom we extend our congratulations for winning automatic promotion), we want to end the campaign on a high even if everyone hoped for different outcome over the season as a whole.

Fourth-placed Aveley have taken one point from the last nine but have otherwise been in consistently decent form and have the luxury of knowing that they will definitely finish in the playoff places.

The Millers squandered a two-goal advantage in the dying moments of a thriller against high-flying Canvey Island in midweek but will be keen to showcase their ability as they bid for back-to-back promotions.

After a tough season when we came so close to achieving our goal, we need as many supporters as possible to get behind the Town and give the best possible rousing send-off to the players and management team for all their efforts in trying to secure a top-5 place, ultimately just falling short.

All fans are then invited to remain after the game for the end-of-season awards which include Supporters’ player of the season, players’ player, manager’s player, goal of the season and best club person.

Bishop’s Stortford 4 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town’s playoffs dreams were finally extinguished on a sobering afternoon on Saturday – yet at one point it might easily have gone down to the last game.

Just after we equalised in a dominant 15-minute spell in front of a bumper 1,300-plus crowd at the champions elect, we were very much in the ascendancy.

Stortford were wobbling at that point and had we scored the next goal, who knows what might have happened.

But three goals in 13 second-half minutes left us crestfallen, beaten in the end by an excellent side  who are strong in all areas of the pitch and are where they are for a reason having now won six on the bounce.

None of that, of course, will ease the gut-wrenching  disappointment of Town having taken just three points from the last 15 – and 16 from a possible 45 — as we attempted to cement fifth place in the latter stages of the season.

It’s not what any of us wanted but the fact that our final outing against Aveley on Saturday is now redundant should not disguise the fact that the players and management have tried their hardest to bring about a different conclusion.

In a game we effectively had to win, the management used virtually every attacking option at our disposal whether in the starting line-up or on the bench though Adam Cunnington missed out because of last weekend’s knock.

More crucially over the 90 minutes, perhaps, James Richmond was conspicuous by his absence at the back because of illness

The first half was all about digging in and repelling Stortford’s series of well delivered set-pieces in front of an expectant crowd.

 Nathan McDonald was twice called into action early doors while Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite made a timely interception to thwart the dangerous Frankie Merrifield.

It looked like we would go in level after standing firm but on 35 minutes all our good work was undone when we conceded straight from a curling Darren Foxley corner that evaded everyone and nestled in the corner.

Just before the interval, having snuffed out most of Stortford’s attacks, we had a chance ourselves only for  Michael Bakare to be flagged just offside from Jake Cass’ through ball

H-T 0-1

Whatever was said to the players at halftime we came out a revitalised team and levelled two minutes later.

Chez Isaac’s through ball found the experienced Bakare who showed fantastic composure by rounding the keeper to score the first goal Stortford had conceded for six matches (pictured).

 Suddenly we started to burst forward with renewed vigour and Sam Youngs headed just over from a corner.

The next goal was always going to be vital but frustratingly it went Stortford’s way,  Anthony Church converting after we lost concentration at a long throw.

Stortford now had their tails up again, playing through the channels with plenty of invention. A Merrified drive flew just over and on 65 minutes the hosts made the game safe as Foxley got goal-side of his marker to thump a bullet header past McDonald.

It might have been four when Merrified was clean through, Nathan somehow saving brilliantly with his legs.

But on 71 minutes another troublesome long throw by former Towner Matt Johnson was only half-cleared back into his path and from the resultant chip, Ryan Charles volleyed home.

The dejected look on all the Enfield players’ faces at the final whistle said everything about the sense of anti-climax after a season that for so long promised another playoff finish and another crack at  promotion.

“You can’t sugar coat it, we haven’t been good enough from perhaps the early part of February and we showed that again,” said an understandably downcast Andy. “We conceded from three set plays after having spent all week working on that.”

“It’s sad because in the end it’s a difference of three or four points. It’s bitterly disappointing but we haven’t been good enough in both boxes. There’s a whole myriad of reasons why we’ve messed it up and it’s tough to take.”

“It’s a collective thing and I’m not just looking at the players. It has to start with me and the management team. I still maintain we have a squad that should be in the top five. I can only apologise to the supporters because we put ourselves in a great position.”

There’s still one more game, of course, and we now need as many fans as possible to get the behind the players and management team on Saturday and give them a rousing send-off for their efforts.

Town
McDonald; Renee, Knight, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Thomas (Taaffe, 73), Youngs, Isaac, Dayton (Coker 63); Cass, Bakare (Wyllie 78).

If the home game on Easter Monday against Haringey was our biggest game of the season until then, this Saturday is now even more important with just two fixtures left.

If we can cause an upset at  league leaders Bishop’s Stortford and/or Cray Wanderers plus those just below us slip up, then a playoff place is very much back in play.

The title will in all likelihood be won by Saturday’s  opponents or Hornchurch or Canvey Island  but of  more concern to us is the five-horse race for fifth  place and the final play-off spot between ourselves, Cray, Lewes, Horsham and Hastings United.

Cray may be favourites on paper but it may well go to the last day of the season on April 22.

The challenge for us, one point behind Cray, couldn’t be much greater.  Runners-up last season, then beaten in the playoffs like we were, Stortford have won their last five games without conceding a goal and could clinch the title and win automatic promotion on Saturday if results go in their favour.

Of course we don’t want to give them that luxury at our expense and are well capable of stopping them in their tracks if we reproduce our best form which we may need to do to stay in the hunt. Our chances will certainly be boosted by a strong following in our final away game of the regular season.

Directions to the ground:

Directions To BSFC

Meanwhile, congratulations to our Under-12 Side who won an international tournament in Italy over the Easter weekend beating Posilipo Santa Maria 4-0 in the final. We will be inviting them as our special guests to the Aveley fixture so we can all show our appreciation of their efforts.

Enfield Town Player of The Season

If you have not done so already vote for your Enfield Town player of the season using the link below.

https://poll-maker.com/QQH2XR59C

A GoFundMe page has been set up for our right-back Juevan Spencer who hasn’t been able to walk freely, work or play football since suffering a terrible ACL injury playing for Town at Billericay in February.

Andre Coker has set up the page for Jueven who was in fantastic form at the time of his injury and has been a significant loss to the squad.

Jueven risks being out of action for up to two years unless funds are made available for him to receive treatment privately.

Andre explains:  “After waiting on the scan results, Juevan has been told he would need two operations to rectify his injuries.

“Due to the current circumstances in the NHS, he was advised he faced a minimum of 10 months on the waiting list with an additional 9-12 months for full rehabilitation and recovery. Essentially, Juevan could be looking at 2 years of not being able to walk freely, work or play football.”

“Our aim, hopefully with the support from family, friends, the club, and the football community, we hope we can come together to raise enough money so that Juevan is able to receive private treatment and care and reduce the time he is waiting by half.”

“Not only is football a huge part of Juevan’s life but it is also a source of income for him and his family and the thing he loved doing the most. We appreciate times are hard but we would be grateful for any help and support to get Juevan back fit again.

Please donate to Juevan’s GoFundMe page if you are in a position to do so:

https://gofund.me/798c958f

Enfield Town 2 Haringey Borough 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Football can be a cruel game as a draw was clutched from the jaws of victory in the dying moments on Easter Monday to leave Town’s playoff hopes hanging worryingly in the balance.

Seemingly in control against a Haringey Borough side who put up the usual resistance, combined with a fair few tricks of the trade, we  were twice pegged back and ended up dropping vital points that could prove all-important in a couple of weeks’ time.

To put the result in stark perspective, the situation is  no longer in our hands. For the first time since Dec 9, we have dropped out of the playoff places, the previous time being back at the end of September.

Of course nothing is done and dusted by any means. Two strong performances at title-chasing Bishop’s Stortford  on Saturday and then at home to Aveley in our final regular league game could still clinch fifth.

But now we have to rely on Cray, one point ahead of us, to slip up. And maybe also Lewes, Hastings and Horsham, all in the chasing pack just behind us.

It’s a tough ask and three points out of a possible 12 at the business end of the season tells its own disappointing story. But whilst it may look a bleak picture, who’se to say there will be no more twists and turns.

Sometimes you don’t get what you deserve – and on the balance of play we certainly didn’t in front of a near-700 crowd, marred it has to be said by a couple of unsavoury incidents including two so-called “fans” – not Town’s as it turned out  — who proceeded to encroach on to the pitch.

In a swirling wind, the ball often looked more like a beach ball than a football, both teams having to adapt such was the difficulty of finding the right weight of pass.

Lyle Della-Verde, in the starting line-up as one of three changes from the defeat at Horsham, delivered a trademark freekick early doors that Max Ovenden tipped over. Jake Cass then almost converted from a Joe Payne pass while another Della-Verde delivery resulted in a bullet header that was just off target.

The deadlock was broken on 23 minutes when Adam Cunnington was impeded in the box, suffering a nasty wound in the process that needed lengthy treatment as blood streamed down his face (pictured).

Cass walloped the penalty down the middle and although it was saved, he managed to get to the rebound first.

Before Haringey could kick off, Nathan McDonald went down in our area, apparently the victim of beer being thrown from someone in the away end.

Cunns,  bandaged up not once but twice, inevitably couldn’t last much longer and was replaced by Andre Coker with Cass pushed further forward into his favoured position.

With halftime approaching, Haringey levelled after a bizarre passage of play. A poor Nathan McDonald throw-out was collected Matthew Young whose cross found Alphonso Kennedy who let fly.

Nathan appeared to have redeemed himself with a world-class save but from the resultant corner, Scott Mitchell got in front of his marker to head home.

H-T 1-1

If Town edged the first half they were even more dominant in the second but ultimately couldn’t make it count.

As the wind picked up, so Town’s pressure increased but quality in the final third and clear-cut chances were lacking while little luck was going our way as Della-Verde became the second player forced to go off injured.

Haringey had a penalty appeal turned down but on 65 minutes we were deservedly back in front as Cass collected Michael Bakare’s pass, drove into the area and shot powerfully past Ovenden.

Sam Owusu’s chip for Haringey was luckily only half hit but we continued to look the more threatening side and should have made the game safe with the best move of the game.

A sublime Cass back heel found Coker who played ball back into Jake’s path, only for him to blast over with his weaker left foot as his eyes lit up for the hattrick.

It proved a costly miss.  In the last minute of regular time the visitors, who had started to push forward ominously, were awarded a spotkick of their own for handball. 

After a lengthy delay as a result of a multi-player scuffle, Nathan moved to his left to save low down from Rakim Richards but Stefanos Georgiou was first to the loose ball, belting it into the net despite clearly having encroached into the area by several yards without either the referee or the linesman seemingly noticing.

It left a sour taste in the mouths of every Towner fan after a typically competitive derby that was followed by another unwanted incident near the tunnel.

Haringey had achieved what they set out to do by drilling arguably the largest hole to date into our playoff chances – hopefully one that can still be repaired in the final two outings.

Town

McDonald; Renee, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Thomas, Isaac (Wilson-Braithwaite, 83), Youngs; Della-Verde (Coker, 63), Cunnington (Bakare 38), Cass.

Horsham 3 Enfield Town 1

Report by Martin Bentley

Enfield Town’s play-off hopes took a major hit at the Camping World Community Stadium as defensive errors, as well as a brilliantly executed freekick, saw a disciplined Horsham side take the three points.

 Town are still clinging on to fifth but are now just one point ahead of the chasing pack fronted by Cray, with three daunting-looking final games remaining.

Town welcomed back skipper Scott Thomas to the starting line-up, with Josh Okotcha replacing an ill Lewis Knight at the centre of the defence.

The game started with a bang with both sides squandering a good chance in the opening five minutes, Jake Cass for Town, and Jack Mazzone for the home side.

Apart from Mazzone’s 16^th minute deflected effort that was gathered by Nathan McDonald, the main feature of the ensuing period were yellow cards for Andre Coker and Horsham’s Chris Sessegnon for a goalmouth dust-up, and one for Cass, following an incident involving Town’s centre forward and the home keeper Taylor Seymour’s water bottle.

Five minutes before half time though, the home side got their noses in front. Joe Payne pulled back Tom Kavanagh as he raced into the box, and Mazzone sent McDonald the wrong way from the penalty spot.

The second half saw Town introduce Adam Cunnington in place of Coker, and they got themselves back on level terms after eight minutes, Cass volleying in Payne’s right wing corner.

Five minutes later though, Town found themselves behind once again. Okotcha conceded a freekick 25 yards from goal, and home skipper Kavanagh proceeded to whip an unstoppable effort over the wall and past a helpless McDonald.

Once again Town chased an equaliser, their best opportunity falling to Cass, whose effort was well saved by Seymour.

Andy Leese introduced Khale da Costa and debutant Michael Bakare up front late on, but the home side made the game safe ten minutes from time, James Richmond’s miskick presenting Charlie Hester-Cook with an unmissable opportunity from ten yards.

 It was a frustrating end to a disappointing Town performance, and immediate improvement is required to cement that final play-off place, starting with arguably our most crucial game of the season at home to Haringey Borough on Monday.

“Defensively today we weren’t good enough,” said Andy afterwards. “Bitterly disappointing and it’s made it harder for us. It’s still in our hands but we’re going to have to be a lot better than we were today.”

Town: McDonald, Renee, Payne, Thomas (Bakare 76), Okotcha, Richmond, Taaffe, (da Costa 76) Youngs, Cass, Dayton, Coker (Cunnington 45).

Saturday’s trip to Horsham marks the first in an eagerly anticipated Easter double header for Town as we bid to hold on to fifth spot and potentially climb even higher, with Haringey Borough to visit us 48 hours later on Easter Monday.

Eighth in the league and still in with an outside chance of a playoff position themselves, Horsham can be a tough nut to crack as last weekend’s surprise win over Hornchurch illustrates.

Horsham were trailing 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to go when Hornchurch had a a goal disallowed for offside. Video footage suggests there was nothing wrong with the goal and Horsham scored twice more in the last  seven minutes.

Nearly 1,300 were at the game and a similar attendance is expected this weekend with a significant Town contingent.

The crowd is expected to be boosted by a kids go free for Easter policy.

Kids Go Free this Easter

In midweek, Horsham’s last chance of silverware vanished when the Hornets crashed to a 4-1 loss at Hastings to exit the Sussex Senior Cup at the quarter-final stage. 

But that should perhaps be viewed in isolation given their league position.

For any Towners planning to travel on Saturday, there is a supporters’ coach leaving at 11am prompt.

Departure Point: QE II Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, EN1 3PL

Departure Time: Leave 11.00.a.m. PROMPT

Cost: £18.00.

For Bookings please contact Les Gold on 07979727563

or lesgold@enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk

For those travelling independently, use the following link.

Find us

Enfield Town 1 Cray Wanderers 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

If you can’t beat one of your nearest rivals, make sure you don’t lose.

So it was against Cray on Saturday though there was a sense of frustration at conceding an equaliser late on.

Cray, riding a four-game winning streak, will feel they did enough to deserve a point and the neutrals may agree with them. But nothing changes as far as the playoff places are concerned, meaning we remain in the box seat.

After the battle of fifth versus sixth, we still have a four-point gap in front of Cray and Lewes – who also drew – with four games left, every one of them a cup final.

With so much at stake for both sides it was a niggly, fragmented affair with several mini flare-ups off the ball, not helped by a heavy pitch, which passed a morning inspection.

Neither side could muster much rhythm in a war of attrition but the flow of the game wasn’t helped either by a spate of unnecessary stoppages caused in part by a referee making his Step 3 debut who was clearly out of his depth.

It wasn’t only the fact that he brandished a series of highly questionable bookings – five of them to Town and almost all them soft, yet now resulting in a financial sanction.

He also waved away at least two possible penalties and possibly a couple of red cards.

As for the game itself we got off to the perfect start on six minutes when visiting keeper Shaun Rowley, after making a superb double save moments earlier, proceeded to fumble a routine corner and Adam Cunnington pounced.

Cunns then appeared to get an elbow in the face, for which nothing was given, while a decent penalty shout for a Cray handball was waved away.

In a stop-start game of few clearcut chances, Town, unchanged from the impressive display against Hornchurch in midweek, might have been further ahead at the break.

The Wands offered little in the opening period and Freddie Carter was fortunate to only receive a caution for a late lunge on James Dayton.

Cray worked themselves back into the game in the final  minutes of the first half but there was little at halftime to suggest we couldn’t go on and win the game.

H-T 1-0

Perhaps it was inevitable, however, that we would drop off given the heavy pitch and that fact that Tuesday sapped a lot of our energy.

Whatever the reason, Cray started to move the ball quicker and commit more men forward.

Cue a timely double substitution by the management to try and help us get over the line.

It very nearly worked, only for the visitors to grab an 81^st minute equaliser.  A goalbound Dan Bassett volley was blocked and when Cray kept the ball alive, Harrison Sodje followed up to unleash a sublime low effort into the corner from 25 yards.

James Richmond, who put in another excellent shift, came to our rescue by getting his body in the way of a Destiny Oladipo effort from eight yards but in the last 10 minutes we came again and so nearly snatched a winner.

Rowley tipped away a goalbound inswinging corner, then did even better in a goalmouth scramble to pull off a terrific close-range save from Khale da Costa who in the ensuing ruck of players appeared to be impeded.

Andy Leese rued the late equaliser. “Nothing changes in terms of the table but it’s still incredibly  frustrating,” said Andy. “I didn’t think we were going to concede. The lads tell me it was a foul on Khale at the end but we didn’t get beaten and now we go again in the last four games.”

Town:

McDonald; Renee, Knight, Richmond; Payne, Dayton (Isaac, 60), Taaffe (Della-Verde, 86), Youngs; Cass, Coker (De Costa, 60), Cunnington:

Having put on a superb display in the 1-1 draw against Hornchurch in midweek, Enfield Town go into the final three weeks of the regular season with arguably an even more important six-pointer against Cray Wanderers tomorrow (kickoff 3pm)

In what is the crunch game of the day, fifth meets sixth separated by just four points — weather permitting, it has to be stressed.

Last Saturday’s 5-3 win over Horsham made it four wins out of four for free-scoring Cray, an indication of just how tough the encounter will be at QE11.

Cray are level with Lewes on 63 points with the Wands having a slightly better goal difference but any team down to Carshalton in 10^th still have a realistic chance of making the play-offs.

 In the reverse fixture in October, we drew 1-1 with Cray, Marcus Wyllie netting for the Town, and although a similar result would keep our noses in front, a win would give us a terrific boost and keep us in pole position going into the final four games of the campaign.

Usually games with Cray have tended to be high scoring affairs and with plenty of fire power in both sides, Saturday promises to be a mightily significant as well as entertaining affair.

Every game now is like a cup final for us and your support will once again be invaluable as we edge nearer to achieving our goal.

There will be a pitch inspection at 10:30 AM on Saturday morning because of the rain we have been experiencing.

In the event the game is postponed it could be arranged for Tuesday 4 April.

We are pleased to confirm that we have signed two players to help us negotiate a tough run-in to the season in our quest for a playoff place.

Hugely experienced forward Michael Bakare, whose international clearance didn’t come through in time to him to play against Hornchurch, has played for a plethora of clubs, most recently Helsinki IFK.

“We felt that was an area of the pitch where we needed to have more options,” Andy Leese said in the Hornchurch match programme.

We have also secured the services of Carlos Velasco, a Spanish rightback who has been training with us and has gone to Welwyn Garden City on a dual registration.

Welcome, gentlemen!

Enfield Town 1 Hornchurch 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

What a fine advertisement this was for Step 3 football.  Two teams going for it, individual battles all over the pitch, Town brave on the ball and in the end the points shared.

In terms of our run-in, it was extremely heartening, the only slight frustration being we couldn’t quite get the win against the league leaders.

The game plan, however, worked extremely well with two holding midfielders to close down space that might otherwise have been exploited by Hornchurch, combined with a counter-attacking system in which Andre Coker, especially, excelled.

Controlling the tempo of the game and matching our high-flying opponents augers well for what is in a sense an even bigger game on Saturday against Cray, the nearest play-off challengers below us who are now four points behind.

In what was effectively our game in hand – twice previously postponed due to the big freeze and county cup games – the rain that lashed down prior to kick-off thankfully survived a pitch inspection.

Town rewarded James Dayton for his excellent display against Herne Bay with a place in the starting line-up while Adam Cunnington was selected up top alongside Jake Cass.

Town started on the front foot and Tom Wraight was booked for a late challenge on Sam Youngs. After 11 minutes, a 25-yard Joe Payne freekick couldn’t have got much closer as it skimmed the top of the bar.

Payne was then called into action at the other end as he somehow cut out Liam Nash’s first-time shot.

Next came a chance for the visitors’ Jordan Clark who found space on the edge of the box but thankfully placed his shot too close to Nathan McDonald.

As the end to end action continued, McDonald dropped on the ball in a goalmouth scramble whilst for the Town James Richmond saw his goalbound header cleared away.

 James Dayton went into the book for a foul on Sam Higgins but on 37 minutes Coker produced a moment of magic, turning inside his marker before lashing a shot goalwards, only for Joe Wright – one of three ex-Towners in a red shirt – to turn it aside.

Hornchurch appeals for a Lewis Knight handball went unheeded and as half time approached, so both goals came – within 30 seconds of each other.  

First, Nash converted a Clark cross from the left but before Hornchurch could celebrate, we equalised straight from the restart.

Johnville Renee, who spent most of the evening looking after chief dangerman Ade Youssef,  made a rare foray forward, exchanged passes with Coker and fired home (Pictured).

H-T 1-1.

Not surprisingly, given the frantic pace of a breathless opening 45 minutes, there was a quieter start to the second period which brought two more yellow cards, firstly for former Towner Mickey Parcell and then Lewis Knight.

Urged on by the 600-plus crowd, we kept probing and midway through the half Coker broke clear but was stopped by a fine Rickie Hayles tackle. At the other end Richmond did brilliantly to fend off Yusuff.

With 15 minutes left, we made a double change – Khale Da Costa replacing James Dayton and Lyle Della-Verde for the tiring Coker.

Della-Verde was quickly involved with a pair of freekicks centrally placed just outside the area.

Against most opponents, at least one of them would have gone in. But Hornchurch had done their homework and both efforts were  headed off the line by another former Towner, Remi Sutton, though from the second one – in the final minute of normal time — Cunnington so nearly converted the rebound to win the game, Joe Wright coming to the rescue.

Seven minutes earlier, Hornchurch themselves might have snatched a late advantage when Higgins, taking advantage of the offside flag inexplicably staying down, shot towards the far corner, only for McDonald to thankfully save with an outstretched leg.

It was that kind of game but the fact that we had double the shots on target says much about how we performed and Andy Leese was delighted.

“I thought we were excellent,” said Andy. “Probably a spell in the first half where we lost our way a little but the second half I thought we dominated. Really heartened by today’s performance: disciplined, battling. We just lacked a little bit of quality at times but generally really pleased.”

Town:

McDonald; Renee, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Taaffe, Youngs, Dayton (Da Costa, 74), Coker (Della Verde, 74); Cunnington, Cass

It’s finally come round and promises to be a cracker.

Tuesday night we entertain league leaders Hornchurch  (kickoff 7.45) at the start of a tough six-game run-in that will determine where we end up in the league.

It’s a game we have all been waiting for, with three ex-Towners possibly in their starting line-up, and has been given extra spice by the fact that the Urchins lost at the weekend while our confidence has been boosted with back-to-back away wins.

Victory tomorrow night in what is effectively our game in hand will put us just two points behind Canvey and Aveley, who are third and fourth, and we are expecting a bumper crowd, probably our biggest of the season.

Hornchurch’s shock 3-2 home defeat to Margate on Saturday after being two goals in front was their first in the league for 12 games stretching back to the end of January.

In the corresponding match against us at the start of the season, we narrowly lost 3-2 at their place. We all know about their fire power but on our day we are a match for anyone and will be out to avenge that result as well as the heartbreaking playoff semifinal loss at the end of last season.

With sixth-placed Cray Wanderers to come at the weekend – another massive six-pointer – it’s all about maintaining our resolve during what promises to be a nail-biting finale over the next month when we play four of the top six.

COYT!

Herne Bay 1 Enfield Town 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Three inspired substitutions from the management team and a couple of magnificent saves from Nathan McDonald got us over the line against a side who looked far from relegation material.

So, it has to be said, did an absolute worldie from Adam Cunnington to restore our lead after we had been pegged back by a team that had won three of their previous four despite their perilous league position.

Winning back-to-back away games cannot be under-estimated  in terms of restoring confidence and has set matters up beautifully for our game in hand on Tuesday night against  leaders Hornchurch and a chance to avenge last season’s playoff semifinal defeat.

Some things, however, are more important than football. We can only wish Herne Bay captain Laurence Harvey well after he was stretchered off with concussion and a suspected broken jaw following a sickening accidental early clash of heads that required immediate and then lengthy medical treatment.

Bay appeared to recover well from the setback but on 21 minutes we took the lead playing into the wind in yellow and white. A Joe Payne long throw was flicked on by Jake Cass and when Sam Youngs laid the ball back into his path,  Jake thumped it home.

As Bay rallied, a superb block by Lewis Knight thwarted the dangerous Jerson Dos Santos, playing only his second game for the Kent side.

Yet one minute later some clever interplay between Dos Santos and Mike West resulted in the former being tripped by Knight. Up stepped Marcel Barrington to send McDonald the wrong way from the spot to level at 1-1.

With their tails up, the hosts almost snatched the lead on the stroke of halftime when Barrington worked his way into a scoring position, only for his shot to be blocked for a corner.

H-T 1-1

Despite being forced into another substitution during the break, the home side came within a whisker of a second goal when a well-worked free kick found defender Dan Johnson who fired narrowly over from close range.

Cue the first of three Town changes, James Dayton replacing Mo Kamara and bringing stability and composure to the centre of midfield.

Johnville Renee saw his delicious low centre evade everyone in front of goal while Cass, a handful all afternoon for the home defence, carried the ball 30 yards before playing in Khale da Costa who blasted over.

The next goal was always going to prove crucial and Herne Bay might well have had it, only for McDonald to keep the scores level. First he managed a spectacular finger-tip save to keep out Jack Sammoutis’ low 25-yard effort. Then he pulled off an equally brilliant flying stop to deny Barrington.

On came Cunnington and Lyle  Della-Verde and the game quickly swung our way.

On 76 minutes, just after Harry Brooks had been forced into a double save, Cunnington found himself in a pocket of space and unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard screamer that almost burst the net (pictured).

Now it was a question of making the game safe and with time running out, Della-Verde was blatantly tripped as he outpaced his marker while bursting into the area from the right.

It was the 14^th penalty Bay had conceded this season and Cass smashed it straight down the middle to the delight of a healthy Town following in the 604-strong crowd on Non-League Day.

“Another important win as we challenge to secure a top-five place,” said Andy Leese. “We had to weather a couple of spells of pressure as you’d expect away from home.”

“They didn’t really trouble us much apart from two stops from Nathan. We made changes at a good time in the game and all the subs made a significant contribution to the result. It sets us up nicely for this week with two more difficult games to come.”

Town McDonald;  Renee,  Knight, Richmond, Payne; Taaffe ( Della-Verde 69’), Youngs,  Kamara ( Dayton 59’), Da Costa (Adam Cunnington 69’

Town make their first ever visit to Herne Bay on Saturday for what promises to be an eagerly anticipated occasion at both ends of the table.

Just as we need maximum points to stay in the hunt for a playoff place with the mother of all run-ins to come, so Herne Bay are fighting for their lives at the bottom and are making a serious fist of trying to hold on to their Step 3 status having been promoted at the end of last season.

This is the last of five successive away league games for the Town and three points would set us up nicely for next Tuesday’s mouth-watering home tie with Hornchurch.

The Bay may be currently 19th in the table but are only two points behind Kingstonian and had a great result at Carshalton last Saturday, winning 3-1 with goals from top scorer Marcel Barrington (two) and Finn O’Mara.

In fact they are in a timely rich vein of form having won three of their last four including home wins over Bognor and Horsham, breezing past the latter 3-0.

In the corresponding game back in October Barrington also scored twice but wasn’t enough to stop us running out 4-2 winners.

If you’re travelling to Herne Bay you may find this link helpful

https://www.hernebayfootballclub.co.uk/a/how-to-find-us–directions-37039.html

The Club will also be running a coach. The Details are:

Departure Point: QE Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx. Departure Time: Leave 11.00.a.m. PROMPT.  

Cost: £18.00

For bookings please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563

lesgold@enfieldtownfooballclub.co.uk

COYT

Corinthian Casuals 0 Enfield Town 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town got back to winning ways on Saturday as we comfortably dispatched relegation-threatened Corinthian Casuals in what was a must-win game to get us back on track after recent disappointments.

Despite a couple of fresh injuries, we deservedly took the points against a side for whom another defeat meant the departure of the manager who was shown the door almost immediately afterwards.

There was a determination and enthusiasm about Town straight from the off, with Sam Youngs moving back into a holding position and Mo Camara and Lewis Taaffe further forward.

Any nerves the players might have felt were settled after just eight minutes as we went in front, aided in part by home goalkeeper Callum Coulter. A poor clearance was pounced on by Camara whose curling effort came back off the woodwork and was finished off by Khale da Costa for his second goal in as many games.

Simba Kudiywa shot into our inside netting but most of the attacking was in the opposition’s half and Taaffe, frequently finding space near the back stick, had one shot cleared off the line and half hit another  when racing unmarked into the box. Thankfully Lewis was not seriously hurt when clattering into the flimsiest of perimeter fences at one point.

We did have a serious let-off when Joe Halsey put a great chance wide but just after the half-hour mark we doubled our lead when Jake Cass got to the ball before Coulter who had no option but to bring him down.

It was a clear spotkick and Jake did what he does best by smashing the penalty into the roof of the net.

It was almost three when successive flicked headers from Cass and Adam Cunnington set up Johnville Renee who bent his effort just over.

McDonald had to be alert to palm an accidental back-header by James Richmond away for a corner before Casuals’ Shaun McAuley lashed inches wide. But the hosts couldn’t shoot straight and we were well worth our halftime lead.

H-T 0-2

A grimacing Cunnington had to stagger off early in the second half but we continued to pose the greater threat as Da Costa dragged his shot just wide after more fine work by Cass whose hold-up play was excellent all afternoon.

There then ensued a brief halt in play as the referee intervened following a complaint by Nathan that he had been slapped by a couple of frustrated Casuals behind the goal.

Thankfully the incident wasn’t serious and a steward was put in place to avert any more disturbances.

Substitute Andre Coker and Cass both had further efforts to extend our lead before linking up to make the game safe with a gorgeous goal on 70 minutes.

Coker cleverly dummied his marker when collecting a raking Lewis Knight pass, played a one-two with Cass and dinked the keeper with a sublime finish (pictured).

Knight preserved the clean sheet with a fantastic double block late on, much to the delight of the travelling Town faithful, who made the trip despite one of the least enjoyable car journeys at the best of times being made all the longer by the train strike.

With a rapidly improving Herne Bay to come next Saturday, followed by the toughest run-in of all the playoff contenders,  Andy Leese was a satisfied man after a professional job in the fourth of five successive away league games.

“Pleased to see us defending better today and taking some of the chances we created,” Andy said. “They didn’t really trouble us in the second half after a change of shape.”

“We had some better performances today and it was good to have Cass back fit.  It was important to win with everybody else around us winning.  The result helped our goal difference which will be important in a few weeks’ time. Hopefully this restores some confidence to the group for the remaining games.”

Town: McDonald; Renee, Richmond, Knight, Payne; Taaffe, Youngs, Kamara, Da Costa (Della-Verde 73); Cass (Wyllie, 82), Cunnington (Coker, 56)

Eight games to go and the toughest of run-ins. Which makes tomorrow’s fixture at Corinthian Casuals, the fourth of five consecutive away league games, so important.

Disappointing though our Middlesex Senior Cup exit might have been, we are still in those vital playoff positions but we need a win to boost morale.

What better chance to collect three valuable points than our visit to a Casuals team languishing near the foot of the table?

Make no mistake, they are just as keen as us to grab a maximum points haul and as we know very well, sides near the bottom are fighting for their lives.

Last Saturday, Casuals lost 1-4 at home to Carshalton and haven’t actually won in the league since Jan 2 — over two months ago.

But home draws against Hornchurch and Canvey Island prove they can be a formidable challenge on their day.

So, of course, can we and we can only hope the injuries we sustained on Tuesday are not too serious as we approach the business end of the season.

Due to limited demand, we will NOT be running a supporters’ coach to this game

Here is the link for those hoping to travel by road, given tomorrow’s train strike

:     http://www.corinthian-casuals.com/getting-here.html

Enfield Town 1 Harrow Borough 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town’s recent inconsistency cost us dearly on Tuesday night as we bowed of the Middlesex Senior Cup in the semi-finals with another indifferent performance.

Hopes were high that we could reach the final of the only cup competition left to us this season but despite taking a first-half lead, we allowed our visitors back into the game and never recovered.

To make matters worse, we suffered a number of injuries with no indication yet as to the extent of their seriousness.

On a cold, wet and windy night there was no indication in the first half that we would have any difficulty dispatching an under-strength Borough who are in the lower reaches of their division, also in Step 3.

Khale da Costa, signed a few hours earlier from Step 2 Chelmsford, showed what a strong asset he will be for us with several penetrating runs.

And it was Khale who gave us a 25^th-minute lead on his debut, following up to score after a Joe Payne shot was parried but not held by Harrow’s 19-year-old keeper (goal pictured).

We had several other gilt-edged chances, notably two James Richmond headers and Marcus Wyllie thrashing the ball over from close range.

A limp Harrow team offered little apart from a dangerous Benjamin de Lacey Turner shot on the counter-attack, saved by Nathan McDonald.

H-T 0-0

With Payne taking a knock, he was replaced at halftime by Joshua Okotcha while Scott Thomas came on shortly afterwards for Chez Isaac, only for the luckless Scott to last only a matter a minutes before he, too, had to be substituted.  

Harrow themselves had brought a couple of their big guns off the bench for the second half but there was still no reason for our sudden capitulation.

On 64 minutes, Lewis Knight was dispossessed as he  waited for the ball to go out of play and from the resulting move, Anointed Chukwu laid on De Lacy-Turner to drive home the equaliser.

Goals change games – none more so than this as Harrow unexpectedly took control. 

Chukwu’s turn and shot saw the ball come off the bar, De Lacy-Turner thankfully steering the rebound inches wide. McDonald’s hands were then stung by a 30-yard Moore piledriver, Richmond just managing to clear the rebound from under the nose of Kai Omoko Brosnan.

Two more decent Harrow efforts were blocked by a defence that was beginning to work overtime. And just as it looked like we might force penalties, we lost the game in the final minute of normal time.

A needless foul by Lyle Della-Verde just outside the box saw Moore dummy over the ball and Quaine Bartley smash home the freekick via a wicked deflection off the wall.

It may have been a cruel way to go out but we were the architects of our own downfall.

Win the next two games, however – both away at relegation-threatened sides – and we can look ahead with renewed confidence for the difficult league run-in.

Town: McDonald, Da Costa (Coker, 68), Payne (Okotcha, 45), Camara, Knight,  Richmond, Taaffe, Isaac (Thomas, 48; sub Youngs, 52), Dayton (Cunnington, 70), Wyllie, Lyle Della-Verde

We are very pleased to announce the signing of winger Khale Da Costa from Chelmsford City. Khale, 29, is a former Fulham and Luton youngster with plenty of experience at the higher end of the non-league pyramid with the likes of St Albans, Braintree, Concord Rangers and Tonbridge Angels.

Gaffer Andy Leese said: “We are pleased to welcome Khale to the club. He is well known to us and will bring experience and quality to the squad. He’s been playing at step two with Chelmsford this season but has experience at step one as well. He was keen to come here which is what we like and will boost the squad for the run in. Please welcome Khale as he goes into the squad for tonight’s game”

Welcome, Khale!

Tomorrow evening sees us take on Harrow Borough  for a place in the Middlesex Senior Cup Final against either Hayes & Yeading or Brentford B (kickoff 7.45).

This is a welcome relief from our exhausting league campaign and gives us a fantastic chance to stay on course for a significant trophy.

Like us, Harrow are in Step 3 and play in the Southern League Premier Division South.

They may be in the lower reaches of that division but have had some eye-catching results this season, not least in the FA trophy where they took National League Halifax Town to penalties before exiting in the fourth round.

Lewes 1 Enfield Town 0

Report by Martin Bentley

A lifeless Enfield Town performance at the Dripping Pan saw them slip to defeat at the hands of Lewes, with a 41^st minute strike from Deon Moore sufficient to secure the three points.

With all of the teams around them, Bishops Stortford excepted, managing to win, Town dropped to fifth place in the table and further into the chasing pack aiming for a play-off place.

Town lined up with Johnville Renee playing against his old team (pictured) and recalled Chez Isaac and Andre Coker to the starting line-up. Reverting to a 4-3-3 formation they began slowly, with the home side’s slick passing game a marked contrast to Town’s more direct approach.

Lewes, however, had only a couple of blocked and off-target efforts to show for their endeavours, and Town slowly grew into the game.

Coker was off target with a 13^th minute effort, but clear chances were at a premium until the 40^th minute. A Scott Thomas corner was cleared by the home defence to the industrious Moore near the halfway line. With Town short-handed at the back, the Lewes striker was able to run through and beat Nathan McDonald from the edge of the box.

H-T 1-0

No-one, however, suspected that this would prove to be the last meaningful effort on goal in the entire game.

The second half saw the home side control possession for long periods without troubling McDonald further, and Town had to wait until the 85^th minute for their only shot on target, Lyle Della Verde’s freekick looping off the defensive wall to be flipped over the bar by home keeper Lewis Carey.

Apart from Lyle’s effort, the final ten minutes of the game were truly bizarre, with Lewes content to retain possession in their own half, and Town seemingly content to watch them do so. Definitely a game to file under ‘must do better’!

Town: McDonald, Renee, Payne, Thomas (Kamara 74), Knight, Richmond, Isaac, Youngs, Cunnington, Wyllie (Della Verde 57), Coker (Taaffe 79).

After a thrilling draw at Hastings on Tuesday, we are back on the road this Saturday with an important trip to our friends and promotion rivals Lewes.

And we come into it off the back of a three-game unbeaten run as we look to revive the flawless form that has got us so far up the table.

Versatility will be key for Town as it showed on Tuesday. With top scorer Jake Cass still nursing an injury sustained last weekend at Bognor, Adam Cunnington provided the attacking spark and opened the scoring with a header. Wing-back Johnville Renee could also prove important; until this month he had been a Lewes player.

Town will have to be wary of the dangerous Joe Taylor in the Lewes frontline. Having already scored 23 goals this season, 13 of which have been in his last 12 games, he is someone that the Town defence will need to carefully marshal all afternoon. Winger Razz Coleman-De Graft has 10 goals for the season and was among the scorers when Lewes earned a 4-2 win at the QEII in October.

Lewes are without a win in five and will be eager for the points, but they are a potential banana skin for Town, having won the sides’ last three meetings, scoring 4 times in each. Remarkably, the Rooks have not lost on their own patch all season – 8 wins and 7 draws, so the traveling support will need to be in fine voice to spur on the boys to inflict their first home defeat of the season and hopefully bring home 3 points!

• Address: The Dripping Pan, Mountfield Rd, Lewes BN7 2XA
• Tickets: Adults £12/Concessions £8
• By Train: 3 minutes’ walk from Lewes Station, served every 30 minutes from London Victoria.
• Food/Drink: Loaded Fries & Hotdogs and Pie & Mash are available from Lewes’ two food kiosks. The Rook Inn bar down the stairs of the main stand is well-stocked with craft beers, ciders and soft drinks.

Hastings United 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Glyn Smith

The 50-or-so hardy Town supporters who made another long trip to the Sussex coast were rewarded with us gaining a valuable point in a highly entertaining game against a very good Hastings side.

With Jake Cass absent due to the hamstring strain he suffered on Saturday,  Adam Cunnington came into an otherwise unchanged starting eleven, who again lined up in a 5-3-2 formation. James Dayton took Cunnington’s place on the bench for a game that was rescheduled after being called off in January because of the big freeze.

In temperatures almost as cold as back then, Town started on the front foot and in the ninth minute a run into the box by Sam Youngs ended with a good save by Louis Rogers in the Hastings goal to prevent Marcus Wyllie scoring from 10 yards out.

 Eight minutes later and great work by the very impressive Johnville Renee saw his deep cross to the far post headed home by Cunnington (pictured) to put Town one up.

Renee continued to be an attacking threat for Town but Hastings responded to going behind with some impressive passing moves without really threatening an equalizer until the half hour mark. Town failed to fully clear their lines following a Hastings freekick and Ben Pope curled a shot from around 30 yards that was destined for the top corner until Nathan McDonald brilliantly dived full length to tip the ball away for a corner in what is probably the save of the season so far.

Four minutes later Town lifted some of the increasing pressure with a cross by Wyllie that saw Cunnington slide in and narrowly miss the target from 10 yards.

The equalizer that had been threatened came two minutes before halftime.

A slick free-flowing passing move from the hosts saw Smith slide the ball into the onion bag with great aplomb past an exposed McDonald.

H-T 1-1

Almost immediately from the restart Cunnington put Wyllie though on goal but his shot was saved well by Rogers at the expense of a corner. Gbode for Hastings responded with a low cross that was well held by McDonald.

A 56^th minute cross by Mo Kamara saw Cunnington again thwarted at close range, but with Hastings gaining more of a foothold Andy Leese replaced Dequaine Wilson-Braithwaite with Andre Coker and changing to a 4-3-3 formation.

Coker made an almost immediate impact by putting Cunnington through on goal, but as with Wyllie’s earlier chance Rogers again saved the one on one. Hastings broke quickly from the resulting corner and James Richmond was booked for fouling the dangerous Smith.

With 20 minutes remaining Lewis Taaffe came on for Wyllie and his free kick shortly after saw Richmond’s header easily held by Rogers.

As the game became more stretched Chez Isaac replaced Kamara and with 10 minutes remaining another quick break by Hastings saw a low 30-yard drive held by McDonald. Isaac, though, was booked shortly afterwards for a foul on the edge of Town’s penalty area, but fortunately the freekick was curled over the bar.

As the game went into stoppage time another good low save by McDonald from a long shot, and subsequent block by Lewis Knight maintained the status quo.

In a final twist deep into stoppage time Hastings gained a throw in level with the edge of Town’s penalty area. They immediately made their final substitution by bringing on Ollie Black, and his long throw into the middle of the box was back headed over the bar and on to the roof of the net by a Hastings player.

Town – McDonald, Wilson-Braithwaite (Coker 59), Payne, Thomas, Knight, Richmond, Kamara (Isaac 77), Youngs, Cunnington, Wyllie (Taaffe 70), Renee. Unused substitutes Dayton, Della-Verde.

Six weeks after the original fixture was called off because of the big freeze, our rescheduled game away to Hastings takes place Tuesday night in what promises to be a challenging encounter.

Three days after our much-needed victory over Bognor, we return to the Sussex coast to face a U’s team who are slowly climbing the table and are now just four points behind Town in seventh place.

On Saturday Hastings, who we beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture in November, were held 1-1 by improving Wingate & Finchley, conceding a late equalizer after Joe Gbode had given them a first-half lead.

But they have only lost one of their last five encounters and seem likely to have another bumper crowd to spur them on in what should be a fantastic atmosphere.

Bognor Regis 0 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Two excellent first-half goals, coupled with clubs around us dropping points, made it a highly satisfying  journey to the  West Sussex coast for Town as we got back to winning ways in the first of five successive away league outings.

Playing in a 3-5-2 formation and with both new signings making their debuts, we totally dominated the first half, then showed the other side of our capabilities by digging in after the break.

Town came flying out of the blocks as Jake Cass burst through, only to smash his effort over the crossbar.

A late challenge on Johnville Renee, playing as a right wingback on his Town debut, resulted in  an early yellow card for Joe Rabbetts – Bognor’s player of the month for the last three months.

Cass saw another effort deflected  past the post before James Richmond missed from a mere two yards as he came up for a corner, holding his head in his hands as he somehow wellied the ball over when it seemed easier to score.

New boy Mo Camara, in central midfield alongside Scott Thomas, fired straight at the keeper before Joe Payne went into the book for a late challenge on Alfie Bridgman.

On 35 minutes, Town got what their attacking play deserved. With Bognor screaming for a penalty after Nathan Odokonyero went down in the box, we surged up the end  and Cass played the ball across for Marcus Wyllie – a threat all afternoon – to supply the finish and wheel away in celebration (pictured)

Three minutes the lead was doubled, with scorer and provider reversed.  Matt Rowley spread himself to keep out Wyllie’s effort but Cass showed fantastic control to thump home the rebound on the volley.

Sadly for Jake and the team, he had to be replaced just before halftime with a hamstring injury, the extent of which was being assessed.

Cameron Black’s toe poke moments later, clutched on the line by Nathan McDonald, was the closest Bognor had come to scoring  in a half we comfortably controlled.

H-T 0-2

Although Bognor looked far more menacing after the break, they didn’t carve out the clearcut chances their possession had threatened.

Dan Gifford diverted a corner over our bar when unmarked on the back post while Isaac Olaniyan’s dangerous cross evaded everyone.

We were still threatening on the counter and Richmond’s flicked header found Adam Cunnington whose own header was directed straight at Rowley.

 Kamara’s physical presence was eye-catching throughout for Town, his only blemish coming when he went into the book.

As Bognor’s desperation grew, so they threw men forward but got little change out of our defence, back to performing as a composed unit.

And there was still time for substitute Andre Coker to twist and turn his way into the box before forcing Rowley into a smart save.

“A much-needed win and better performance from us,” said Andy Leese after we cemented fourth spot and put pressure on those above us, with two more long trips to come this week.

“We adapted our shape and it gave us what we wanted. Bognor may have had the possession in the second half but I felt we defended well and created a few decent opportunities ourselves. Pleased with Mo and JV on their debuts. Both slotted in really well after just one session with us. The win sets us up nicely for a hugely challenging week.”

Town:

McDonald; Wilson-Braithwaite, Knight, Richmond; Payne, Youngs (Isaac, 67), Thomas, Camara, Renee; Wyllie (Coker 76), Cass (Cunnington 44)

After a three-game blip that didn’t thankfully do us much damage as far as the table is concerned, we aim to get back to winning ways on  Saturday with the first of five successive away league fixtures.

We travel to Bognor Regis who are currently 15th in the table with 37 points from 33 games. Back in October we drew 1-1 at the QEII Stadium, Jake Cass equalising from a penalty after Nick Dembele had given the visitors an early lead.

Bognor are one of those teams who have definitely under-performed this season and have lost their last four in the league.

 Yet they beat Bishops Stortford and Haringey in early February and we may well need to keep concentration for 90 minutes to take maximum points before another long haul to Hastings three days later.

Bognor were given a strong confidence boost on Tuesday by thrashing Bexhill United 6-1 to reach the semifinals of Sussex Senior Cup.

If you are travelling on Saturday the information on the link below maybe helpful.

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/bognorregistownfc/a/first-time-visitor-information-47966.html

There is also a supporters’ coach to both Bognor and Hastings. You can book your seat by contacting Les Gold on 07979 727563 or email lesgold@enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk

As some of you will know we have signed versatile midfielder Mohammed Camara on a dual registration basis from Concord Rangers. Andy Leese described him as a great boost to our squad and he should be available for selection on Saturday

We are delighted to announce that versatile midfielder Mo Kamara has joined us from National League South Concord Rangers on a dual registration

“We are delighted to welcome Mo to the club, he’s a player we know well from his impressive performances against us and he’ll provide a fantastic boost to the squad as we approach the business end of the season,” said Andy Leese.

“Thanks to Rob Small and Concord Rangers for their help and professionalism in getting this over the line.”

Enfield Town 0 Margate 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

 (with contributions from Jake Coburn)

Frustration was the name of the game for Town as we were held by a battling Margate despite being in control for long periods.

The good news is that we are still fourth with plenty of games to go in our quest for another playoff place and even automatic promotion.

And the fact that we welcomed almost 650 spectators on our annual Women and Girls Day that created a real feelgood feeling.

The not so good news is that we have taken only one point from nine, have failed to score in open play  in five outings and now face five away league games in March.

Conditions weren’t easy on a bumpy pitch in a biting wind, rendering chances few and far between though it was clear from the very outset that Margate came looking for a point.

Town were unlucky to lose Andre Coker to injury on 20 minutes after he went down for the third time and limped off holding his right leg.

His replacement, Lyle Della-Verde, almost gave us the lead seven minutes later,  latching on to a neat pass from Sam Youngs before shifting the ball onto his favourite left foot and unleashing a venomous strike that was palmed round the post by Daniel Jinadu.

The only other notable incident in the first half were the theatrics of Margate’s Phillip Roberts, booked for simulation after tumbling in the penalty area on the stroke of half time.

H-T 0-0

For some reason – maybe as a result of those back to back 3-0 defeats —  we just didn’t have enough confidence on the ball and were therefore short on spark and invention.

Our best chance came on 53 minutes as a Joe Payne long throw was flicked on by the tall presence of Adam Cunnington and fell to Lewis Taaffe, whose low shot was brilliantly saved by the feet of Jinadu. Cunnington also had a shot blocked by Nathan Wood (pictured).

Margate’s only real threats  came either side of the  hour mark. First Roberts flashed a left-footed cross beyond everyone in the area when all it needed was a touch goalwards. Then  Roberts was teed up on the edge of the box by Harvey Smith but his fierce effort was bravely blocked by James Richmond.

That was all Margate delivered and as the clock ticked down, Town threw on top scorer Jake Cass in the hope of finding a late winner.

His first touch very nearly did so, a header from a Taaffe corner dropping agonisingly wide of Jinedu’s goal.

And in the 82^nd minute Cass was denied again by a timely challenge from Sinn’ Kaye Christie as he was about the pull the trigger.

All that was left was for the referee to book four players, two from each team, following an ugly brawl in stoppage time.

One piece of encouragement for Town was the solid performance of Josh Okotcha who was given a rare start in the absence of Lewis Knight – not permitted to play against his parent club – and showed what a useful member of the squad he is.

“Very frustrating performance yesterday. We dominated possession but it counted for nothing in the end,” said Andy Leese.

“Only positives were that we didn’t concede and gained a point. We have this week to reset ahead of a crucial run of away games.”

Town: McDonald; Wilson-Braithwaite (Cass 67), Okotcha, Richmond, Payne; Thomas, Isaac (Wordsworth 73), Youngs, Taaffe; Cunnington, Coker (Della-Verde, 20)

Saturday’s home game against Margate is important in so many ways.

Firstly we need to bounce back after rare back to back defeats against Canvey Island and Folkestone.

Secondly it’s our last home league game until we meet Hornchurch at the end of March.

But perhaps most importantly of all, to commemorate International Women’s Day on March 8, we are opening our turnstiles free of charge to all women and girls to mark our Annual Ladies Day.

We would like as many female fans as possible to come and watch in a safe, fun and affordable environment and to join our club whether as players at adult/youth level, members, supporters or volunteers.

Margate will be without midfielder Sam Blackman, as he completes a two-game ban, as well as defender Emmanuel Oke who starts a three-match suspension while midfielder Cameron Brodie has been recalled by parent club Dartford.

But that will allow other players to step up to the plate and the club will have been buoyed by their midweek win over Cray Valley PM to reach the last four of the Kent Senior Cup.

In the league Margate are 16^th and although they have taken two points out of a possible 15, they only narrow lost to Bishop’s Stortford in mid-February and have proved at times this season they can be formidable opposition on their day.

Kick-off on Saturday is 3pm and we are hoping for another bumper attendance to match our Public Services Day.

Folkestone Invicta 3 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Despite being the better team for much of the second half, Enfield Town suffered a second successive 3-0 away defeat on Tuesday night with manager Andy Leese saying he was “bitterly disappointed”

Not since late August/early September had Town lost successive league games but a mixture of defensive mistakes, poor collective decision making and bad luck cost them dearly on the Kent coast.

Fortunately Town didn’t lose ground in the leading positions and remain in fourth but we have now played as many games as everyone else – and one more than Hornchurch – making the need for three points at home to Margate on Saturday even more paramount.

The management team made a couple of changes to the side beaten 3-0 at Canvey Island with Marcus Wyllie and Lewis Taaffe both given starts and Adam Cunnington unavailable.

But within 12 minutes we were beaten for pace down our right-hand side and Ira Jackson’s cross was turned in by new signing Louis Collins who looked threatening all evening.

Although we tried to respond, we invariably chose the wrong options in attack or were quickly closed down and were perhaps fortunate to go in at the break only one down. A teasing  low cross eluded  three Folkestone forwards in the box while Jackson got between Lewis Knight and  the advancing Nathan McDonald to lob the ball inches over the bar.

H-T 0-1

Whatever Andy said to the players at halftime, we came out with loads more energy and urgency and almost levelled straight away as Patrick Ohman in the Folkestone goal scrambled ball clear.

Jake Cass then flicked a Taaffe freekick over the bar and Wyllie sent in an excellent low cross that flashed across the six-yard box with no Enfield Town player to meet it.

Lewis Knight was booked for simulation when we had a decent shout for a penalty but just as we began to look the more likely of the two sides to score, we fell further behind on 70 minutes.

Scott Thomas lost crucial possession on the halfway line and the ball was fed into the path of Jackson who cut inside and unleashed a curling effort beyond McDonald.

Unlike at Canvey on Saturday, we continued to probe but had no luck at all when Wyllie hit the post with an angled drive (pictured).

The introduction of Andre Coker had an immediate impact but once again we were made to pay for hesitancy at the back. McDonald managed to parry Jackson’s shot following a poor back-header and Ibrahim Olutade reacted quicker than two Town players by sliding in to convert.

As we continued to go forward, a Wyllie volley was well saved but it was too little, too late in what was generally another below-par display.

“Bitterly disappointed with the performance,” said Andy afterwards. “More of what we saw last Saturday unfortunately. We are still in a great position but we have to respond this week in training and the next game.”

Town:

 McDonald, Wilson-Braithwaite (Okotcha, 86), Payne, Thomas (Lyle Della-Verde, 78), Knight, Richmond, Isaac, Youngs, Cass, Taaffe (Coker, 68), Marcus Wyllie

Following our disappointing defeat last Saturday, we have an ideal opportunity to immediately bounce back tomorrow, Tuesday, when we visit Folkestone Invicta on the Kent coast

Folkestone are currently mid-table following their 3-2 win over Corinthian Casuals on Saturday but have taken seven points from their last three games and are perhaps one of those sides who are under-performing in the division.

In the reverse fixture, our very first game of the season, we drew 1-1 at home and will be looking to hopefully improve on that at the The Buildkent Stadium, kickoff 7.45

COYT

Canvey Island 3 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Canvey Island was the birthplace of Dr. Feelgood, one of Britain’s best-loved rhythm and blues bands.

But there was precious little of the feelgood factor to take away from Town’s visit to that particular corner of Essex on Saturday.

With skipper Scott Thomas’ three-match ban overturned two days previously, there was every reason to be optimistic of a positive result at The Movie Starr Stadium.

Instead we came away well beaten after one of our most disappointing displays of the season.

Make no mistake, this is one of the toughest grounds to get a result – as both Hornchurch and Bishop’s Stortford have discovered this season.

But after an even first half of few clearcut chances in windy conditions, there was little indication we would come unstuck so badly.

Chez Isaac had arguably the best chance of the opening 45 minutes with a speculative 25-yard drive that was brilliantly tipped over by Bobby Mason while at the other end, Conor Hubble flashed a shot inches over our bar.

H-T 0-0

The first goal was all important and unfortunately it went to the Gulls on 56 minutes.

Straight from a set-piece of our own, Evans Kouassi – who troubled us all afternoon just as he done in our 5-1 FA Cup defeat on the same ground earlier in the season – got the better of Wilson-Braithwaite and slid the ball into the area for the on-rushing Joe Paxman to fire home.

Canvey’s lead was doubled four minutes later, again following a move down our right. Somehow we didn’t deal with Kouassi’s driving run and when he cut the ball inside, Bradley Sach swept it home.

Had we pulled a goal back, who knows what might have happened and we so nearly did,  Mason pulling off a world-class save to keep out a Sam Youngs header (pictured)

Sadly with seven minutes remaining, it went from bad to worse for Town as we lost concentration at a Hubble freekick and allowed Rob Girdlestone to convert at the near post.

There was still time for the referee to brandish a red card to Lewis Knight for two bookable offences, only to realise his mistake and change his mind.

Even then, it wasn’t clear whether he had booked James Richmond instead or had in fact yellow-carded Canvey’s number six Elliott Johnson though in the end it hardly mattered.

All teams lose games though the manner of the defeat was clearly not what we wanted.

On the plus side we are still in fourth spot and handily placed. The challenge now is to pick ourselves up for Tuesday’s long trip to Folkestone.

Town: McDonald, Wilson-Braithwaite, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Youngs, Thomas, Isaac; Della-Verde (Taaffe, 76), Cass, Coker (Cunnington 68)

The games come thick and fast and tomorrow we are away at Canvey Island who have surprised some pundits by consistently being in and around the playoff places after being promoted from Step 4.

The Gulls are currently in sixth place on goal difference from Cray in fifth, four points behind Town having played a game more.

They are certainly in decent form having won four of five in 2023 including an upset 3-1 win at Hornchurch.

In the reverse fixture earlier in the season we drew 0-0 having previously been trounced 5-1 at their place in in the FA Cup when  Evans Kouassi notched a hat-trick.

Frustrating though our cup exit was, it is now a distant memory and after grinding out a win over Brightlingsea on Tuesday,  we are arguably the form side of the division.

It certainly promises to be a mouth-watering encounter at the Moviestarr Stadium, kickoff 3pm.

Admission Prices
Adults – £12
Concession – £7
U16s – £2

Address: The Movie Star Stadium, Park Lane, Essex, SS8 7PX

We have been drawn at home to Harrow Borough in the semifinal of the Middlesex Senior Trophy on Tuesday March 14, kickoff 7.45

Like us Harrow Borough are a Step 3 side and play in the Southern League Premier Division South where they currently lie in 18^th place. Earlier this season they beat Hayes & Yeading and Step 2 Concord Rangers en route to the FA Trophy Fourth Round, where they were only beaten on penalties by Halifax Town of the National League.

On behalf of the whole club, we would like to wish our manager Andy Leese a very happy 60^th birthday today, Thursday.

Here’s to Andy having a fabulous day, followed hopefully by a strong result at Canvey on Saturday.

Many congratulations, Andy!

Enfield Town 2 Brightlingsea Regent 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A brace of penalties, one in each half, pushed us up to third with three valuable points on a night when the opposition at times made life awkward.

Just like the previous home game, it wasn’t always easy against another of those sides scrapping for everything near the foot of the table.

Our first half performance alone, during which we totally controlled proceedings,  justified the win as Brightlingsea hardly laid a glove on us.

After the break, it was a more even contest as Brightlingsea, who had to wear Town’s green kit after their own kit man got caught up in heavy traffic, fought desperately to get something from the game.

The management team made two changes to Saturday’s starting lineup with Jake Cass and Lyle Della-Verde coming into the side — and both more than played their part.

Kick-off was delayed for 15 minutes because of Regent’s travel issues but once the action got under way, we immediately imposed our superiority.

Sam Youngs almost converted an early Lyle freekick while Jake, onside, saw his powerful shot cannon off a defender for a corner.

Town were the team very much in the ascendancy and went ahead on 20 minutes.

Cass stole an underhit backpass away from Regent’s new keeper Lewis Ridd who proceeded to bring him down. The teenager then had no chance with Jake’s confidently struck penalty.

Sam Youngs looked to have doubled our lead as he slotted home beautifully to finish off a glorious  team move but was ruled offside.

Regent’s only threat came when dangerman Jesse Olukolu almost took advantage of us losing possession in midfield, only for Nathan McDonald to pull off a smart save.

H-T 1-0

A Cass turn and shot was pushed away as we started the second half in the same vein.

Scott Thomas, in his last game before a three-match suspension pending appeal, then twice let fly from 25 yards, the second time bringing a superb tip-over save.

Suddenly, however, Brightlingsea got a foothold in the game as they started to pass to feet.

Nathan made a super stop from Andrew George before Zack Littlejohn headed home an excellent left-wing delivery just before the hour.

Town needed to regain the momentum and got the perfect break on 69 minutes with a second spotkick. Andre Coker was blatantly tripped as he weaved his way into the box and was given the penalty honours this time, going for placement rather than power (pictured).

Thereafter it was a case of hanging on to what we had as Regent pushed us back without capitalising on their second-half possession.

“It was a really important three points. Brightlingsea made it really difficult,” said Mario Noto. “Maybe the 10 men for 60 minutes on Saturday didn’t do us any favours.”

“We started really brightly and Jake led the line really well. The performance may not have been the best but we ground out a win. That’s sometimes what you have to do against teams who are fighting for their lives.”

Town: McDonald; Dequane-Wilson, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Isaac (Taaffe, 76), Youngs, Thomas, Della-Verde; Cass, Coker (Wyllie,73)

We are delighted to confirm that we have managed to extend Lewis Knight’s loan period until the end of the season.

This runs up to and includes May 1 which is the date of the playoff final

Lewis has been outstanding at the back for the Town since his arrival from Margate as well as scoring crucial goals at the other end of the pitch.

Manager Andy Leese commented: “I’m absolutely delighted. Fantastic player, great acquisition.”

Onwards and upwards, Lewis!

What better place to be on Valentine’s Day than supporting Enfield Town.

Following last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wingate and Finchley, we entertain another of the division’s lower teams tomorrow (Tuesday) when Brightlingsea Regent are the visitors, kickoff 7.45.

Brightlingsea are one place off the bottom with only four wins to their name but as Maz said after Saturday’s game, the teams at wrong end of the table are scrapping for their lives and can pose a serious threat if we are off the pace – like we were in the first half against Wingate and Finchley.

Scott Thomas plays his last game (if selected) before a three-match ban kicks in following his sending off on Saturday.

Although Brightlingsea lost to Herne Bay in a relegation six pointer last weekend, they have done well against some of the higher-placed sides in recent weeks without necessarily getting their just reward.

With Andy Leese back to direct matters in the dugout following his one-match ban, victory could push us back into the top three ahead of a potentially tricky visit to Canvey Island on Saturday.

Enfield town 1 Wingate and Finchley 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

High-flying Enfield salvaged a late point in a feisty derby despite playing almost an hour with 10 men after skipper Scott Thomas was shown a straight red.

Scott was dismissed around the half-hour mark after the referee adjudged he grabbed Ben Siggers by the throat as he reacted after having being fouled himself.

The man in the middle admitted at halftime that he should have booked Siggers too. But that was of little consolation to the home fans who made up virtually the entire 700-strong crowd including many who took advantage of our Public Services Day.

Despite having won six of seven going into the game, we were strangely passive in the first half and the visitors, in their florescent green away kit, deservedly went in front having already gone close through Akeo Bani’s bending freekick that came back off our crossbar.

And what a worldie their goal was from Antonis Vasiliou, who has hardly shone this season but once again saved his best when playing against Town, showing incredible technique with a sensational overhead kick on the volley.

Town’s best first-half effort fell to Sam Youngs but our quality was poor and Scott’s sending off (he now misses three games starting next weekend) appeared to only make  matters worse.

H-T 0-1

Credit to the management, however, as we brought on Jake Cass to play alongside Adam Cunnington,  sacrificing Marcus Wyllie in the process,  switched to a 3-4-2 system and took control.

Without discernably troubling Wingate keeper Ben Goode whose handling throughout was excellent, it was Town who now looked the team with a one-man advantage as we pushed Wingate back.

The visitors started to resort to giving away a number of freekicks outside their area, one of which rebounded into the path of Youngs who blasted narrowly wide.

We were getting closer and with five minutes of regular time to go,  our courage with 10 men finally paid off.

Numerical parity was restored when Ola Williams was dismissed for a second yellow for a foul on Youngs.

Much to the anger of the crowd, Williams took an eternity to leave pitch-side but Town had the last laugh. From the resultant freekick, Della-Verde produced what he does best with another of his scorching left-foot freekicks, this one deflecting in off the Wingate wall (pictured).

With Andy Leese serving a one-man ban up in the stands it was left to assistant Mario Noto to sum up proceedings.

“We hadn’t really got a foothold in the game and even after the sending off had to go positive so we decided to go two up top in the second half,” explained Maz.

“In the end we might even have nicked it. The boys off the bench did really well to impact the game. Definitely a point gained. It’s not always easy against these teams who are fighting for their lives. But we need to get three points against Brightlingsea on Tuesday.”

Town:

McDonald; Wilson-Braithwaite, Richmond, Knight, Payne (Della-Verde, 68);  Thomas, Isaac, Youngs; Wyllie (Cass, 46), Cunnington, Coker (Taaffe, 68).

Tomorrow we entertain one of our nearest rivals Wingate and Finchley at the QEII Stadium, kickoff 3-pm, hoping to make it seven wins in eight league games.

In the corresponding fixture at the end of November, we won 2-0 with goals from Lewis Knight and Jake Cass.

 Wingate are currently 17th in the table with 25 points from 17 games, just two points clear of the relegation zone.

However, last Saturday against the odds they defeated playoff hopefuls Cray Wanderers 1-0 with a goal from Ben Siggers.

Just a reminder that the game is our public services day.

That means free admission for all those who provide our various public services.

These include those employed in the NHS and Care sector, Ambulance Service, Postal Service, Police Service, Prison and Probation Services, Fire Brigade Service, Councils, Schools, Nurseries and Colleges, Transport Services, HM Forces and Voluntary Sector Organisations.

Hopefully we can treat them to another fine performance and maintain our excellent form among the leading positions.

COYT

Following several enforced postponements, our home game against Hornchurch will now take place on Tuesday, March 28, kickoff 7.45

Hopefully this time we can get the game played at what is likely to be an even more exciting time of the season with only a handful of fixtures remaining thereafter.

To add to the anticipation, it will be our only home league game in March.

There has been some suggestion that we already know our semifinal opponents in this competition so just to clarify, the draw has not yet been made.

The semifinal lineup will be completed by Feb 22 following multiple postponements.

It is anticipated that the draw will then be made before February 24, with the semifinals ideally taking place by the middle of March depending on each team’s schedule.

Yet again, our eagerly awaited home fixture against Hornchurch has had to be postponed because of cup commitments.

The game, already switched twice, was due to take place on Tuesday 28th February.

But because Hornchurch have an Essex County Cup semifinal that night, a new date will again have to be found.

We will of course keep all fans posted.

Northwood 1 Enfield Town 2

Report by Martin Bentley

It was hellishly cold, and the football was, for the most part, not pretty.

But Enfield Town successfully negotiated a tricky Middlesex Senior Cup tie at Northwood to secure their passage into the semi-finals.

Town fielded a much-changed side, and gave competitive debuts to Tom Payne and Lucas Jordan.

They started off at a gallop, taking the lead after only four minutes, Jake Cass driving a close range effort past home keeper Andrew McCorkell at his near post (pictured).

Northwood were also looking threatening in the early stages, and debutant Parris Mason levelled after 20 minutes with a smart close range finish.

The remainder of the half was largely uneventful, although the home side had a decent-looking penalty shout when Sandro Costa went down under Jon Muleba’s challenge.

 Town then regained the lead after 38 minutes with a goal from Lyle Della Verde that trod that fine line between genius and fluke (this writer, for the record, favours the former option).

The Town winger received the ball on the right from Lewis Taaffe and curled a brilliant/lucky effort over the scrambling McCorkell and into the far corner of the net.

A lively second half was notable only for the almost complete lack of shots on goal. For Town, Jordan had an effort ruled out for offside, Cass was denied by McCorkell when put through on goal, and Taaffe pinged a 25 yarder deep into the cemetery behind the goal.

The home side threatened frequently from wide areas, but the Town defence coped well with a string of accurately delivered crosses and corners and held on for the win, the relieved travelling faithful trooping

 off in search of somewhere a bit warmer.

Town line-up: Mc Donald, Muleba, Joe Payne, Tom Payne (Youngs 78), Braithwaite, Okotcha, Taaffe, Dayton (Isaac 65), Cass, Jordan (Coker 74), Della Verde.

Unused subs: Richmond, Wyllie

On behalf of everyone at Enfield Town FC, we would like to wish Tony Gibbs a huge happy 80^th birthday .

Tony is one our longest serving fans and follows us home and away as well as giving up his spare time volunteering the supervision of our various Young Children Disability coaching sessions.

Tony, who epitomises the spirit of our club, acts as the liaison link between the parents, the club and the NHS at three six-week sessions per year staged at the club’s 3G training pitch.

“I’d never been involved in anything like this before but I thrive on it,” Tony told The Enfield Dispatch in a recent interview.

“When you are doing voluntary work, it’s so rewarding. You get back far more than you are able to give. It’s extremely positive not just for the children but also the adults and carers.”

You’re a credit to our club, Tony. Happy Birthday. Here’s to many more….

We have identified this Saturday’s home game with Wingate and Finchley (ko 3pm)  as an opportunity to say thank you to those who provide our public services.

We will allow all those who work in those services to attend this fixture for free.

These include those employed in the NHS and Care sector, Ambulance Service, Postal Service, Police Service, Prison and Probation Services, Fire Brigade Service, Councils, Schools, Nurseries and Colleges, Transport Services, HM Forces and Voluntary Sector Organisations.

An e ticket is available for people to claim their free ticket but you will also be able to gain entry on production of appropriate ID on the day.

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets

Use the NHS link.

Please share information about this day widely among friends, family and colleagues.

The club does not want to detract from the marvellous support it receives both home and away. The players certainly appreciate the atmosphere created and again yesterday at Billericay supporters played their part. The club recognises football is a passionate game and we are lucky to have the support we do. We want that support to continue and grow but there are lines that cannot be crossed. The abuse of our opponents and officials is not acceptable. Our support is at its best when it is focused on supporting our team. Sadly yesterday there were a couple of incidents that the club will not ignore and will take action on. Firstly the club apologises to Billericay staff who were subjected to abuse. The identity of the main protagonist is known and will be dealt with. We would ask all supporters to either challenge anti-social behaviour or seek the assistance of a board member or a steward. As a supporter-owned club we all have a responsibility to represent our club in a positive way.

The club also urges supporters not to bring any pyrotechnic or smoke devices into grounds. This could be a criminal offence and result in banning orders. The FSA article on this issue is well worth reading –  English football launches new measures to curb pitch incursions and pyro – Football Supporters’ Association (thefsa.org.uk) 

Billericay 0 Enfield Town 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

It doesn’t get much better than this. Against a team that had won its previous four home games, Enfield Town put on the ultimate complete display to maintain our push not just for a playoff place but for automatic promotion.

Superb to a man, Town’s teamwork, cohesion and penetration swept Billericay aside in front of a 1000-plus crowd – including a terrific away support — to secure the league double over our Essex opponents in the space of just 10 days.

With six wins in our last seven outings, second-placed Town are very much the form team in the division. With 16 games still to go, it would be foolhardy to get carried away but with the best goal difference in the league and only two points behind leaders Bishop’s Stortford, there is a growing belief that we have as good a chance as anyone of going all the way this time.

Billericay’s manager churlishly remarked after our 2-0 win in the corresponding fixture that the way we played was a crime against football even though for long periods they didn’t lay a glove on us.

On Saturday the only crime that we that didn’t score even more goals in what seasoned observers said was one of the most professional collective displays for many a year, the only downside being what could be a serious knee injury to Jueven Spencer.

Right from the off Town were on the front foot, winning second balls and attacking down both flanks and the middle. Sam Youngs curled a shot just wide while Marcus Wyllie unleashed a glorious left-wing strike that came back off the post.

In between there were two lengthy stoppages for accidental head clashes, one of which resulting in Lewis Knight being bandaged up.

Soon afterwards Juevan, who has been so consistent all season, had to be helped off the pitch by two sets of arms, returning later to the dugout on crutches.

Such is Town’s strength in depth that his replacement,  Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite, slotted in seamlessly at rightback.

In fact shortly after the enforced change, Town took the lead on 28 minutes as Wyllie latched on to Adam Cunnington’s header and fed Andre Coker who finished with aplomb.

Wyllie then came close to converting  a glorious Scott Thomas pass while at the other end, in a rare Ricay counter, Nathan McDonald pushed away  an Anthony Jeffrey’ effort.

H-T 0-1

For much of the game Billericay’s raids were largely speculative whereas there was an intent and purpose about Enfield’s play.

Only in the first 15 minutes of the second half was our dominance threatened as Ricay came out with more urgency.

It  needed a magnificent tackle by Wilson-Braithwaite to prevent Eze Ebuzoeme from equalising but on 58 minutes we got the all-important second goal.  A trademark Joe Payne long throw  wasn’t cleared and Chez Isaac rushed forward to smash the ball home (pictured).

Now Enfield regained the ascendancy and before long the game was made safe following a pair of inspired substitutions by the management.

When a 25-yard Payne freekick rattled the underside of the bar, Jake Cass was first on hand to head home the rebound. Then Lewis Taaffe’s scuffed effort across goal was turned into his own net by a Billericay defender.

“Another fantastic all-round display form us today,” said Andy Leese. “Apart from a spell after halftime I felt we controlled the game. We were unfortunate not to be further ahead at halftime with some great attacking play.”

“Yet again our substitutions changed the game and we cruised to a well-desered three points. It keeps us in the promotion mix but that’s all  it does with so many games left to play. Some great individual performances today as well especially from Chez and overall as good a team performances as we’ve had all season.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer (Wilson-Braithwaite, 25), Knight, Richmond, Payne; Thomas (Cass, 71), Youngs, Isaac; Wyllie, Cunnington, Coker (Taaffe, 66)

Just 10 days after our 2-0 win over Billericay, arguably our best performance of the season, the return fixture takes place tomorrow in front of what is expected to be a bumper crowd that could get close to four figures.

Goals from Joe Payne and Lewis Taaffe secured our victory over Ricay last time out and we visit the New Lodge for the corresponding away game in confident mood after an excellent run of form marred only by the loss to Kingstonian.

Billericay started the season slowly but have steadily improved and are currently ninth in the league table with 41 points from 28 games.

Although they have lost their last three games, two of them in the league, their home form is hugely impressive having won four on the spin scoring 13 goals in the process on their artificial pitch.

Having been relegated from Step 2, they will be keen to take revenge on us as we bid to maintain our position amongst the leading contenders for which huge credit goes to the management team and the entire squad.

Admission to the Stadium – which operates a cashless system —  is £12 adults, £7 concessions £5 Young Adults (12-17 years) and £1 under 11’s.

We are excited to announce that just over a year since their sell-out gig in Butler’s Bar, the Cinelli Brothers, one of the UK’s most explosive and dynamic blues bands, are coming back on Friday, 7th April to support ETFC with their third fundraising gig. 

To put the Cinellis’  remarkable talents into perspective, they have just played in Memphis where they succeeded in coming 2^nd out of 150 bands representing the UK in the International Blues Challenge, and are currently touring across Europe at major festivals and individual gigs.

The Cinellis project was born out of a common passion for electric Chicago and Texas blues from the 60s and 70s showcasing Chess, Stax and Motown.

With the Cinellis now in big demand, this is a veritable coup as well as an extraordinary gesture by the four-piece band formed by Italian brothers Marco and Alessandro Cinelli who have developed a fanatical fan base.

The band have released several albums – tasty originals as well as finely crafted covers — and have won a number of awards.

Early bird tickets, capped at 50 and priced at a remarkable £10, can be purchased using the following link:

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/concert1/the-cinelli-brothers-live-

Tickets will also be available in the club shop and on the night – if there are any left. Once Early Bird tickets are snapped up, tickets will cost £15.

Doors open 7.30pm with the band likely to start around 8pm.

Ware 1 Enfield Town 0

By Martin Bentley

A hastily arranged Tuesday night friendly at Step 4 Ware resulted in a 1-0 defeat for Town but game time for squad members was far more important than the result.

 Town were able to give valuable minutes to players not currently in the starting eleven for league matches, as well as those returning from injury.

With the team being topped up by triallists and players from the Level 7 Academy, Town were still able to offer a team of a decent strength.

Ware were also in need of game time following a string of recent postponements, and fielded arguably a stronger starting eleven than Town.

For what it’s worth, Liam Dulson’s close range finish on 26 minutes gave the home side victory.

 For Town, Anthony Wordsworth was outstanding in midfield, and Jonathan Muleba marked his return to the fold with some characteristic high-speed gallops down the right wing.

 The home side grew stronger following the obligatory procession of second-half substitutes, and Adi Connolly was required to make a number of smart saves to keep Town in the game.

Town line-up: Connolly, Muleba, Triallist, Wordsworth, Braithwaite, Okotcha, Taaffe, Dayton, Cass, Jordan, Della Verde.

Subs: Tom Payne, Samual Thomas, Asamoah, Fraser, Triallist

Tomorrow (Tuesday), with no midweek league game,  we have arranged a friendly at Ware, kickoff 7.45.

Looking ahead, our recently postponed game away to Hastings has now been re-arranged for Tuesday, March 7, kickoff 7.45

Enfield Town 4 Carshalton Athletic 1

Report by Ken Brazier

Town moved into pole position on goal difference in the Isthmian Premier table with an emphatic win against the Robins who played their full part.

Manager Andy Leese opted to stick with the same starting XI that had been so impressive against Billericay Town four days earlier, and the hosts got off to the best possible start in the first minute when a dipping cross from the right from man-of-the-match Marcus Wyllie was headed home by Andre Coker.

The ball just crept over the line despite the efforts of keeper Danny Bracken to claw it out.  Curiously, Coker had achieved the same feat of scoring in the first minute at Bowers & Pitsea a fortnight previously.  

The visitors’ early reverse kick-started a decent spell of possession for them, and they would have counted themselves unlucky when Nathan McDonald, making his 302^nd Enfield appearance between the sticks, thwarted former Towner Kurtis Cumberbatch with a fine save.

Adam Cunnington headed wide from Wyllie’s cross and Coker attempted an overhead kick from a good position inside the Carshalton box, but Enfield gave themselves some breathing space when quick feet from Coker produced a great cross for Lewis Knight to head home after 26 minutes.

Carshalton, who had been in good form coming into the game, continued to press and caught the eye with some accurate deliveries in the final third which kept McDonald on his toes under his crossbar, but overall Town were probably worth their half-time lead.

HT: 2-0

Carshalton emerged from the break in determined mood and, after fashioning a couple of chances which were either saved or blocked, deservedly reduced the arrears when Tommy Bradford was quickest to react to and convert a loose ball which had come back to him off the post.

There followed a 15-minute spell for the Surrey outfit which looked ominous from a home perspective, and there were a number of blocks and deflections but the introduction of Jake Cass as a 68^th minute substitute ultimately triggered a Town response.

 In the 76^th minute, Cass managed to squeeze the ball home amongst a sea of legs following a Joe Payne throw on the left.

Substitutes Lewis Taaffe and Lyle Della-Verde both fired over the top as the game became increasingly stretched but in added time Sam Youngs set up a hungry-looking Cass to get past Arthur Lee and Bradley Williams and finish emphatically low into the far corner past the diving Bracken (pictured).

No-one is getting carried away with such a long way to go but after five wins in six outings, it’s all getting very exciting in the race for automatic promotion with no single runaway team. With a settled side, Town are certainly in the mix.

 “It’s been a tough week. Following on from the Billericay game Carshalton made us work extremely hard for this win, and I thought it was another complete all-round performance like we had on Tuesday,” said a beaming Andy Leese. “Defensively, we look better than we did last season and the goals are being spread around the team. I couldn’t be more delighted. A big shout out to our supporters who were again top class.”

Team:  McDonald; Spencer, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Youngs, Isaac, Thomas, Wyllie (Della-Verde, 81); Coker (Cass, 68), Cunnington (Taaffe, 75).

After four wins in our last five games, Enfield Town attempt to maintain the momentum tomorrow by adding in-form Carshalton Athletic to our recent list of scalps.

With our hugely impressive midweek win over Billericay still fresh in  the mind, Town go into the home game against the Robins with understandable confidence but will certainly not take the opposition lightly.

Carshalton are currently 6th in the table with 44 points, one behind Town but having played two games more.

Back in November we won 3-1 in the corresponding fixture with goals from Sam Youngs, Jake Cass and a Bradley Williams own goal.

But since then, Carshalton, emerging as a surprise package this season, have put together an excellent run with only one other defeat in 11 league games, including an away draw at Hornchurch.

Their top goal scorers are Tom Beere with 10 goals and Fem Akinwande with nine.

Saturday’s game has been designated a Woolly Hat/Scarves Day and we ask all supporters to wear either a Town Hat or Scarf to create a sea of blue and white around the QE II Stadium.

The event was warmly embraced last season and the club have stocked up on items to meet demand. So if you don’t already have a Town hat or scarf visit the club shop before kickoff.

As well as Saturday’s excellent programme you will be able to buy a paper copy of the Billericay Programme from the Club Shop.

Enfield Town 2 Billericay Town 0

 Report by Andrew Warshaw

Backed by raucous support from first whistle to last, Enfield Town produced one of their best performances of the season – if not THE best – on a freezing but highly satisfying night that pushed us up to third on goal difference.

Against a side who were in Step 2 last season and were unbeaten in their last six games, Town produced a quality display – capped by two glorious goals — to delight a more than decent midweek attendance of 415, especially given the conditions. Hats off to the ground staff for getting the game on.

As an advert for Step 3 football, it was right up there, with much of the game played on the deck on a surface that was not easy to cope with.

It was hard to pick out any one player, with everyone putting in a shift and, crucially, covering for each other when necessary.

 Town were defensively strong with bodies on the line when needed,  aggressive in midfield and lively up front – all important factors against dangerous opponents who posed a genuine threat in the first half but didn’t lay a glove on us in the second.

With our last two games having been postponed, Town were eager to get straight on the front foot.  Andre Coker twice went close while at the other end we managed to clear a Ricay effort off the line, followed by Nathan McDonald making a superb double save.

In an end to end opening period, Marcus Wyllie twice blasted over and both Coker and Adam Cunnington had further chances while for Ricay, at times slick on the ball,  dangerman Bradley Stevenson and Alfie Cerulli were narrowly off-target.

The deadlock was broken on 36 minutes courtesy of a sublime Joe Payne freekick. Billericay were furious at Marvel Ekpiteta being penalised for holding down Cunnington and Payne made them pay with the sweetest of strikes.

In the final move of a highly entertaining opening half, Stevenson weaved his way into the box, only for Nathan to preserve our lead.

H-T 1-0

Billericay have invariably been a second half team but not this time as we took complete control.

Wyllie so nearly doubled our lead from Chez Isaac’s glorious pass, only for Harry Seaden to pull off a fine stop, and the Ricay keeper was quickly on hand again to push away Joe Payne’s effort.

All it needed to round of a terrific display was a second goal – and what it goal it was.

Shortly after coming on as a sub for the evergreen Scott Thomas, Lewis Taaffe jinked his way into the box on 82 minutes, left two defenders floundering (pictured) and picked his spot with a fabulous finish.

There was still time for the luckless Wyllie to misplace a header from six yards out but Andy Leese was understandably delighted with the display.

“We got the goals at the good times and the second half performance was outstanding,” said Andy who is building formidable teamwork and camaraderie as we enter the second half of the season – as well as competition for places.

“Billericay are a very good possession team so the players deserve all the credit.  It’s not easy leaving out good players. The hardest part of the job is keeping everyone happy.”

“Mo’s goals last season were huge but perhaps disguised some of our weaknesses elsewhere on the pitch which we no longer have. I’m not sure we’d have got that result in the second half of last season.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Knight, Richmond, Payne (Wilson-Braithwaite, 86); Youngs, Isaac, Thomas (Taaffe, 79), Wyllie; Coker (Cass, 82), Cunnington

The Club has made great strides since its formation but the board recognise it cannot stand still and that the infrastructure has to therefore support the ambition of playing at the highest sustainable level.

 It is an indication of the progress made that attendances have improved to the degree where our facilities at times struggle with providing supporters with the services they deserve.

On the pitch we are knocking on the door of Step 2 football and our community activities have expanded enormously extending the awareness of the club within the borough. 

Our academy has been very popular and demand for places exceeds classroom space. Recent planning permission for further cabins to house much needed additional classrooms require us to provide a permanent provision within the next 5 years. The main building at the stadium is iconic and loved by us all but it simply does not have the room to allow the club to grow further.

The directors have therefore decided to explore the possibility of an additional facility within the stadium that will allow us to provide improved matchday facilities, additional classrooms for the academy and a centre for our community activities.

The first step has been to commission the drawing of plans to utilise the area adjacent to the turnstiles and behind the current cabins used by the academy. The club is extremely grateful to Pellings for their support in providing the drawings for the potential new facility to get this exciting project off the ground. 

Chair Paul Reed said: “It essential for our future success that we align our growth both on and off the pitch. Given the progress of our football and community activities it is vital that we have the right infrastructure in place to support the development of our club moving forward. With aspirations for our first team to be playing at Step 2 and with a thriving education programme, youth, ladies and community development sections, we feel that now is the right time for new facilities to enable the club to continue to thrive.  It’s fantastic to be working with such professional and enthusiastic partners in Pellings and the board have been incredibly impressed with the plans drawn up for us and appreciative of their support. Whilst it’s still early days we’re hopeful that with the support of our local council and other partners we can make this dream a reality”

Pellings’ support has also extended to sponsoring our Community Sports Development specialised coaching sessions for children working with our local NHS Community Paediatric Physiotherapy Teams.

Mark Brown, Managing Director at Pellings, said: “We are extremely proud to have had the opportunity to support such a fantastic charity and to work with Enfield Town Football Club. At Pellings, we thoroughly enjoy delivering projects that positively impact local communities, which is why we are pleased to help provide football sessions that make a difference to young people in Enfield. We look forward to continuing to fundraise for the team at our upcoming events and promoting the team and their work via our social media channels”. 

Trustee of ETFC Community Sports Development Paul Millington said: “Pellings support for these sessions is very welcome. Providing the opportunity for children of all abilities to enjoy the game is so important. We have seen at first hand the benefits these sessions have”.

The club will be showing the plans for this exciting new venture at its AGM for Society members on Thursday 2 February at 7.30pm. Membership is open to all supporters and can be purchased on the night.

The match referee has deemed the pitch playable for tonight’s home game against Billericay Town, and the game will go ahead as planned; 7:45pm kickoff.

Our league game with Folkestone, originally scheduled for Jan 17 but postponed because of a frozen pitch, has now been officially re-arranged for Tuesday Feb 21, kickoff 7.45

Travel arrangements and further details to come

After successive away postponements against Folkestone and Hastings, Town are hoping for third time lucky tomorrow, Tuesday, at home to Billericay, kickoff 7.45.

The temperature forecast doesn’t look great in terms of the pitch being passed fit (watch for news on that) but fingers crossed.

Town could certainly do with a competitive fixture after all the recent frustrations, the latest being Saturday’s late postponement in East Sussex despite Hastings doing their best to get the game on.

Billericay lie seventh in the table after 26 games having been relegated to Step 3 last season. But they are in a rich vein of form having won four and drawn two of their last six games

Their most recent encounter was a 5-1 trouncing of Kingstonian on Saturday, one of five games to beat the freeze.

They always travel with a healthy following so if the game is on, it is certainly one not to miss with fourth-placed Town looking to consolidate their place among the leading teams.

After the frustration of having our midweek fixture with Folkestone called off, Enfield Town return to competitive action tomorrow with what should an enthralling battle at Hastings United, kickoff 3pm

Promoted from step 4 last summer, Hastings are one of the best supported sides in the division and a bumper crowd is expected for the visit of Town with just four points and three places separating the teams.

Considered very much one of the league’s dark horses, Hastings may have lost their last home game against Hornchurch but the fact that it was their only defeat in nine league matches says everything about how dangerous they can be.

In fact before Hornchurch we were the last side to beat them in the league with a 1-0 victory in November.

With Town in confident mood and good form – three wins from four games and players back and fighting for selection – it promises to be a mouth-watering occasion at the TGS Pilot Field in East Sussex as we attempt to secure the double over our hosts.

A reminder that the club are running a coach so if you haven’t sorted travel for Saturday, and would like a return ticket for just £18, please contact Les Gold on 07979 727 563 – or email lesgold@btinternet.com to book.

A reminder that the club are running a coach to our next Isthmian Premier Division match away at Hastings United this Saturday, 21st January 2023.
There are still a few spaces on board, so if you haven’t sorted travel for Saturday, and would like a return ticket from door to door for under £20, please call Les Gold on 07979 727 563 – or email lesgold@btinternet.com to book.

The coach details are:

• Destination – Hastings United FC, Elphinstone Road, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 2AX
• Departure – Leaving 11AM SHARP from the QEII Stadium, Donkey Lane
• Tickets – £18.00 each [payable in cash on the journey]

Tonight’s game at Folkestone has officially been called off due to a frozen pitch, the latest in a series of postponements beyond our control . We will have news of a new date in due course.

This means that our next fixture is the away game with Hastings on Saturday, weather permitting

Bowers and Pitsea 1 Enfield Town 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

What a way to bounce back as Enfield Town recovered from the recent blip against Kingstonian  with a resounding win in Essex on Saturday to move up to third pending the result of today’s Cray-Bishop’s Stortford showdown.

Town’s regular centreback pairing of Lewis Knight and James Richmond returned after suspension and were rarely troubled while Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite moved seamlessly into the rightback spot with  Juevan Spencer missing out with a knee injury.

Also back in the starting line-up was Andre Coker who looked sharp and hungry on both wings while Jake Cass took his place on the bench after a period of unavailability.

It was Andre who put us in front in the very first minute, pouncing on defensive hesitation to jink his way into the box and finish with aplomb (pictured).

From then on we never looked back on an artificial surface that had the ball zipping about following a pre-match downpour.

Appeals for a penalty for shirt pulling on Sam Youngs went ignored but the next time Sam was impeded in the box after 34 minutes, the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Sam was actually running away from goal when tripped by Bola Daowuda and dusted himself down to double our lead, Joseph Osafhae diving correctly but only managing to get a faint hand to the ball.

Adam Cunnington had already sent a bullet header wide from a Scott Thomas freekick while Coker came close to converting a Jo Payne long throw.

Almost everything Bowers tried went through former Towner Billy Crook but Oscar Shelvey’s header off target was all they could show in the opening 45 minutes.

To add to their  frustration, both manager James Collins and one of his coaching staff were shown yellow cards for haranguing the referee at the interval though Town were well worth their lead.

H-T 0-2

Any chance of a home comeback was firmly snuffed out on the hour when Youngs cleverly nipped in with an outstretched leg to convert a glorious cross from Marcus Wyllie, another who had an eye-catching afternoon.

Five minutes later we were out of sight as Richmond fired home via a deflection from 12 yards after great work by Coker. Dexter Peter was unable to keep it out despite a last-ditch attempt.

Without ever losing our shape and being physically far stronger, only in the last 15 minutes did we take our foot off the gas allowing Bowers a consolation goal through debutant Francis Jno-Baptiste.

With tough away games to come against Folkestone and Hastings, Andy Leese was a happy man.

“A much better performance form us today at both ends of the pitch,” said Andy. “We stuck to  a game plan and had a great start.  We continued in the second half and made the game safe.”

“It was good to have a fuller squad to choose from and to have some players back to something close to full fitness. It’s a confidence boost for us as we go into a challenging run of games.”

McDonald; Wilson-Braithwaite, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Coker, Thomas (Taaffe 70), Youngs, Isaac, Wyllie (Della-Verde 66); Cunnington (Cass, 70)

Our eagerly awaited home fixture against Hornchurch has had to be moved once again because of their Essex Senior Cup Quarter Final tie at home to Billericay Town on 31st January.

It will now be played on Tuesday 28th February 2023, 7:45pm kickoff.

By Andrew Warshaw

 Having the opposition watched before matches is a vital part of a team’s preparations, even at non-league level, and Enfield Town are no exception.

Almost every Saturday, whilst the first team are in action, Howard Cowley – Town’s chief scout in all but official name — is invariably taking a close look at a future opponent before providing manager Andy Leese with all he needs to know about particular strengths and weaknesses.

Few are more qualified to do the job than Howard who has almost half a century of non-league experience  behind him, much of it on the management and coaching side before switching to scouting when, as he put it, “I’d done as much as I wanted but really wanted to stay involved in some way.”

The result was linking up with Andy when he was manager at Chesham United and helping to contribute to the club’s success, not least in the FA Cup.

“When Andy moved to Enfield a few years ago, it was a natural progression to come across with him,” Howard told The Dispatch. “I’m 74 now and although I don’t do every game for Enfield, I’m out almost every Saturday and a lot of Tuesdays. You should see the black book I have with all the details on hundreds of players.”

To give you an example of Howard’s detailed analysis, he watched Hornchurch no fewer three times before their scheduled December fixture with Enfield which ultimately had to be postponed because of the big freeze.

“I always write a report for Andy with a breakdown on each individual player and give my thoughts on how Enfield can best handle them,” Howard explained. “I try and work it out two or three weeks in advance in terms of which team I can catch where.”

It’s a unique insight into just how important the scout is when it comes to a club’s training programme, advance planning, team talk, etc.  

“You can’t over-complicate things even if players are intelligent blokes. You have to keep it simple and straightforward,” explained Howard who, like so many people involved in non-league football, does it for pure enjoyment.

“I spend countless hours thinking about what I’m going to write and to be fair to Andy, he pays considerable attention to what I say. I try to get him my reports before a Thursday training session so he can use them to prepare for the Saturday game.”

Sometimes, of course, all the advice in the world doesn’t necessarily work out.

“A game plan can last 90 minutes or 90 seconds. You have to be able to think on your feet. Just because I see a side in action in one game doesn’t necessarily mean they will line up the same way. Luckily some sides have a core of a players who play every week.”

Howard is characteristically modest when it comes to what kind of difference he feels his input makes.

“As a previous manager, I know the best preparation in the world may not always work if the game plan isn’t followed, or if the opposition changes its shape. I can only provide what I’ve seen.”

Hastings is one example of how his scouting report paid dividends. “I watched them twice and thought they were very impressive. Then Enfield went and beat them. Ultimately it’s down to the players on the pitch but in general I’d like to think the information I give Andy helps him prepare fully. My mantra is that I give Andy the best information I can and it’s up to him what he does with it.”

His only regret is that by the very nature of the job, he can’t get to enough of Enfield games.

“It’s useful to watch them because if I know their own strengths and weaknesses, it helps with what I can provide in terms of dealing with the opposition.

“On the other hand, it’s very hard for me to watch Enfield sometimes if they are doing something wrong, bearing in mind I know the opposition inside out. I feel I have to keep away from the dugout, it’s not for me to get involved. But it can be hard emotionally to disassociate myself which of course doesn’t happen when I’m watching the opposition.”

After suffering an unexpected setback against Kingstonian, Enfield Town aim to bounce straight back this Saturday at lowly Bowers and Pitsea.

Just a reminder this is a 2pm kickoff so those making the trip need to plan accordingly.

Bowers may be third from bottom of the table but they are fighting for their lives and have actually only been beaten three times in the league on home soil.

On their day they can be dogged opposition although in their most recent outing they lost 1-2 at home in midweek to neighbours Canvey Island in the Essex Senior Cup.

One familiar face in the Bowers line-up could be former Towners favourite Billy Crook who joined the club in November from Cray Wanderers.

Town defenders James Richmond and Lewis Knight have both completed their three-game bans while Jake Cass could also be back after a period of unavailability.

The game marks the first of three successive away trips for Town with tough fixtures to come against Folkestone and Hastings.

Three points in Essex on Saturday would be a fantastic springboard from which to go into those games as we aim to maintain our place among the leading positions.

Directions to Bowers can be found here:

https://www.bowersandpitseafootballclub.com/a/find-us-20751.html

Our re-arranged Middlesex Senior Cup quarterfinal against Northwood – postponed Tuesday because of a waterlogged pitch – will take place on Tuesday, Feb 7

This date has now been officially confirmed. Kickoff details to come

Tonight’s Middlesex Senior Cup quarterfinal has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch

We will inform you as soon as there is a re-arranged date

Enfield Town 0 Kingstonian 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A great opportunity missed is how manager Andy Leese described Saturday’s result – and few would disagree.

Having secured those back-to-back derby wins over the holiday period and with teams in and around us all dropping points apart from Hornchurch, victory could have pushed us even further up the table.

Instead we allowed visitors who hadn’t won  in 15 away games to claim victory despite a second-half rally that on another day might well have yielded a positive outcome.

Before kick-off, as the sun made a brief appearance on a generally wet afternoon,  a minute’s applause took place in memory of club life vice-president Keith Wortley who sadly passed away recently.

With Josh Hill having returned to Dulwich after his loan spell (he has since moved on to Hemel Hempstead) and James Richmond and Lewis Knight both serving the last of their respective three-game suspensions, the management team was forced into yet another central defensive partnership, Anthony Wordsmith coming in alongside Dequane Wilson- Braithwaite.

Things didn’t go much better in terms of personnel because by halftime, both Anthony and James Dayton were back in the dugout having been forced off through injury.

To make matters worse, Town  were a goal down as a result of Great Evans’s freekick which skimmed off the wet surface and beat Nathan McDonald who appeared to help the ball over the line.

Evans had already fluffed the best chance of the half when he was through on goal but shot straight at Nathan.

H-T 0-1

There is little doubt that Kingstonian, for whom midfielder O’Shane Stewart and striker Joe Boachie were especially eye-catching, deserved their interval lead.

But having created very little in a flat first half, Town came out with renewed urgency and intensity.

Sam Youngs and Lewis Taaffe both went close while Marcus Wyllie’s cross from Chez Isaac’s chipped ball just had too much pace for Adam Cunnington who again led the line relentlessly (pictured).

After weathering a 20-minute Enfield spell, Kingstonian twice missed a golden chance to put the game to bed on the counter.

Thereafter they were fortunate not to pay the price as they rode their luck in the final quarter.

Not once, not twice but three times we hit the woodwork, first through Marcus Wyllie’s angled left-foot drive against the far post, then Jueven Spencer’s 30-yard thunderbolt and finally, deep into eight minutes of stoppage time, through Lewis Taaffe.

In between, Kingstonian skipper Rob Tolfrey tipped over a rasping Youngs effort but in truth Tolfrey should have been tested far more often  over the 90 minutes.

“I’m as upset as I’ve  been all season today,” said Andy. “We got what we deserved.  It was a great opportunity had we applied ourselves properly but the first half was way too passive.

“One or two players today clearly weren’t fit. We’ve also got as number missing and it clearly caught up with us. It’s a real blow, a disappointing day all round but good teams bounce back starting on Tuesday night at Northwood in the Middlesex Senior Cup.”

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Wilson-Braithwaite, Wordsworth (Okotcha, 17), Payne; Wyllie, Thomas (della-Verde, 66), Dayton (Taaffe, 37), Isaac, Youngs; Cunnington

After two superb back-to-back wins over the holiday period without key players, we aim to make it three a row tomorrow, Saturday, when we entertain  Kingstonian at the QEII Stadium, kick-off 3pm.

 Back in August we drew 0-0 with the K’s at their latest temporary home of Tooting & Mitcham.

Perhaps unsurprisingly because of their situation the K’s have had a challenging season to date and are only one point above the drop zone in 18th place with 19 points from 21 games.

Recent results have not helped – not least failure to win in 15 away games – though they suggest K’s have come close to taking points off clubs in the promotion race.

They only lost by the odd goal against both Cray and Carshalton and picked up a 0-0 draw away at Aveley.

 Tickets for all our January home games can be purchased here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/

After our confidence-boosting derby wins, we are now in fourth place, only four points behind leaders Hornchurch and with games in hand over other playoff contenders.

It promises to be an exciting second half of the season with every point proving invaluable and tomorrow, despite us still being without James Richmond and Lewis Knight who are serving the last in their three-match bans, Anthony Wordsworth is available for selection again following his two-match suspension.

Next Tuesday, Jan 10, we visit Northwood, South Central League leaders, in the last eight of the Middlesex Senior Cup, 7.45 kickoff.

It’s a trophy we’d very much like to win and your support will be much appreciated. Address is  Chestnut Avenue, Northwood, HA6 1HR

Haringey Borough 1 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

On a ground where we invariably get scant reward and with several key players still missing, Town made it back-to-back derby wins on Monday to round off a thoroughly satisfying Christmas and New Year period.

In front of over 800 fans, a significant number of whom were Towners fans making the short journey, we moved up to fourth in the table as other results went in our favour.

Following the Boxing Day rout of Potters Bar, this was always going to be a different encounter altogether against a team who invariably raise their game against us.

After controlling the first half, we at times had to dig in but Nathan McDonald was largely untroubled by Haringey’s pacey forwards.

Skipper Scott Thomas, with another outstanding midfield display, led by example while all those around him put in a committed shift. The management team now have the proverbial nice selection head-ache when those unavailable are back!

After a minute’s applause to celebrate the life of Pele, we got straight down to business and deservedly took the lead on 19 minutes.

Sam Youngs, with an audacious piece of improvisation, forced a tip-over save from Luke Mewitt and from the resulting short corner, Josh Hill – arguably man of the match – powered home a header from James Dayton’s cross (pictured, right).

Town continued to dominate and although clearcut chances were in short supply we were well worth our halftime lead.

H-T 0-1

Haringey have a habit of never lying down and almost restored parity within two minutes of the restart when the teenage Stefanos Georgiou cut in from the left and skimmed the bar.

Two Borough freekicks in dangerous positions then ensued, both of which thankfully came to nothing, while Town suffered a blow when Dayton had to be subbed with what looked like a hamstring or groin problem.

His replacement, Lyle Della-Verde, almost doubled our lead when he dribbled past his marker and saw his left-foot shot flash just wide.

Town needed that second goal to halt Haringey’s quest for an equaliser and got it on 85 minutes courtesy of some neat interplay. Della-Verde played in Youngs and his low cross was knocked home by the tireless Adam Cunnington.

That should have been that, only for a nervy, blood and guts finale as Borough halved the deficit.

On 90 minutes, Jueven Spencer, who otherwise put in a faultless display, was adjudged to have up-ended Kaylen Hinds who sent McDonald the wrong way from the penalty spot.

In the ensuing melee as Haringey’s players sought to grab the ball with time running out,  Nathan was booked and Haringey’s ex-Towner Olu Durojaiye shown a straight red card for a headbutt for which he can have no excuses.

Down to 10 men, Haringey arguably had their best period but we managed to see the game out and might have added a third with the very last action.

With every one of Haringey’s players committed forward, the ball was deflected into Della-Verde’s path but after running half the length of the pitch unchallenged, his shot was pushed to safety by Mewitt, followed by the final whistle.

“I felt we controlled the game today,” said Andy Leese who must have been delighted with the commitment from everyone in all-blue and another eye-catching display from new signing Chez Isaac. “We scored from a well-worked corner and withstood some Haringey pressure in the opening period of the second half.”

“The last 10 minutes were more fraught than they needed to be but we had the cushion of the second goal by then. A great three points in the context of the other results around us. A successful Christmas period where we have adapted and coped with the loss of some key players.”

Town

McDonald; Spencer, Hill, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Dayton (Della-Verde, 51), Thomas, Isaac, Youngs, Wyllie (Taaffe, 76); Cunnington

The club are incredibly saddened to learn the news of the death of club life vice-president Keith Wortley.

Keith had a huge influence on football in Enfield, firstly as secretary and director at Enfield FC during their heyday before helping to set up Enfield Town FC in 2001, again taking the role of secretary.

He played a huge role in the successful delivery of the project to move to the QES in 2011, utilising both his professional and football experience to ensure the move was a huge success. Following his stepping down from the secretary role, we were honoured when Keith accepted a life presidency in recognition of his tremendous work for the club.

Keith (pictured here receiving his award from ETFC director Christine Hamilton when she was mayor of the borough) was the epitome of a true gentleman who had so many friends throughout the football world.

Chairman Paul Reed said: “It’s impossible to overstate how important he was to football in the Borough. I’ve known Keith for pretty much all of my life and am very proud to have been able to call him a friend.

“What he didn’t know about running a football club wasn’t worth knowing and he offered me great advice and insights during my first few years as chairman. His legacy at the club is certainly the QES and we are forever grateful for his incredible work in making our dream of a ground of our own a reality. Keith was the most honest, fair, professional and diligent man you could ever meet, always doing things the ‘right way’ whilst still maintaining a wonderful sense of humour. Myself and all of his friends will miss him greatly.”

Keith is survived by his wife, son, daughter and grandchildren. He will be sorely missed by everyone at ETFC. The club will pay a special tribute at our home game against Kingstonian on 7th January.

Congratulations to Nathan McDonald who won the Pitching In Isthmian Premier Golden Gloves Awards for November

Nathan won the award, sponsored by AB1 Goalkeeping, after conceding just one league goal  in November.

He received his prize from esteemed Enfield Town director Les Gold before the Boxing Day derby with Potters Bar.

Our home game with Billericay, due to be played on Tuesday January 10, has now been replaced with the Northwood Middx Senior Cup QuarterFinal at Northwood. Kick off  7:45pm

The Billericay game has been rescheduled for Tuesday 24th January 7:45 pm KO.

Enfield Town 4 Potters Bar Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

What a way to end the year!

Despite missing a string of players through suspension and unavailability, Enfield Town treated a bumper 600-plus Boxing Day crowd to one of our best performances of the season as we swept aside our near-neighbours.

From one to 11, Andy Leese’s men were superb, negating Bar’s renowned strengths to move up to fifth in the table, capped by a Sam Youngs hat-trick.

Before the game Nathan McDonald was presented with a pair of gloves for winning the AB1 Golden Gloves Awards for November. Well done, Nathan!

Potters Bar arrived five points ahead of us having played a game more. But apart a decent spell either side of their equaliser, the Scholars were second best, especially throughout the second half when we looked like scoring every time we went forward.

The addition of new signing Chez Isaac in midfield had an instant impact in terms of composure, reading the game and picking a pass. The combination of Chez, skipper Scott Thomas and James Dayton across midfield worked a treat, allowing Sam to take up an advanced role in which he flourished.

His first goal, with supporters still coming through the turnstiles,  came with only two minutes on the clock, a close-range swivel and shot after Adam Cunnington — a handful all afternoon for the visitors’ defence — had dummied Marcus Wyllie’s cross.

Stunned into a reaction, the visitors carved  out a couple of freekicks in dangerous positions, both of which were blocked, whilst Town were indebted to Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite for a timely clearance to thwart Nick Dembele.

At the other end, Marcus Wyllie latched on to a terrific long ball by Youngs, only for his shot to be cleared for one of a string of Town corners over the 90 minutes while Isaac and Cunnington also went close to doubling our lead.

For the most part, we denied Bar space to play but on 32 minutes we paid the price for backing off their much-touted skipper Mo Kamara who rifled a 20-yard effort into the corner for 1-1.

Kasim Aidoo then cut through our defence but fortunately lost control at the vital moment before a pivotal passage of play ensued.

Right on the stroke of half time, former Towner Wraynel Hercules, who otherwise had a quiet game and was given trademark stick by the Town faithful behind the goal, saw his looping effort come back off the woodwork with McDonald beaten.

Straight from the restart and in stoppage time,  a four-man Town move ended with Isaac scoring on his debut via a wicked deflection – off Hercules!

H-T 2-1

In the first attack of the second period, Dembele might have equalised with a toe poke but Town were brimming with confidence and quickly crushed any hope of a Bar recovery.

On 54 minutes, Youngs, who hardly trained while he recovered from his ankle injury,  crashed home a penalty after Cunnington was bundled to the ground. Two minutes later he completed his hattrick, sneaking into the box to head home the cross of the game from Jueven Spencer.

Town weren’t done yet and might well have ended up with at least a couple more.  Cunnington sent a header against the bar before we were awarded a second spot kick.

With Youngs (pictured alongside former Towner Wraynel Hercules) already substituted, his replacement Lyle Della-Verde, having been taken out by Joe Russel, stepped up to take the penalty only for Dante Baptiste to pull off a terrific save.

There was still time for Baptiste to make  another flying stop, again from Della-Verde, to round off a thoroughly satisfying afternoon masterminded by the management team and carried out to the letter by the players.

“We decided on a flatter, tighter midfield three and allowed Sam to get forward,” explained Andy. “The first half was a bit passive but second half we took off and dominated them. I know what Sam is capable of. He keeps himself in fantastic shape, recovered from injury quicker than we expected and loves being here.”

“There were five starters missing from that team today and we had to adapt. So what we did was doubling pleasing.”

“We’ve hardly been out of the top five for the whole of 2022 and I’d like to pay credit to the board for their support.”

Credit goes to Andy, too, as well as the rest of the management team. Onwards and upwards, with our visit to Haringey Borough up next on Jan 2.

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Wilson-Braithwaite, Hill, Payne; Dayton (Taaffe, 72), Thomas, Isaac; Youngs (Della-Verde 79), Cunnington, Wyllie (Okotcha, 85).

We are delighted to announce the signing of experienced midfielder Chez Isaac who has been at St Albans City this season and played most of his career in the National League.

Hatfield-born Chez, who began his youth career at Watford and has represented a string of Step I and Step 2 clubs, is available for selection for Monday’s Boxing Day fixture against Potters Bar.

“I tried to sign Chez in the summer but it didn’t work out so I’m delighted to get him in now,” said Andy Leese. “He will give us options in the middle of the park and brings huge experience with him.”

“Going the other way to Hendon on a dual registration arrangement is Hamilton Antonio. Ham needs to play and will get game time at Hendon. We wish him well.”

In other news, we now have a rescheduled date for our postponed home fixture with Hornchurch.

The match will take place on Tuesday, Jan 31, so please make a note of it.

Merry Christmas and COYT

Potters Bar are our visitors on Boxing Day for what should be a tasty derby against our local rivals, 3pm KO.

To add spice to our final game of 2022, The Scholars may well field Wraynel Hercules who they recently signed from Town.

This is a potentially pivotal six-pointer and not to be missed.

While you’re at the game, why not grab a ticket for our New Year’s Eve party in Butler’s Bar featuring live music. Tickets are just £10 for adults and £5 for under-16s and can be purchased from the club shop.

Merry Christmas everyone and COYT

Following an early pitch inspection, tomorrow’s game with Hornchurch is off due to a frozen pitch.

Details of the rescheduled fixture will be announced in due course.

 The Club Shop will be open on Saturday morning between 10am and 12 noon for all your Christmas gifts.

Aveley 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Martin Bentley

Town returned from Parkside with a nasty case of Friday night frostbite and a useful late point gained from a hard-fought encounter.

Unfortunately, the game provided very little in the way of entertainment, leaving the hardy 203 in attendance more concerned about the sub-zero temperatures than events on the field.

The quality of the first half oscillated between tedious and unwatchable, with the teams managing to conjure up one decent chance each, Aveley’s being comfortably held by Nathan McDonald and Town’s effort, from Adam Cunnington, being deflected narrowly wide.

After the break, the ugly mess of midfield scuffling and overhit long balls continued.

The home side were gaining territorial advantage however, bombarding the Town defence with a string of corners and free kicks that were competently dealt with by Lewis Knight and debutant Josh Hill.

Aveley succeeded in getting their noses in front after 62 minutes with a rare moment of quality, George Sykes finding room on the edge of the box to curl a shot beyond McDonald.

Despite introducing three substitutes, Town were still struggling to make any meaningful headway, until coming up with an equaliser five minutes from time, with Scott Thomas’ cross from the right being converted by Cunnington with a looping far-post header.

Both sides chased a winner to little effect, despite a late appeal for a penalty when Lyle Della-Verde went down in the box.

Ultimately, a draw was a fair outcome though, with both sets of fans happy to head for a warmer place to scrape the icicles off their extremities.

Town: McDonald, Spencer (Dayton 81), Payne, Thomas, Knight, Hill, Wordsworth, Youngs, Cunnington, Wyllie (Cass 72), Hercules (Della Verde 72). Unused: Taaffe, Braithwaite

We are delighted to announce the loan signing of Dulwich Hamlet central defender Josh Hill.

Josh, 31, will be with us until Jan 3 and will be available for several key games over over the next few weeks, providing vital cover in a position where we have lost two suspended players.

Although Dulwich signed Josh from Dartford in the summer, he hadn’t been able to play until recently as he recovered from knee surgery.

He finally made his debut for The Hamlet on Nov 26 in a friendly with Chelsea U21s and made his competitive debut for the club four days later in the London Senior Cup against Cray Wanderers, both times as a second-half substitute.

Despite his relative lack of game time, Josh brings a wealth of experience having played more than 200 National League and National League South games for Dartford (two spells), Boreham Wood, Hemel Hempstead Town, Havant & Waterlooville, St Albans City, Chelmsford City, Wealdstone, Braintree Town and Welling United.

Welcome, Josh!

(photo courtesy of Rob Avis)

Interview by Andrew Warshaw

You might assume that Jake would have had a special incentive to do well against his old club on Saturday.

Yet, despite the unfortunate way in which he left Stortford to join the Town just under a year ago, Jake was insistent that his penultimate home game before he takes a short break was like any other fixture. “It’s true I left under deeply controversial circumstances but it is what it is,” said Enfield’s number nine with commendable frankness. “I have not lost any sleep over them and probably vice-versa.”

“Things sometimes don’t work out in football. The only incentive I have to do well against them is the fact that they are in the playoff positions with us.”

In mid-December, straight after the Hornchurch game, Jake is due to fly off for a long-planned vacation, missing several vital fixtures, though Town’s fortunes during his time away will not be far from his mind. “It’s been a very tough year for me personally for all kinds of reasons,” Jake revealed. “When we lost the playoff semi-final, I was heartbroken.”

“I knew I’d miss the whole of pre-season because I have to travel a lot due to work, and then four weeks at Christmas. I told the gaffer that if my level of commitment was not acceptable, I’d completely understand.”

“We’re a big club with a good level of football and the last thing I wanted to do, which is still very much the case, is take liberties. I was very transparent with my circumstances.”

It’s precisely because of his love for Town that Jake expressed that kind of honesty. It’s all about the team. “I know the situation is not ideal. The manager has to do what he has do. If I can’t get back in the team and have to sit on the bench, I just have to accept it. I’m either going to play for Enfield or no-one.”

That’s some statement but Jake talks like he means it. “When I come back in January, I think I’ll be in great shape. I’m only 29 and feel I’ve still got a lot to give.”

“I love everything about Enfield Town. I’ve played non-league football for over a decade and this is by far one of my favourite dressing rooms and by far and away the best fans. There is no other walk of life where you can replicate that level of appreciation.”

It’s important to note that Jake has also become a member of the club as well as one of its key performers. “I just love the community concept of the club, the unique aspect in terms of no barrier between players and fans. Whether or not I’d been selected regularly this season I still would have become a member. It’s certainly 20 quid well spent.”

“Great club, great cause, great people and long may it last. I’m just pleased to do my bit.”

And looking ahead? “With the players we’ve brought in, I genuinely believe we’re in a better place than we were last season. The spine of the team is strong, so onwards and upwards.”

__________

This piece originally appeared in the Enfield Town FC Matchday Programme. Pick up your copy on home matchdays, or subscribe to GoToTown to receive each edition as a digital or hard copy.

Enfield Town 0-1 Bishop’s Stortford

Report by Ken Brazier

Bishop’s Stortford earned a fourth consecutive win against play-off rivals Enfield Town, a run stretching back to March 2020, and leapfrogged them into third place in the table whilst Town dropped to sixth.

The opening period was a somewhat subdued affair, with the visitors having spells of possession and, not for the first time this season, Enfield found it difficult to get a foothold in the game in the opening 45 minutes.

David Olufemi had a shot blocked, and Nathan McDonald was becoming increasingly busy, firstly cutting out a dangerous low cross from Donell Thomas and then dealing with a free kick from the eye-catching Darren Foxley. Soon afterwards Frankie Merrifield fired just wide from Foxley’s square pass while, at the other end, Jake Cass was way off target with his left foot.

After Foxley had forced McDonald into another save, Cass went on a great run down the left, but his low ball across the edge of the six-yard box just eluded Adam Cunnington.  Then on 37 minutes, the lively Donell Thomas found space on the edge of the home box and fired low past McDonald’s outstretched right hand for what turned out to be the winning goal.

Half-time: 0-1

A couple of minutes into the second half, Cass was played through but, as he elected to flick the ball past the onrushing keeper Jack Giddens rather than take an early shot, the ball was cleared by a covering defender from near the goal line and the chance was gone. Then around the hour mark, a slow-burning touch paper was ignited by a major skirmish in the centre circle.  Once the dust had settled, the officials opted to red card Lewis Knight and James Richmond for the hosts and Harry Beadle for the visitors, despite there being a number of other players heavily involved in the melee.

Another Foxley free kick was saved by McDonald, but Town showed great spirit for the remainder of the half despite their numerical disadvantage.  In the 71st minute, Cass tested Giddens with a crisp volley which was tipped over. From the ensuing corner Giddens then made an even better stop from the same player’s bullet-header from close range. Many Town fans felt aggrieved a few minutes later when a well-flighted Scott Thomas free kick from the left drifted over Giddens’ head and nestled in the back of the net, but an infringement had been spotted by referee Benjamin Bowles.

Stortford saw out the rest of the game with few alarms, although as McDonald came up for a late corner and a cluster of Town heads connected with the ball, it dropped agonisingly wide of the post from a Town perspective just as the referee blew for full time to end a game which the Blues had managed well on the day.  Town’s misery was compounded when, in addition to manager Andy Leese during the second half, referee Bowles also red-carded Anthony Wordsworth in the tunnel after the match had ended.  

“On the balance of the first half, it wasn’t good enough. The second half probably, unfortunately, has to be consigned to the bin”, said Andy Leese. “The consequences of today are pretty dramatic for us. We’ve huffed and puffed and created two or three chances when we’ve gone down to nine men; at that point you have to salvage whatever you can from the wreckage … but not a good day all round.”

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Della-Verde (Youngs 66), Thomas, Wordsworth, Taaffe (Wilson-Braithwaite 63); Cass, Cunnington (Hercules 74).

Blues: Giddens; Olufemi, Henshaw, Beadle, Porter; Foxley, Johnson, Church (Jack Thomas 76), Charles (Giles 86); Donell Thomas (Peters 81), Merrifield.

Attendance: 530.

We are pleased to confirm that central defender Lewis Knight will be staying at Enfield Town for a further three months, following an extension of his loan agreement with Margate.

Lewis, who has won all four league games he has featured in so far, has been a key component of the squad over the last month; also chipping in at the other end of the pitch with five goals in his last seven games in all competitions.

“We are extending Lewis knight’s loan today for 3 months. We’re pleased we could get it done as Lewis has been great since he came in”, said Town boss Andy Leese. “He wants to be here which is important as well. Thanks to Margate for their cooperation and to the Board for backing the move at a key time in the season.”

Andrew Warshaw talks to new Town signing and media wannabee Anthony Wordsworth

In recent years more and more professional footballers have made the switch to television and radio on their retirement from the game.

Now Enfield Town has its own would-be Gary Lineker in the form of new signing Anthony Wordsworth (pictured left).

Late last month Anthony graduated with a first in sports journalism from Staffordshire University after a three-year course, mainly on-line, which he combined with playing in the lower leagues of the professional game.

Anthony started out at Colchester United, before embarking on a career which has taken him to the likes of Ipswich Town, Southend United, and AFC Wimbledon.

He has also represented Barnet, League of Ireland side Waterford and, briefly, Cheshunt, and brings a wealth of experience to Enfield as the club embarks on a busy December schedule ahead of the second half of season.

Anthony was able to complete his degree thanks to financial assistance from the Professional Footballers Association which funded a large chunk of the course.

“I’ve always been interested in journalism,” Anthony explained. “It’s something I’d really like to do after football.”

“When I was at Wimbledon, I became really friendly with the media team there. I probably spent more time in their office than I did hanging around with the lads. I used to come up with ideas and they encouraged me to get into it when I stopped playing. I’d ultimately like to be a presenter.”

To keep his hand in, Anthony co-commentates for Wimbledon whenever he can, provided it doesn’t clash with his commitments for Enfield.

Despite having represented a plethora of league teams, Anthony – who counts England and Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale as among his best friends — was pleasantly surprised at what he found when he arrived at Enfield, on and off the pitch.

“I’m not just saying this but I can tell you that Enfield Town is a very well run football club,” he says. “I noticed that from the first second I walked into the club. Things like having their own kit man and a physio. Everything is done properly, it’s run like a professional club.”

It helps, of course, that Anthony was already friends with the likes of fellow Town midfielder Sam Youngs and former club favourite Lee Chappell. He also knew current first-team coach Ian Hart from when both were at Southend though he had no intention of joining Enfield until he actually saw the set-up.

“Basically, I just wanted to get fit and asked if I could come in and train. Initially I had no interest in signing but I was so impressed with how things were done that when it was mentioned, I said yes straight away.”

At 33, Anthony, a father-of-four who can play both as an attacking and defensive midfielder, brings invaluable know-how to the club having worked with a string of established coaches such as Mick McCarthy, Paul Lambert and Aidy Boothroyd.

“We’ve got such a good squad at Enfield. The boys are such a good bunch and the coaching staff are superb. To be honest, I don’t see that much difference with the professional game in terms of the level of detail. At this level, I don’t think you can get a better coaching set-up.”

And his hopes for the season?

“That I can bring the experience I had at a higher level. But I also want to win the league. I’m not here for a jolly-up.”

Wingate and Finchley 0 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A solid workmanlike performance earned three well-earned points at our lowly neighbours on Saturday to set us up for a mouth-watering December against all the other leading sides in and around us.

Lewis Knight (yes, him again!) struck with our first attack of the game and it was a lead we never relinquished, doubling it halfway through the second half to send us up to fourth – leapfrogging Bishop’s Stortford, our next opponents.

With James Richmond having to cry off ill and Sam Youngs only starting training again this coming week, Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite seamlessly slotted into the back four against opponents who were neat and tidy but lacked authority in the final third.

With a minute gone on the clock, a Town corner was half-cleared and Marcus Wyllie’s deflected cross looped up in the air for Knight to head home.

Wingate replied with Daniel Emovon’s snapshot that flew over the bar and rest of the half was fairly even, Wingate carving out a succession of corners but Town going closest – first through a spectacular Jake Cass volley, then when Wyllie dragged a low angled shot just wide.

H-T 1-0

Wingate almost drew level when former Towner Dernell Wynter lashed a shot over the bar and there was cause for concern when man of the match Juevan Spencer needed lengthy treatment following a late challenge by Emmanuel Yeboah who, bizarrely, escaped a booking.

Shortly afterwards a melee ensued halfway inside the Wingate half following a clash between Adam Cunnington and Emovon.

The result was a 65^th minute freekick to Town, curled in by Lyle Della-Verde for Cass — who started his career at W and F as a youth player – to rise above the home defence and bury a powerful header (pictured).

Thomas Stagg had a sniff of chance to draw Wingate level but was offside anyway and the hosts lost heart as we played out the final quarter with relative ease.

Town

McDonald; Spencer; Wilson-Braithwaite, Knight, Payne; Thomas, Taaffe, Wordsworth; Della-Verde (Dayton 69), Wyllie (Cunnington, 59); Cass (Hercules, 86)

All the best to defenders Ryan Kirwan and Nathan Smith, who are no longer registered to the club.

Nathan made 43 appearances in a Town shirt, scoring five times; while Ryan featured 45 times, chipping in with six assists. Ryan leaves to join Isthmian Premier side Brightlingsea Regent.

Both were central figures in last season’s squad which reached the playoffs – we would like to thank them for their efforts and wish them well for the future.

“Nathan hasn’t featured since last season having picked up injuries. He’s been back in with us recently but with the squad settled now, we agreed there won’t be too many opportunities for him to play”, said manager Andy Leese. “My thanks go to Nathan for his time here. He’s a consummate professional who set standards when he was here. He wants to carry on playing and we have amicably agreed that will be elsewhere. Best wishes Smudger.”

“I have discussed with Ryan that he needs to be playing having come back from playing at Walthamstow. We have agreed he can get games with Brightlingsea to keep him match fit. We will monitor the situation, but hopefully Ryan does well for them.”

Haringey Borough 2 Enfield Town 2 (Haringey win 4-3 on penalties)

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town exited yet another cup competition on Tuesday night, this time via the curse of penalties in the Velocity Trophy 4th round, leaving us to concentrate on the league for the rest of the season.

But the players can feel a touch unlucky after dominating our nearby opponents for large spells of the game, not helped by some questionable officiating.

In the end it came down to profligacy in front of goal and two of our spotkick takers missing the target, reminiscent of several past shootout disappointments.

Except for the absence of Sam Youngs, still recovering from the knock he took at Carshalton, we fielded virtually a full side against opponents missing three regular defenders.

And apart from a dangerous spell just after they equalised for 1-1, it was Town who imposed their game on the opposition in a tournament we had genuine hope of winning.

On another day Jake Cass may have had a hattrick but left his scoring boots at home but he wasn’t the only one guilty of a string of near-misses.

It all started so well with a composed finish after 13 minutes by Marcus Wyllie (pictured) who is rapidly becoming a fans’ favourite.

It was almost two when the Haringey keeper flapped at a Joe Payne long throw but after struggling to keep the ball, the hosts hit us with a sucker punch seven minutes before the interval.

From an Enfield corner, they surged up the other end  in a three-man move that beat us for pace, Anthony Mendy providing the finish.

Suddenly we found ourselves on the back foot, Nathan McDonald somehow keeping out a close-range effort from Ou Durojaiye that slammed into his face.

H-T 1-1

It was Town who again began the second half in the ascendancy, creating chances as we pushed Haringey back, the best falling to Cass, whose header inexplicably missed the target.

Jake deserved a goal for all his usual tireless running off the ball but on 67 minutes we fell behind. Juevan Spencer’s driving run was halted in its tracks and as Haringey  burst into the space left vacant behind him, Kylan Hinds made us pay.

Luckily not for long. Five minutes later Lewis Knight, rapidly becoming our surprise go-to goalscorer, got his head to Lewis Taaffe’s freekick to restore parity.

For some reason, the officials didn’t spot a blatant off the ball challenge on Joe Payne that might well have resulted in a red card.

As the clock ticked towards penalties, Lyle Della-Verde hit the post, Cass couldn’t quite convert the rebound, and substitutes Wraynal Hercules and Andrew Coker, the latter with almost the last kick of the 90,  went agonisingly close.

And so to spotkicks with Haringey netting four of their five – including  one fortuitously retaken after originally being saved by Nathan who was bizarrely adjudged to have been off his line —  and both Della- Verde and Coker missing the target for Town.

It rounded off a what-might-have-been evening with only the Middlesex Senior Cup left in terms of cup competitions.

“A bitterly disappointing night,” said Andy Leese. “We had enough chances to win two games and it was frustrating to watch. The penalty shootout saw us continue to miss the target.

“We have to regroup now and move on to the important league games we have. We only have ourselves to blame for exiting the League Cup.”

Town

McDonald; Spencer, Knight, Richmond, Payne; Della- Verde, Thomas, Wordsworth, Taaffe (Coker 78), Wyllie (Hercules, 82); Cass

Our eagerly awaited home fixture with Hornchurch will now take place at 3PM on Saturday 17 December and not Monday 12 December as previously proposed.

This became possible because Folkestone, our scheduled opponents, are involved in the FA Trophy that day as are Bognor, who were due to play Hornchurch.

The Board felt a Saturday would be more appropriate for such an important fixture which could now attract our biggest crowd to date this season.

Massive credit to our match Secretary John Dolan for making the necessary arrangements.

Carshalton 1 Enfield Town 3

Report by Martin Bentley

A solid, professional performance, combined with some charitable donations from the home defence, saw Enfield Town bank a comfortable three points at in-form Carshalton and move up to fourth.

With Anthony Wordsworth making a first start in midfield, Town started brightly, and raced into a two- goal lead in the opening 22 minutes.

Town made good use of the low sun that rendered visibility difficult for the entire first half, and first benefited after six minutes.  Lyle Della Verde’s cross from the right disappeared into the sun, and then reappeared for Sam Youngs to jab the ball into the corner for his first league goal of the season (pictured).

Jake Cass nearly doubled the lead two minutes later with an audacious effort from the centre circle that passed a foot over a relieved Danny Bracken’s crossbar.

The second goal wasn’t long in arriving though. Cass set off optimistically after a long ball, arriving just in time to see home keeper Bracken and defender Ollie Cook make a complete mess of the clearance, leaving the Town striker, who loves chasing seemingly lost causes, a free run at an empty net.

The first half then played out amidst a flurry of yellow cards and few efforts on goal.

H-T 0-0

Not surprisingly Carshalton began the second half positively, and reduced the deficit 10 minutes in. Town uncharacteristically lost possession on their left, and the resultant low cross was turned in by home skipper Tom Beere.

At this point though, the home side’s propensity for unsolicited gifts kicked in once again. Under no apparent pressure, defender Bradley Williams nodded a long ball past Bracken, to the travelling fans’ disbelief – and delight.

Town saw out the remainder of the game without difficulty, although injuries to goalscorers Youngs and Cass are a concern; at least we have a ten-day cushion before our next fixture. Town now appear to be gathering momentum in time for a tricky set of fixtures in November and December.

Town: Mc Donald, Spencer, Payne, Thomas, Knight, Richmond, Taaffe (Coker 81), Youngs (Antonio 69), Cass (Wyllie 73), Wordsworth, Della Verde Unused: Braithwaite, Hercules

This Saturday we travel to in-form Carshalton Athletic for what looks likely to be a hard-fought encounter. Their address is: War Memorial Sports Ground, Colston Avenue, Carshalton SM5 2PW

The Robins are currently sixth in the table with 25 points from 14 games, one point behind Town with a game in hand.

Carshalton have won five and lost one of their last six fixtures in the league.

Save yourself £1 by getting your ticket here: https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/tickets

How to get there: https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/find-us

Trains from Victoria at 11 and 41 minutes past the hour will get you to Carshalton in 30 minutes from Central London.

Velocity Trophy

Meanwhile we have been drawn in the fourth round of the Velocity Trophy away at Haringey Borough whom we visit on Tuesday Nov 22 for a mouth-watering derby.

Enfield Town are into the next round of the Velocity Trophy after a dominant first half display set them on their way to a 2-1 victory over Felixstowe & Walton United.

Downpours which had hit the Suffolk coast earlier in the day had subsided by kickoff, making for a slick, moist pitch at Delwood Avenue – with Town playing some neat football throughout and perhaps a shade unfortunate not to register more than the two goals they did. When this slick build-up was brought to an unceremonious halt down the left flank after a shove on Marcus Wyllie 12 minutes in, Enfield threatened as Lewis Taaffe’s inswinging free kick was glanced goalwards by Wyllie, but gathered by goalie Callum Robinson.

Two minutes later, the hosts would eventually be undone from a similar position. This time Taaffe sent a low shot bouncing against the base of the post, though the loose ball was smartly recycled by James Dayton, whose clipped cross was guided superbly into the far corner by Lewis Knight on the volley – the centre-back’s third goal in his last four.

Town’s tails were firmly up now, looking menacing in the wide areas, and almost immediately Dayton flighted a similar cross to the back stick, though Wraynel Hercules sliced over the crossbar. Off the ball, the visitors’ pressing was also excellent – with the defence, as well as a midfield which included debutant Anthony Wordsworth, sweeping up well when called upon. Just shy of the interval, Knight was withdrawn out of precaution after going down in discomfort, making way for another new arrival in centre-half Joshua Okotcha.

Not that Town lacked a threat when the goalscorer departed. On the 45-minute mark, Jake Cass’ looping header across goal was retrieved by Wyllie, who shifted and drilled a finish beyond Robinson and in via a defender to double the Towners’ advantage. Felixstowe were somewhat fortunate to go into the break just the two down as an apparent trip in the area on Wyllie, who attempted to stay on his feet, was inexplicably waved away by the officials.

Half Time: FWUFC 0-2 ETFC

The second half began in frantic fashion as the industrious Taaffe advanced from midfield and twice was unlucky not to find the target, again striking the foot of the post before forcing an excellent two-handed stop to Robinson’s left on the edge of the area. A fleet-footed counter attack followed minutes later, started by Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite at his own corner flag, and very nearly ending in Taaffe converting from Wraynel Hercules’ square ball. Wyllie was cynically brought down after bearing down on goal, yet for all their graft, Town were unable to find a third. A series of substitutes would follow, with Sam Youngs brought on in an advanced role after Cass and Wyllie had both been taken off.

Mere moments later and the hosts pulled one back seemingly out of the blue, as a long ball bounced straight through the centre and was lofted over Nathan McDonald by Samuel Ford. McDonald was alert to thwart Ford again shortly after, but now the mood had shifted, with Town having to repel several Seasiders set pieces. With four minutes of injury time, ‘keeper Robinson was sent upfield in hope, but it was Joshua Hitter’s late, curling free kick which was the closest the home side came to snatching an equaliser; McDonald parrying clear to secure Town’s passage into Round 4, and an away tie at Haringey Borough in two weeks’ time.

“A difficult game; they’re playing well. I was really pleased with the first half, I thought we were excellent”, said Andy Leese.

“We got the measure of them, and got two good goals to put us in a winning position. There were a couple of enforced changes as well [Knight; Dayton] but it didn’t really affect us.” “Second half I think we started really well, though the amount of changes we made caused us to stutter a bit. But then last 15 with all those changes we saw it out well. It was all about getting a result tonight and that’s what we did.”

Town: McDonald; Wilson-Braithwaite, Knight (Okotcha 39′), Richmond (Thomas 65′) , Payne; Wordsworth, Taaffe, Dayton (Antonio 45′) ; Hercules, Wyllie (Youngs 73′) , Cass (Coker 65′)

Attendance: 209

Enfield Town 1 Hastings United 0

Match Report by Usayd Tai 

(Partially rewritten and edited throughout by Andrew Warshaw)

It was always going to take something special to settle a tight game and Town managed to find a way through late on to make it back-to-back wins.

There may have not been many fireworks but for an unlikely hero, it certainly was a Nov 5 to remember with a sparkling winner.

Hastings substitute Chinedu McKenzie had just seen his angled shot come back off the post when, in virtually the very next move, recent arrival Lewis Knight moved up from the back to produce a 25-yard thunderbolt (pictured) and take the points for Town after 87 minutes, in the process moving us up to fourth.

Town started positively, looking especially dangerous down the right with Lyle Della-Verde giving the Hastings leftback a difficult afternoon.

The first chance fell to Andrew Coker , who was put through on goal, but his shot was scuffed and cleared by the Hastings defence.

A half full of long throws by each team’s specialist produced a string of half-chances. Enfield skipper Scott Thomas, in his 100^th appearance for the club, set up arguably set up the best chance of an attritional opening period, Della-Verde drilling the ball just wide on the stroke of halftime while James Richmond saw his effort fly over.

Despite a few bright cameos, it was a half to forget as neither keeper was really tested.

H-T 0-0

Town picked up some momentum at the start of the second half as they looked to break the deadlock, new signing Hamilton Antonio showing his effectiveness in support of Sam Youngs.

 A lovely move saw Della Verde play in the overlapping Jeuvan Spencer but his cross was put behind for a corner by Louis Rogers.

Three minutes later, another corner whipped in by Della-Verde was headed goalwards by Richmond only for Rogers to pull off a magnificent save.

As the rain started to lash down on an increasingly soggy surface, control became difficult.

Jake Cass was inches away from converting a right-wing cross but suddenly Hastings, well drilled despite missing three players, started to believe they could win it.

On came supersub McKenzie with 20 minutes to go and he threatened to turn the game.

Put through down the left he shot narrowly wide, then was presented with an even better chance in the 84th minute but hit the post from six yards out.

Those  chances came back to haunt Hastings  as a long throw was cleared, only to fall to Knight who, with a striker’s instinct,  hit a beauty into the top corner. Shortly afterwards, Hastings keeper Louis Rogers was lucky to stay on the pitch after pole-axing Wraynel Hercules.

“I couldn’t really see where a goal was going to come from,” said Andy Leese afterwards. “We couldn’t really find a way through so I’m absolutely delighted. I didn’t really expect to sign a centrehalf who has now got two in three games! The composure to bring the ball down and bend it in like that was nothing short of incredible.”

A Knight to remember, you could say, and a big three points.

Town: McDonald, Spencer, Payne, Thomas, Knight, Richmond, Coker (Hercules 73), Youngs, Cass, Antonio (Taaffe 67), Della-Verde (Wyllie 79) Unused : Wilson-Braithwaite, Dayton

Anthony Wordsworth

We are delighted to welcome midfielder Anthony Wordsworth to Enfield Town. Anthony started out at Colchester, before embarking on a professional career which has taken him to the likes of Ipswich Town, Southend United, and AFC Wimbledon. He spent last season with League of Ireland side Waterford.

“We have taken the chance to sign Anthony after he has been training with us”, said manager Andy Leese. “A fantastic professional career means he brings quality and very high standards to the group, along with a winning mentality which will all help the younger players especially. Anthony gives us another option in midfield where we are stretched with the current schedule of games. He’s a local boy as well which we like. Please welcome Anthony to the club when you see him today.”

Rian Bray

We would also like to thank central defender Rian Bray for his efforts as he departs the club in search of regular football. Rian (pictured) made 53 appearances for the Town, scoring once, and was an important part of last-season’s squad which reached the playoffs.

“We have agreed to part company with Rian Bray. Rian didn’t feel he would get the opportunities he wants with our recent signings so we agreed he can look elsewhere to play his football”, added Andy. “I understand Rian’s desire to play as he’s been a regular here for us. We part on good terms and I’d like to personally thank Rian for his contribution last season especially.”

Once again we are holding a New Year’s Eve party in Butler’s Bar with live  music from Ray Macfarland

Tickets £10 (£5 under-16s and under-5s free)

To book please contact:

Christine Hamilton:  07949 071 587 –  ianchrisham@hotmail.com

Alan Medlock: 07963 196 224

Please book your tickets in advance as soon as possible so we can make an informed decision regarding numbers. 

We are happy to announce two new faces to our squad as of this week. The first is defender Lewis Knight (pictured), whom you may have seen feature – and score on his debut – in our 4-2 win over Herne Bay on Saturday afternoon. Lewis joins on a month’s loan deal from Margate, and brings with him prior experience at Step 2 with St Albans, Concord Rangers and Maidstone United.

The second is Hamilton Antonio, who joins having last featured for Herne Bay. He is a central midfielder whose other previous sides include Corinthian-Casuals and Walton Casuals.

“Lewis has joined us on loan from Margate to strengthen our defensive options and is a player we have liked for a while”, said gaffer Andy Leese. “We have also added Hamilton Antonio to the squad this week. He was playing at Herne Bay this season and last year helped them to promotion. We need to bolster the midfield area with our demanding schedule at the moment and Hamilton will do that with his energy and physicality. We hope to see him in action tonight when supporters will get a chance to welcome him into the club.”

Welcome to Town!

Enfield Town 4 Herne Bay 2

Report by Martin Bentley

In front of a bumper crowd of 678 celebrating our annual Whole Club Day, Enfield Town and Herne Bay served up a highly entertaining end-to-end game that could easily have ended with twice the number of goals scored.

From the Town’s point of view, the game saw a welcome return to winning ways –their first victory in five.

The action exploded into life with two goals in the first quarter-hour. Just five minutes had passed when Town were awarded a freekick in that area of the pitch that should really be known as ‘Lyle’s Office’ – 25 yards from goal and just right of centre.

Mr Della Verde curled the kick deliciously into keeper Josh Strizovic’s top left hand corner – we were up and running.

The visitors attacked boldly in search of an equaliser, with Tashaun Walters firing a shot wide and Keiron Campbell stinging Nathan McDonald’s palms after cutting in from the left. They found their equaliser after 15 minutes, the outstanding Marcel Barrington latching onto a poor defensive header and belting the ball past McDonald.

The game continued at a lively pace. Sam Youngs missed badly from 12 yards and Barrington had a shot well saved at the other end before Town went back in front on the half hour, Della-Verde’s right-wing cross being turned into his own net by right-back Che Krabbendam.

Four minutes later Town were awarded a penalty following a foul on debutant centreback Lewis Knight. Unfortunately and rarely for him, Jake Cass’s spot kick flew wide.

A frantic half concluded with Campbell forcing another decent save from Mc Donald.

H-T 2-1

The second half continued in much the same vein, and Town extended their lead on 56 minutes. Once again it was a Della-Verde special, this time low to Strizovic’s right – wonderful to watch.

Three minutes later Barrington forced an error from James Richmond to reduce the arrears, and the Town faithful were once again feeling a little concerned.

But after seven more minutes, we were all breathing a little easier. Della-Verde had a shot deflected wide, and from the resulting corner, Richmond headed down at the far post for Knight to turn the ball over the line.

The pace of the game slowed a little after that, as Town were able to see out matters for a much-needed three points.

Town: McDonald, Spencer, Payne, Thomas, Knight, Richmond, Taaffe (Hercules 80), Youngs, Cass, Coker (Dayton 72), Della Verde (Braithwaite 86) Unused: Bray, Cunnington

“We have had to find game time for a number of players recently as they have come back to fitness. A number have gone across to Walthamstow to help Nick Ironton as he builds a new team. We are grateful to Nick as it helps us as well. The players have dual registered which allows us to call them back at any time.

Josh Urquhart needs games now he is fit and we will monitor how he does in the next few games. Te Wihongi, Ryan Kirwan and Kian Wilkes have all done the same. Alex Solomon has also done the same with St Neots. Graham Dodd will be watching them and keeping an eye on progress for us.

Rian McLean has gone to Witham where he played last season. He wasn’t getting the game time he wanted. We have agreed we will keep in touch. Wynford Marfo has joined Cray and Gucci’s loan has ended now so he is back with Sutton Utd.

It’s the hardest part of management keeping all your players happy and these moves allow us try to do that. The squad is under constant review as we seek to get the right balance and quality to push us on. We also have to balance the books which is a challenge we face every year.

As regards Bilal Sayoud, he  has also gone to Walthamstow so he can get regular football as we could not guarantee the game time he wants. We wish Bilal the very best and thank him for his contribution in his second spell with us.”

Andy Leese

This Saturday is a very special occasion when all sections of the club come together for our annual Whole Club Day.

All the teams – men’s, ladies, youth and disability – will gather for a mass photoshoot before the game against Herne Bay

At the end of the game everyone will be asked to stay on for a Hallowe’en Party in the bar until around 9pm.

Feel free to invite all your friends and work colleagues to what should be a memorable day for everybody – and hopefully three points!

Gates will open at 12.30 for what will we anticipate will be a bumper crowd.

Nightingale Cancer support will be attending the game and will set up a stand to give out leaflets and also will carry out a bucket collection during the afternoon.

Cray Wanderers 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Frustration seemed to be the byword amongst the Town players after a fast-paced encounter which, on another day, we might have won.

The celebration among the Cray team at the final whistle said much about how they felt about sharing the points in a tight game that saw us drop to fifth.

With the teams in and around us – most of whom have played fewer games — picking up three points, there was a sense of disappointment after we had taken the lead through Marcus Wyllie’s first competitive goal for the club, only to be pegged back shortly afterwards.

But this was a big improvement following the Lewes debacle, particularly in terms of players covering each other all over the pitch and the amount of the possession we carved out.

The management team made three changes from the Lewes game but kept the defence in tact and to be fair, for large periods of the game we were relatively untroubled.

This fixture so often produces a goal fest but not this time, with defences on top for much of the game.

On 19 minutes, Jake Cass, who chased lost causes all afternoon and was a constant threat, let fly from 25 yards, narrowly missing the target.

Cray almost took advantage of a rare James Richmond slipup, only for Nathan McDonald to save with his legs.

Nathan produced an even bigger stop to keep out a point-blank Jalen Jones header from a freekick but in a half of few clearcut chances, Sam Youngs almost broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime as he held off two defenders before swivelling and shooting just wide.

H-T 0-0

Four minutes into the second period, we took the lead as Wyllie pounced on a weak defensive header just outside the Cray box and strode forward to fire a delicious right-foot effort into the corner sparking huge celebrations (pictured).

Cass almost made it 2-0 but couldn’t quite keep control before Cray hit back.

Nyren Clunis had already gone close to an equaliser after being put through by skillful teenager Ben Krauhaus when the ball was played into the path of Dan Bassett and his low shot seemed to squirm under Nathan’s body.

The home side briefly threatened to turn things round as they upped their game but we held firm and finished the stronger with three pairs of fresh legs on the pitch.

Cass and Wyllie combined to set up ex-Wand Andre Coker down the left but his shot lacked sufficient power. And in the dying moments, Cass so nearly won it with an audacious piece of skill and strength that was kept out by Rowley.

Neutral observers will feel the outcome was just about right but perhaps looking back it was a game from which we might easily have come out on top.

“Much, much better performance from us today… a much different performance than we’d given the previous two Saturdays”, said Andy Leese. “We had to deal with Cray and the way they play, which I felt we did really well… just a little bit disappointed we didn’t capitalise – we created lots of chances.”

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Wilson-Braithwaite, Richmond, Payne; Thomas (Dayton, 64); Hercules (Della-Verde, 72), Youngs, Taaffe (Coker, 72), Wyllie; Cass.

This Saturday we visit Cray Wanderers in need of a positive result after a disappointing outcome to our last league game.

 Cray are currently fourth in the table on the same points and games as Town, separated only by goal difference. A game therefore between two playoff contenders?

Cray’s most recent result was a 4-0 win against Brightlingsea on Tuesday which included a hat trick from Ben Krauhaus.

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How To Get Here

Enfield Town 2 Lewes 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Another four goals shipped, a shellshocked manager yet still third in the league and more than handily placed so it’s certainly not all doom and gloom.

But it’s undoubtedly been a rollercoaster few weeks for the Town after Saturday’s latest debacle.

Lewes have become something of a bogey team as they followed up last season’s convincing double over us with another dominant display that belied their lowly league position.

That we managed to pull two goals  back after going 0-4 down restored a certain amount of pride and respectability, especially after the rare sound of being booed off at halftime, albeit by a tiny minority of supporters.

But this shouldn’t hide the fact, as Andy Leese admitted afterwards, that there were worrying deficiencies that need rectifying to keep us on track in the upper echelons of the league.

After Tuesday’s improved display against Bognor following the Chesham humiliation in the Trophy, what unfolded was as alarming as it was unexpected, leading to an unusually flat atmosphere.

Lewes hadn’t won in the league since August but were slicker on the ball, more cohesive as a unit and in Razz Coleman De-Graft had a player who ran the show.

The Rooks were almost ahead within the first minute when Coleman De-Graft curled a cross-shot just over the bar from the edge of the box and it was no surprise when they took the lead six minutes later. Michael Klass played a one-two with Coleman De-Graft and Deon Moore lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.

Lewes’ game plan was clearly to try and pull us out of shape, making it hard for us to keep the ball especially against their five in midfield and forcing our wide players to sit too deep.

It wasn’t until the 22^nd minute that we had our first real chance as James Dayton almost made Jack Cass’ backheel count. Cass came  even closer, only to find goalkeeper Lewis Carey in Lewes’ goal before Carey just held on to Joe Payne’s 30-yard piledriver.

Lewes continued to look the more threatening side, however, and Jamie Mascoll doubled the lead on 35 minutes when the wall failed to deal with his direct freekick.

Lewes’ third just before halftime was criminal from a home point of view. Marcel Elva-Fountaine was allowed to run unchallenged for 25 yards before firing into the far corner.

H-T 0-3

The management team decided to keep faith with the starting eleven and we almost reduced the deficit within two minutes as Lewes kept out a Cass header and Bilal Sayoud’s follow-up.  But it soon went from bad to worse as Coleman De-Graft curled a beauty into the corner of the net at the other end.

Even though it seemed there was no way back, we at last started to get in Lewes’ faces as the management made a triple substitution.

Cass’ superb header on 57 minutes from Sayoud’s sublime cross brought it back to 1-4. Then James Richmond rose to head a rebounded corner into the net to half the deficit (pictured).

The damage may have already been done but it made for an exciting finish as our support play improved and we stopped giving the ball away.

Lyle Della-Verde hit a golden opportunity down the keeper’s throat and both Sam Youngs and Scott Thomas had further chances to pull off a miracle.

Ultimately, however, it was too big a gap to bridge.

A clearly shell-shocked manager didn’t mince his words afterwards. “Absolutely horrendous first half, men against boys,” said Andy. “We simple weren’t good enough from one to 11 and let them do what they wanted.”

“I can only apologise again to the fans. I could hear all the barracking which I understand. Most of it’s aimed at me which I also understand. It was totally unacceptable and there are obviously going to have to be some changes.”

“Strangely we probably created 10 to 12 chances. But they didn’t really have to get out of second gear. It was a very chastening afternoon and lots of worrying signs which we have to address. We need people who will run for the cause and die for the cause. Today again, some players didn’t want to do that. We’ve got some very good footballers but some of them just seem to be lacking the basics.”

Town

McDonald, Spencer, Payne, Thomas, Wilson-Braithwaite, Richmond, Sayoud (Coker 74 mins), Youngs, Cass (Cunnington, 75 mins), Dayton (Wyllie 74 mins), Della-Verde

Our next fixture is against Lewes tomorrow, Saturday, kickoff 3pm, the last in a run of consecutive home games.

Our visitors are surprisingly 17th in the table, but have played fewer games than most.

Their most recent result was a 1-4 defeat at Herne Bay and Lewes have not won in the League since they beat Bishops Stortford 2-1 back in August.

Town are currently third in the table, two points behind league leaders Bishops Stortford and Potters Bar,  and a win could take us top if other results go in our favour. A hugely anticipated encounter is in prospect.

Advance tickets can be purchased here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/match8/enfield-town-vs-lewes

Everyone who witnessed Bilal Sayoud’s stunning strike at Margate a couple of weeks ago marvelled at the sheer technique. But no-one was the least bit surprised, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Bilal may not start every game but his ability on the ball has never been in doubt.

“I do have that in my locker, sometimes it’s just about the confidence in taking it on,” says Bilal who is relishing his second spell at the Town.

“When we lost Mo, some people wondered where the goals would come from. But Lyle had double figures last season as did I, albeit not at Enfield. We also have Jake and Marcus, who is champing at the bit. Plus Sam of course.”

Ever since returning to the Town, Bilal has enjoyed every moment, whether starting or coming off the bench. The phrase impact player is a compliment he recognises though obviously he would prefer more.

“It’s not really a tag I would like to stick because obviously like any player I’d ideally like to be starting games. But the competition now is fierce.”

All teams have their wobbles but Bilal is confident Town can mount a consistent challenge.

“We’ve got so many options around the squad now. Two or three wins in this league puts you right up there.”

As for his own footballing experience, Bilal could be forgiven for wondering what might have been after being on Coventry City’s books for over two years when the club were in League One.

But it’s not something he bangs on about and is getting just as much pleasure out of playing non-league football. “I don’t really bandish the Coventry thing about because I don’t dwell on the past. But if I’m 100 percent honest, I didn’t feel secure in myself there.

“It taught me a lot about professional football and how cut-throat it can be. But on the plus side, also about high standards and how to treat your body. You watch football on tv and think ‘I can do that’. But some people don’t realise the daily grind.”

It wasn’t difficult, after spells at Met Police, Wingate and Hendon, for Bilal, who works for a charity, to make the decision to return to Enfield.

“It gives me far more satisfaction than when I played professionally. I’ve always loved the club. When I left the first time I wanted to get more experience. But most of the teams I played for were never really challenging come the end of the season. I came to realise you want to be up there.”

Religious faith,  as many of you will know, is a huge part of Bilal’s life as a staunch Muslim. Before the season started he went on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for three weeks.

“It wasn’t easy trying to keep fit. I knew some players were leaving and I wanted to stake a claim. But it took longer for me.”

Managing to combine playing football with his religious faith has become second nature to Bilal who prays five times a day.

“We all have our different faiths and beliefs. The club has been nothing but supportive and accommodating, always offering me a room to pray in, whether before games, halftime or in the middle of training. It’s that kind of club.”

Enfield Town 1 Bognor Regis Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

First things first. This was a massive improvement after Saturday’s ignominious FA Trophy exit, with each and every player showing hunger, purpose and desire.

That we  didn’t pick up all three points was more down to the strength of the opposition than any particular failings on our part though critics will doubtless point to our lack of fire power up front and the absence of sufficient midfield creativity.

Overall a draw was a fair result which keeps us extremely handily placed on the coat tails of Bishop Stortford and Potters Bar.

Early days still of course but victory over Lewes in another home game on Saturday could send us top if other results fall in our favour, albeit with only a quarter of the campaign completed and other sides having played fewer games.

The management team made three changes to the starting line-up, including the return of James Richmond who brought composure and stability to the back line.

Right from the off, Town showed intent with Jake Cass twice going close but it was the visitors who took the lead on 15 minutes when a risky squared clearance fell to Bognor frontman Nick Dembele who finished well.

Bognor’s movement and transition play was always a threat but right on halftime  James Dayton almost levelled when a corner was headed back across goal and his header was hit straight at the keeper.

H-T 0-1

We haven’t always had the rub of the green with decisions this season but got back in the game from a softish penalty on 51 minutes.  Dayton was adjudged to have been obstructed by  Nathan Odokonyero and Cass made no mistake from the spot (pictured).

Thereafter, as the game opened up,  both sides had chances to win the game though the Rocks arguably had more.  

Luckily for us, Odokonyero screwed his shot just wide of the upright when it looked certain he would score on 75 minutes. And  five minutes later, Alfie Bridgman blasted wide with only Nathan McDonald to beat.

But Town might well have snatched it late on through Dayton and Richmond, both of whose efforts looked easier to score.

Bognor claimed they would have won the game but for the officiating and poor finishing . At times we did ride our luck but we fully deserved a share of the spoils for application and effort.

“I’m pleased with the response after Saturday,” said Andy Leese. “A difficult game tonight. Bognor are young, well-drilled and energetic. At times they stretched us. I clearly would have preferred a win – it could have sent us top which would have been a boost – but really pleased.”

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Richmond, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne;  Thomas (Wyllie, 70), Youngs, Della-Verde (Hercules, 81), Coker (Sayound, 63), Dayton; Cass

Enfield Town 0 Chesham United 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town’s exploits in this season’s two main cup competitions are well and truly over after we crashed out at the first hurdle in the FA Trophy – just as we did in the FA Cup.

A similar horror show to the one at Canvey saw us put to the sword by the Generals who, despite also being at Step 3 (in their case Southern League Premier Division South ) were far superior in every department.

Chesham put on a commanding display to make it a miserable afternoon for Andy Leese who spent a decade in their own dug-out where he had two memorable cup runs.

Not this time, though, and while we can now put all our energies into the league campaign, everyone connected with the club will be disappointed that there are no more special FA Cup or Trophy days to look forward to – or the revenue stream they provide.

Once again, understandably after three straight wins, Town were unchanged. With a strong bench and players coming back from injury, there was every hope of a good performance even though Chesham are flying high in their league.

Instead it was a chastening display, at times too one dimensional and easy to defend against and Andy was refreshingly honest about the performance as a whole afterwards.

Having said that, for the first 20 minutes we looked up for it as we took the game to Chesham, only to be caught cold when Jordan Edwards hit a low freekick through the wall against the run of play.

Try as we might to respond, we simply couldn’t get any change out of a disciplined and well organised unit who got back in numbers at the slightest hint of a threat – and were devastating on the counter.

Five minutes before halftime Edwards was almost on target again as his 35-yard piledriver crashed against the angle of our post and bar.

Right on halftime, the visitors doubled their lead at the worst possible time for us. After we failed to clear a corner, Jeanmal Prosper pounded on the loose ball and lashed it home.

H-T 0-2

Cue an immediate halftime substitution with Jake Cass replacing an out-of-sorts Wraynel Hercules but as we chased the game, the visitors almost made it three when Shaquille Hippolyte drilled the ball wide of an open goal.

 Andre Coker’s neat finish on 53 minutes  – our first shot on target – so nearly put us back in the game, only to be ruled offside. And perhaps we knew it wouldn’t be our day when Cass somehow missed the target from four yards as he planted a header wide (pictured).

It was a chance we were left to rue as, on 73 minutes, Francis Jno-Baptiste’s pace took him surging into our box and he finished with aplomb.

Lyle Della-Verde came off the bench to see his 35-yard freekick tipped over the bar and from the resultant corner, a Sam Youngs snapshot flew wide.

But unfortunately Chesham weren’t finished yet.  Jno Baptiste too quick for Rian Bray who, with no defensive cover,  had little option but to pull him back inside the box.

Nathan McDonald brilliantly saved the penalty, only for T’Sharne Gallimore to force home the rebound. To  complete our misery, Rian became our latest player to be shown a straight red card.

“It was just a complete and utter disgrace but take nothing away from Chesham,” admitted a furious Andy Leese.

“A totally disrespectful performance, a complete capitulation. No fight, no application to the game plan. Performances since the Canvey Island debacle have been absolutely fine but it looks like we have ability to throw in that kind of performance.  I’ve got to wear it, they’ve got to wear it, and we’ve got to try and get things right for Bognor on Tuesday. That’s the challenge.”

Town:

Mcdonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Hercules (Cass, 45) Thomas, Youngs, Dayton (Della Verde); Cunnington, Coker (Sayoud, 71)

Our next fixture is our FA Trophy 3rd qualifying Round tie tomorrow when we host Andy Leese’s former team, Chesham United, kickoff 3pm.

Andy spent a decade at Chesham, adding extra interest to an already eagerly anticipated fixture between two Step 3 clubs.

Chesham are in cracking form, currently third in the Southern League Premier division South with 20 points from nine games.

Their most recent result was a 3-0 home win over Tiverton Town and they are certain to pose a strong challenge in our bid to go as far as far we can in the most important cup competition left for us this season.

 Third round qualifying winners receive £2450, losers receive £625. This game will be decided on the day as there are no replays in the FA Trophy this year.

If the scores are level after 90 minutes the game will be decided by penalties.

We, too, are on a fine run of form and you won’t want to miss out.

Advance tickets can be purchased here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/match6/enfield-town-vs-chesham

Season Tickets, except those held by Gold GoToTown members, are not valid for this game.

Huge congratulations to our assistant manager, Mario Noto, who completed Sunday’s London Marathon in a time of four hours, 16 minutes, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Mario has managed to raise over £5,000 including a healthy donation from those who attended our league game against Corinthian Casuals.

The money will be split between the Royal Papworth hospital and Haven House Children’s Hospice, the former having performed a life-saving heart transplant operation on his godfather.

Mario, who had trained for the race since July, hit the notorious pain wall around the 15-mile mark when his calf started to cramp up but he was determined to continue.

“I may have torn it but I just gritted my teeth and kept going,” he explained. “I wanted the time to be a bit quicker but it was an amazing experience so I can’t be too down on myself.”

“I had all my family there and even saw a few people I knew during the race including one lad I even used to coach. Everyone got behind everyone else regardless of gender, race or anything else. There was a proper community feel about it with so many people coming out to support.

“It’ll probably take me around a week to feel my body is back to normal but I’d definitely do it again.”

Well done Maz from everyone at Enfield Town FC

Scandinavian  football fans are renowned for flying over to the UK to watch Premier League fixtures at the weekend, writes Andrew Warshaw.

But it isn’t every day they opt exclusively for the non-league game instead.

It was therefore both a surprise and a pleasure to welcome seven Danish fans and 17 Swedes for our recent 2-0 home win over with Corinthian Casuals.

Both trips were organised entirely separately and provided an international feel to the game which was also attended by two Italian supporters. Enfield Town’s reach is obviously stretching far and wide!

All the Swedish fans were members of a so-called “brothers in sport” society and supporters of first division club IFK Norrköping .

They chose to come and watch us as the first in a three-match weekend itinerary and afterwards both clubs exchanged pennants.

Gunnar Hagberg, who helped organise the Swedish trip, explained: “We go to England on a regular basis to watch football but we always tend to go to clubs like Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal.”

“This time we wanted to look for the roots of the game, to find football’s true soul, something we think has been lost in top-division football.”

Luckily for Gunnar and his friends, we just happened to be playing on a Friday night since they had already made arrangements for Saturday and Sunday.

“I checked through the fixture list and saw Enfield were playing on Friday. We couldn’t miss that instead of going out somewhere in London,” said Gunnar. “We had a brilliant time. The rain was perfect for football! We really enjoyed it and everyone was so friendly. It’s been a real treat.”

Needless to say, both the bar and the club shop did a roaring trade among our Scandinavian guests!

Although we are in step 7 of the national pyramid, Gunnar (pictured with another Swedish fan) says we could hold our own much higher up in Sweden. “I was talking to some of our coaches who came with us and they reckon Enfield Town would be the equivalent of the Swedish third division.”

“They were surprised and impressed how intense the game was.  We will definitely be spreading the word!”

Enfield Town 2 Corinthian Casuals 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

If ever the expression “job done” was appropriate, this was it.

Any club in any division would look a trifle leggy after having to play three games in six days so huge credit to the players for grinding out another three points that have pushed us to within striking distance of the top.

Players and management now deservedly have a week’s rest before the eagerly awaited FA trophy tie with Chesham, basking in the knowledge that they have responded superbly to the FA Cup debacle at Canvey Island with three straight wins and an increasingly healthy competition for places.

 This fixture was originally due to take place on Saturday at Casuals but was reversed to Friday at QEII as a result of a tree falling on the Casuals clubhouse.  As a result, Enfield played in light blue because the only kit Casuals could muster was one with white shirts.

The swirling rain hampered ball control but Town’s opener on 38 minutes defied the conditions, recent  signing Wraynel Hercules, who had missed two earlier chances,  unleashing a stunning strike (pictured) that dipped markedly at the last moment.

The goal was as spectacular as it was unexpected given what had gone before which wasn’t very much as both teams defended in depth and tried to hit the opposition on the break. A timely clearance by Ruben Carvalho prevented Adam Cunnington pouncing on a whipped-in Andre Coker cross while a trademark Joe Payne long throw was almost turned in.

As for the visitors, Elijah Simpson fired just wide while Rian Bray’s interception prevented Mohamed Diallo from getting in a shot.

H-T 1-0

 Soon after the break, Casuals appeared to have a decent penalty shout waved away, only to concede a spotkick themsleves on the hour. Coker was bundled over by Benjamin Checklit and got up to confidently double our lead.

Andre almost made it three, spooning over the bar from six yards, while substitute Lyle della-Verde’s run and shot whistled past the post.

At the other end Dequane Wilson-Brathwaite brilliantly cleared of the line as Casuals tried to respond while Mohamed Diallo’s bullet header whistled narrowly wide.

The visitors will rue a string of crosses being dealt with efficiently by Town’s defence which was arguably the best part of our game on the night.

“Not the best of games but they’re the sort of fixtures you just have to dig out,” said Andy Leese. “Especially in our position – three games in six days effectively. We weren’t at our best tonight but we’ve done what mattered. And kept a clean sheet.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Wilson-Braithwaite, Bray, Payne; Hercules (Sayoud, 68), Thomas, Youngs, Dayton (Della-Verde, 75); Coker (Wyllie), Cunnington

Enfield Town 2 Horsham 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town followed up Saturday’s confidence-boosting win at Margate with three more points to leapfog Horsham and move into fifth place in the table.

Tuesday’s fixture was the re-arranged game that was postponed because of the death of the queen and we took full advantage against another of the pre-season playoff hopefuls.

Horsham have stuttered somewhat after a fine start to the campaign but play the game the right way and had their moments against an unchanged Town.

But on clearcut chances, we were well worth the win and could go even higher if we can make it three in a row against Corinthian Casuals on Friday – a game that has been switched to QEII after a tree fell on the Casuals’ club house but for which we have precious little recovery time.

Enfield started the game with a bang and should have gone in front straight from the kickoff. Wraynel Hercules was played in down the right but panicked somewhat as he advanced on goal and put his shot on the running track.

But on 12 minutes we went in front when a cross into the box was only half-cleared  and Andre Coker shot low into the corner for yet another early-season goal.

The Hornets managed to fashion a number of promising positions without being able to supply the final touch and on 26 minutes our lead was doubled.  Coker’s shot was well saved and Adam Cunnington (pictured) — a tower of strength all evening, dribbling past fullbacks, turning goalkicks into corners —  forced home the rebound.

In the final action of the half, Lucas Rodriquez curled a 20-yard freekick over the wall but Nathan McDonald was on hand to make an excellent save.

H-T 2-0

The second half was just a couple of minutes old when Horsham, hit by a lengthy injury list, halved the deficit. Jack Mazzone whipped in a fierce low cross and Rian Bray, in trying to clear, only succeeded in knee-ing the ball into his own net.

Suddenly Horsham gained a new lease of life and started to winning second balls. Mazzone  narrowly cleared the bar from 25 yards and the defensive side of our game, so improved in recent matches, was frequently called into action.

But still we had the better chances – four in particular. When Sam Youngs took advantage of Michael Beeney’s punched clearance, his goalbound chip seemed certainly to make it 3-1, only for Tom Day to rush back and produce a miraculous  goal-line clearance.

There was more to come in the shape of substitute Bilal Sayoud who had three golden opportunities in quick succession to add to his sublime strike at Margate.

First, he struck a freekick fractionally over. Then, in the dying moments, he probably should have done better when pulling his shot narrowly wide, and got even closer by striking the post as Horsham pushed forward.

“In the first half we smothered them in midfield and they couldn’t get out,” said Andy Leese. “2-0 is an awkward scoreline and we started the second half exactly as we did at Margate.”

“At times we then had to dig in. There were some tired legs. We are running harder than we’ve ever done to get to where we want to be but it’s taking its toll on one or two.  I have to give a  special mention to Cunns for yet another outstanding shift. I’m absolutely delighted with the outcome. We don’t have much recovery time before Friday and may have to freshen things up but then we have a full week.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Hercules, Thomas (Soulya-Osekanongo, Youngs, Dayton (Wyllie, 79); Coker (Sayoud, 67), Cunnington.

Additional Reporting By Martin Bentley

Talk about a mouth-watering tie! We have been drawn at home to Chesham united in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy on Oct 8.

Chesham, also in Step 3, are currently third in the Southern League Premier Division South and will present formidable opposition.

As many of you will know, our manager Andy Leese was manager of Chesham where he enjoyed a successful 11 years.

Seven years ago, Andy steered Chesham to a 2-1 FA Cup fourth qualifying round victory over the Town which prevented a maiden appearance in the first round proper.

This time, he will be out to mastermind victory over his former club.

“It’s certainly an interesting draw. I still speak to a few people over there and they will bring a good following with them,” said Andy.

“A real challenge as Chesham are a strong team challenging in their division. We haven’t had kind draws in the national competitions but we want to well in this one like we did last year. We’ll prepare well as always but in the meantime we have some important league games to focus on.”

We can now confirm that our away game with Corinthian Casuals, originally set for Saturday, has been switched to   Enfield because of a problem with the Casuals stadium where a tree recently fell on the clubhouse.

The game will be played at QE II stadium this Friday, ko 7.45, instead of Saturday.

Before then, Horsham are the visitors on Tuesday. They are currently fifth in the table two points ahead of Town but have played a game more.  

Their most recent result was a 0-2  home defeat to Bishops Stortford. Only one win in their last five but will provide a stiff Test for Town. 

Match Tickets are available here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/match3/enfield-town-vs-horsham-

Margate 2 Enfield Town 5

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Anyone leaving the ground after 20 minutes at Margate yesterday – or even at halftime for that matter – could not possibly have imagined how the game would pan out.

We simply hadn’t been at the races, didn’t get close enough to the opposition, especially in midfield, and Towners fans feared the worst.

But as the old cliché goes, goals change games and once we levelled for the second time on the Kent coast, there was only going to be one winner as the hosts collapsed in spectacular fashion.

Missing the likes of Lyle Della-Verde (still suspended) and Jake Cass (injured), the fact that we managed to score five – albeit one an own goal – backs up the theory that we have goals all over the pitch despite Mo’s departure.

And there were a stack of positives, with Adam Cunnington simply outstanding in the air, a hungry Andre Coker again looking like a new player and an excellent debut on the right wing for Wraynal Hercules.

But it was an ominously worrying start.

Not once, not twice but four times in the opening period,  we escaped by the skin of our teeth as Margate came charging out of the blocks, prompted by their captain Ben Greenhalgh who actually has a Champions League medal on his CV.

It was no surprise when they took the lead on 22 minutes, Cameron Brodie rifling home from 20 yards after pouncing on a loose ball.

Our response was immediate with our first effort on target and a stroke of good fortune. Hercules mishit a cross-shot, bamboozling the Margate keeper who saw the ball squirm into the net at his near post.

Coker almost gave us the lead with a sublime strike that clipped the top of the bar but Margate had certainly been superior in the opening half.

H-T 1-1

We needed to up our game but within two minutes of the restart, we fell behind again as Greenlagh’s low, left-footed freekick was touched home by Harry Hudson.

But instead of capitalising on their chances, Margate  again left the door open at the back and Joe Payne, who had another fine game, was left unmarked to lash home our second equaliser.

Now the whole pattern of the game changed as the momentum switched. Within a minute, James Dayton’s excellent cross was side-footed home by Coker to put us 3-2 up  and as the home defence panicked, Hudson’s own goal gave us a fourth.

The best was still to come courtesy of two substitutes.  On 79 minutes, Marcus Wyllie showed great control to set up Bilal Sayoud for the sweetest of curling efforts (pictured) that had the purists purring.

There was still time for Nathan McDonald to make a flying stop from Greenhalgh but by then we were out of sight and celebrating a well-earned, hard-fought three points that can only boost confidence.

It’s not easy replacing so many quality players and although we may not look totally settled yet, we are now sitting in seventh with back-to-back home games to come, starting on Tuesday against Horsham.

“I thought we were dreadful for the first 25 minutes,” conceded Andy Leese. “It was a hard-earned 5-2 win but I thought the way in which we saw the game out was top class.”

“If you look at their results at home we knew it would be difficult down here. But really pleasing to come away  and score as many goals as we did. That 35 minutes in the second half we were excellent. We are slowly getting back to how I want us to play.”

Town

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Dayton, Thomas, Youngs, Hercules (Wyllie 72); Coker (Sayoud, 78), Cunnington (Urquhart 81)

We are excited to announce that we have signed former Brentford B winger Wraynel Hercules who featured prominently in our recent friendly against Beaconsfield

You may remember Wraynel, who has also played for Barnet under-18s and is still only 20, scored twice against us for St. Albans in pre-season

“Wraynel has been working with is in training and gives us another option up front with his direct style and pace,” said Andy Leese.

“He’s been in the professional game at Brentford, he’s a local boy, he’s young and we think he can develop with us.”

Welcome, Wraynel

Tomorrow we make the trip to Margate hoping to avenge our last-minute defeat in the corresponding fixture last season.

Margate are currently 14th in the early-season table with eight points from six games.

Last Saturday they bowed out of the FA Cup losing 1-2 late on at Dulwich Hamlet in front of a crowd of 1,725.

 In the League their most recent result was a 4-0 home win against Herne Bay.

You can purchase tickets here

https://margatefc.ktckts.com/event/mar2223h05/margate-v-enfield-town

The club are laying on a coach for Margate, Departure Point: QEII Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

Departure Time. – Leave 10,45. a.m. SHARP

Cost: £18.00

For Bookings please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563

– lesgold@enfieldtownfooballclub.co.uk

Casuals Switch

There is a possibility next weekend’s fixture may be moved to Enfield because of a problem with the Casuals stadium where a tree has fallen on the clubhouse.

 The favoured option by both clubs is that the game is moved to the QEII Stadium next Friday 30 September , but we are currently waiting for the League to sanction this change. Obviously we will let you know as soon as we can.

Congratulations to Town central defender Alex Solomon, who was recently called up to Cyprus’ Under-21 squad. Alex (right of image) , who recently re-signed for the club following a spell with Swedish side Ytterhogdals, has joined up with his national teammates for their upcoming match against Malta. Συγχαρητήρια!

The Club will be running coaches for our next two Isthmian League Premier away matches at Margate F.C. & Corinthian Casuals F.C.

Match 1 – Margate F.C.

·       Date: Saturday 24th September 2022 – 3pm kick-off

·       Address: Hartsdown Park, Hartsdown Road, Margate CT9 5QZ

·       Departure Point: QEII Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

·       Departure Time. – Leave 10:45 am SHARP

·       Cost: £18.00

Match 2 – Corinthian-Casuals F.C.

·       Date: Saturday 1st October 2022 – 3pm kick-off

·       Address: King Georges Field, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey, KT6 7NA

·       Departure Point: QEII Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

·       Departure Time. – Leave 11:00 am SHARP

·       Cost: £18.00

For bookings, please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563

email:  lesgold@enfieldtownfooballclub.co.uk

or leave your details at The Club Shop

It is essential that bookings are made through either of these contacts only.

Early reservations are essential to avoid disappointment

Enfield Town 0 Canvey Island 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Frustration and disappointment were the key words used by Andy Leese following Tuesday’s distinctly underwhelming display.

After scoring nine goals in our previous two games, albert one of them a friendly, we were surprisingly toothless in the final third and would probably have lost but for several timely saves from Nathan McDonald — aided and abetted by some resolute defending across the back four.

The game was preceded by a minute’s applause in honour of the late Mike North, a life-long Town supporter who sadly died recently.

When the action got going, it was as if Canvey had been given a proverbial kick up the backside following their 3-0  home loss in the FA Cup on Saturday – one round after ironically inflicting a heavy defeat on us.

Just as in that fateful cup tie, Evans Kouassi was again their danger man, troubling us with his lightning pace and trickery before we got to grips with him and managed to stop his runs.

Twice in the first 20 minutes, Koussi broke clear to force excellent saves from Nathan, then whipped in a cross that was headed wide.

A Canver penalty claim when Luca Albion went down left the referee uninterested but the visitors remained a threat going forward, Bradley Sach’s opportunist effort bringing a another finger-tip save from McDonald.

Our two best half chances of the first half fell to Marcus Wyllie whose touch let him down – as it did, to be fair, with the rest of our attacking players.

H-T 0-0

Adam Cunnington managed to finally get a Town effort on target but frustratingly our passing wasn’t up to scratch as we invariably chose the wrong options whenever we had the ball.

But when you don’t take your chances, you can pay for it and the visitors almost did. In what looked like a Town training ground routine, Sam Youngs sped down the left to collect Coker’s freekick and his centre flashed across goal before being cleared off the line. Substitute Bilal Sayoud then forced a decent save from Bobby Mason.

But even a switch to 4-2-4 couldn’t produce any serious creativity for us, compounded by the absence of Lyle Della-Verde serving the first of a three-game ban.

 Luckily for Town, Canvey proceeded to waste a couple more opportunities, not least when Albon lashed wide.

“Hand on heart we didn’t do enough to win the game,” said Andy.  “After Brightlingea and Saturday’s friendly when we were full of attacking intent, we weren’t going past people or putting balls in the box. Our decision making in the last third was poor.”

“I’m frustrated and disappointed. We’ve got to be winning those sort of games at home if we want to be doing anything this season. The one real positive was another clean sheet.”

Next up a visit to Margate on Saturday and a chance to avenge  last season’s agonising last-minute defeat on the Kent coast.

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Thomas, Dayton (Cass, 73), Youngs; Wyllie (Sayoud, 63), Cunnington, Coker

The Blues Chapter fundraising gig in Butler’s Bar on Oct 7 has regretfully had to be postponed.

The band are hugely apologetic and we very much hope to book them again in the near future.

Anyone who has bought tickets in advance should contact Christine Hamilton for a refund

We get the chance to avenge our FA Cup defeat when Canvey Island visit the QEII Stadium Tuesday night, kickoff 7.45

Canvey have made a similar start to ourselves in the league with 8 points from 6 games. Their most recent league result was a 1-1 draw at home to Haringey but on Saturday they bowed out of the FA Cup losing 0-3 at home to St Ives Town in the second qualifying round.

Our last two results – a 4-0 away win at Brightlingsea and Saturday’s demolition of Beaconsfield in a friendly – give us plenty of cause for optimism

Tickets are available on line at https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/

Enfield Town 5 Beaconsfield 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

It may only have been a friendly but Saturday’s dominant display against fellow Step 3 opponents was another sign of things moving in the right direction in the wake of our cup humiliation at Canvey Island.

Building on our 4-0 demolition of Brightlingsea in midweek, there was an air of resolute determination about the way in which we went about our business – combined with some superb goals.

Thoughts are already  turning to taking revenge on Canvey in the league on Tuesday night after the tables were turned on the Gulls when they too were knocked out of the FA cup on Saturday, albeit in the second qualifying round.

We can certainly take confidence from Saturday’s showing as we blew Beaconsfield away in a rampant first half.

Sam Youngs opened the scoring after 10 minutes and Scott Thomas doubled the lead with his first ever goal for the Town,  an unstoppable 25-yard thunderbolt (pictured)

On the half hour, Youngs’ through ball found former St Albans winger Wreynell Hercules who drew the keeper before squaring to Adam Cunnington for number three. And right on halftime,  Andre Coker, clearly relishing playing again, made it four.

A flurry of substitutions ensued including the welcome return of Josh Urquhart — back in a Town shirt after his lengthy injury layoff.

Beaconsfield pulled one back but with time almost up Lyle Della Verde – who now misses three games because of his dismissal at Brightlingsea – exchanged passes with Kian Wilkes and unleashed another of his trademark screamers.

Town starting line up:

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Thomas, Youngs, Soula-Osekanogo; Cunnington, Coker, Hercules

With no league fixture this Saturday, we have organised a friendly match at home to Beaconsfield Town FC. Beaconsfield also play at Step 3, in the Southern League Premier South, so it should be a competitive game.

Kickoff is at a slightly earlier time of 2pm – so supporters will be able to catch neighbours Spurs in their match at 5:30. Admission prices are £5 adults, £3 concessions, £1 under 16.

Brightlingsea Regent 0 Enfield Town 4

Report by Martin Bentley

Now that’s better. A dominant Enfield Town performance resulted in four goals and an emphatic win over a Brightlingsea side who started the evening one point above Town in mid-table.

Andy Leese shuffled his pack following the heavy FA Cup loss at Canvey Island, reverting to a flat back four with Juevan Spencer given a first start at right back and Joe Payne making a second, indeed arguably a third, debut following his recent move back to the Town from Cheshunt. There were also starts for Andre Coker and James Dayton, giving the Town line-up a radically different look.

The Town were into their stride from the first whistle, with Coker fizzing a shot over, Lyle Della-Verde hitting the side netting and Sam Youngs heading against the top of the bar, all in the opening 20 minutes. The first goal arrived after 27 minutes, with Adam Cunnington’s shot being deflected past home keeper Charlie Turner. Payne then had a shot well saved, and Della-Verde curled a free kick just wide as Town concluded the half well on top.

The home side enjoyed a spell of possession early in the second half, and fired a warning shot across Town’s bows nine minutes into the half, Luke Woodward heading powerfully against Nathan McDonald’s cross bar from a right wing cross. Within a minute, however, Town doubled their lead; McDonald’s long kick caused confusion in the home defence, and Coker ran on to the loose ball to beat Turner with a powerful finish. Coker repeated the dose six minutes later with an equally emphatic effort from the other flank, and Town were out of sight.

Still Town pressed for more goals, with substitute Jake Cass hitting the foot of Turner’s post before Della-Verde added a fourth with a curling effort from Sam Youngs’ lay-off. Unfortunately, the game ended on a sour note for Della-Verde when he received a straight red card for a late tackle on the home side’s Zack Littlejohn. The decision seemed harsh, with referee Hursey seemingly making no allowances for the greasy surface, and having previously punished a similar-looking offence at the other end by Regent’s Dominic Locke with only a yellow card. Town comfortably played out the remaining ten minutes without alarm, however, and completed an excellent win that saw them jump to eighth place in the table.

Town: McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Thomas, Youngs, Dayton (Sayoud 85); Coker (Wyllie 74), Della-Verde, Cunnington (Cass 64).

Unused subs: McLean, Shulton.

Before tonight’s league game at Brightlingsea, Town are very pleased to announce two returning faces to the squad, as defenders Joe Payne and Alex Solomon have signed on at Donkey Lane.

“We decided to bring Joe back to the club to give us competition in the left back position”, said manager Andy Leese.

“Joe can also play centrally. We didn’t want to lose him when he moved , on but he comes back more experienced. Alex is in the same position. He went off to play professionally in Sweden and comes back with some games under his belt. He’s versatile for a young player and we will see how he gets on when we have international clearance for him.” Welcome back both!

In light of recent events, there will be no football this weekend as a mark of respect to HM Queen Elizabeth II.

All Isthmian League matches have been postponed. Our match with Horsham, originally scheduled for Saturday, will be played at a later date.

Canvey Island 5 Enfield Town 1

Report by Martin Bentley

Enfield Town’s FA Cup campaign lasted for only 90 painful minutes as they were dumped out of the competition in the first qualifying round.

Town were strangely lifeless for much of the game, only succeeding in competing meaningfully in the final half hour.

Ex-Towner Evans Kouassi enjoyed himself more than most, bagging a hat-trick against his former employers.

With Marcus Wyllie replacing Adam Cunnington in the only change from last Monday’s loss at Potters Bar, Town were forced onto the back foot from the opening salvo.

Nathan McDonald had already made two decent saves before the first goal arrived on 19 minutes, Kouassi converting Danny Parish’s astute pass from close range.

Four minutes later it was 2-0 when Parish ran onto Reiss Chandler’s long ball as Town’s defence failed to react.

As the half progressed, Canvey continued to find vast amounts of space on both flanks while Town struggled to get a foothold in the game.

We did manage a couple of shots on target, with both Lyle Della Verde and the industrious Wyllie having efforts well saved by Rhys Byrne in the home goal.

Two minutes before half time, however, the game was over as a contest when Canvey added a third, Jamie Salmon flicking in a near post header from a left-wing freekick.

Town made two substitutions at half time, but things did not get any better, Kouassi adding a fourth after 50 minutes. Two minutes later, Conor Hubble rolled a shot against McDonald’s left-hand post, leaving the disbelieving travelling support fearful of the eventual final score.

 Town succeeded in mustering a few attacks, with Wyllie having another shot saved by Byrne, and Jake Cass having a header tipped over from Bilal Sayoud’s free kick.

After 70 minutes though, Kouassi completed his hat trick with a rebound from McDonald’s parry to compound Town’s misery.

To their credit, Town managed a consolation goal within two minutes, Cass converting substitute Juevan Spencer’s low cross.

Unforunately even the goal carried a sting in the tail for Town, as Cass collided with Byrne and had to be helped off in obvious pain from what looked like a knee injury.

With Town down to ten men having made their subs, Canvey promptly replaced both their strikers, and the remainder of the game was largely uneventful.

Not a lot of positives to be gained here. Truly a dreadful day to be a Town supporter.

Town line-up: McDonald, McLean, Braithwaite, Shulton, Bray, Taaffe (Spencer 45), Youngs, Cass, Wyllie (Cunnington 58), Della Verde (Dayton 45), Sayoud. Unused subs: Thomas, Connolly, Marfo, Coker

We may not have a game on Saturday Oct 8 but don’t miss out on our latest fundraising gig the night before in Butlers Bar.

On Friday, Oct 7, the five-piece Blues Chapter bring their unique brand of driving Texas hotshot blues to the club with a mixture of their own compositions and covers of the likes of Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Joe Bonamassa.

Tickets priced £10 can be purchased in advance by emailing  Christine Hamilton at  ianchrisham@hotmail.com. The bar opens at 7.30 and tickets will also be available on the door depending on how many are left.

These guys really know how to tear up a stage, led by the rasping vocals of charismatic front man Sky Wood and the brilliant guitar playing of Jesse Thomas.

It might be best to book early for this one since people have been known to have been turned away in the past for Blues Chapter gigs. They are, quite frankly, probably the finest young blues band in London – and all left-handed to boot!

Save the date!

We enter the world’s oldest domestic knockout tournament on Saturday with a tough fixture away at Canvey Island

With the winners receiving £2,250 in prize money, both teams would probably have hoped for an easier draw but this promises to be a fascinating cup tie.

Canvey were promoted via the play offs to the Isthmian Premier Division last season.

Their opening fixture was a 1-3 home defeat to Horsham but since then they have won 5-1 at Brightlingsea, lost 0-1 at Cray Wanderers, beat Hornchurch 2-1 at home and most recently drawn 1-1 at Bowers and Pitsea.

These results suggest Canvey will more than hold their own in the Isthmian Premier and may even be one of perhaps a dozen teams who could challenge for a play off spot.

Address on Saturday is the Movie Starr Stadium, Park Lane, Canvey Island, SS8 7PX, kickoff 3pm

If a replay is necessary it will be at the QEII Stadium on Tuesday 6 September.

Potters Bar 2 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

There sometimes ain’t no justice. Despite our best performance of the season to date, we came away with no points on Bank Holiday Monday and scant reward against our local rivals after dominating the second half.

Potters Bar may be top of the league but got lucky with a late winner on a day when our approach play and running off the ball deserved more.

The Scholars may argue they hit the post but with a 3-4-1-2 system that for large parts negated their physicality, we were left ruing what might have been and now have to pick ourselves up for the all-important FA Cup clash at Canvey Island on Saturday.

In the first meaningful attack of the game, the skillfull Quentin Monville, who will be a handful for most opposition teams this season, burst through and  saw his shot flash wide of our goal. Then Bar’s Kasim Aidoo was booked for diving when claiming a spotkick.

Once we absorbed early pressure, we settled down and grabbed the lead on 13 minutes with, yet again, another peach of a freekick from specialist Lyle Della-Verde.

If Saturday’s strike against Bowers was a thing of beauty, this was 30 yards out and even more sweetly struck (pictured). The keeper got a hand to it but only succeeded in pushing it on to a post and into the net.

Unfortunately the lead lasted a mere seven minutes as Mo Kamara, Bar’s midfield dangerman, was given space to line up a shot and unleashed an unstoppable drive into the top right corner.

As  the action began to get tasty, as happens in derby games,  it all went off in front of the dugouts as players on both teams waded in. Luckily the referee gained control of the situation.

As the half progressed, a great freekick by Bilal Sayoud, who enjoyed a fine afternoon, almost produced dividends as Adam Cunnington connected  at the back post but only succeeded in sending the ball across goal.

Just before the interval, Rian Bray handled whilst struggling to deal with a hanging ball but the result was rightly yellow rather than red despite howls of Potters Bar protests.

H-T 1-1

On 55 minutes we got into something of mess defensively and were fortunate to see Joe Boachie’s angled shot come back of a post.

But from then on, it was one-way traffic as we pushed the hosts back and carved out a string of corners and half-chances.

A sweeping Town move ended with Scholars defence just getting in a block. Then a 35-yard Della-Verde freekick cannoned off the wall.

Our one big chance of the half came on 73 minutes when Cunnington dived full length to meet a Lewis Taaffe cross but steered his header narrowly wide.

The introduction of Marcus Wyllie and Andre Coker provided further hope of a Town breakthrough only for the hosts, who had  defended stoutly, to snatch victory with two minutes left, much to the disappointment of Town fans who made up the majority of the 531 attendance.

Town failed to adequately clear a throw-in and when the ball fell to Monville on the edge of the box, he took a touch and fired a shot into the bottom right hand corner via a deflection to undo all our good work.

“A sucker punch really,” said manager Andy Leese. “I thought we set up really well and defended really well in an even first half..”

“But I thought second half we came out and dominated proceedings.  There may have been few clearcut chances but what chances there were fell for us.”

“It’s massively disappointing, we certainly didn’t deserve to lose. We were missing one or two but I’m not going to complain about that – we’ve good a squad with plenty of depth. We’ve got to dust ourselves down now, focus on the FA Cup on Saturday and then start getting some points on the board as quickly as we can. If we play like we did against Potters Bar, I think we’ll be fine.”

Town

McDonald; McLean, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite; Taafe, Youngs, Shulton, Sayoud (Coker, 80); Della-Verde (Wyllie, 76); Cass, Cunnington

Enfield Town 2 Bowers and Pitsea 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A much-needed first win of the season was achieved courtesy of two set pieces – one in each half – and some solid defending against a Bowers team who have changed their entire playing squad this season.

Town may be some way off last season’s playoff form but this was the ideal boost ahead of Monday’s local derby at table-topping Potters Bar.

Despite plenty of endeavour, some neat interplay and a couple of spells of pressure, Bowers didn’t unnecessarily trouble us and had more bookings, six in all, than they did shots.

Nevertheless we hardly set the world alight as an attacking force either in what was often a scrappy game.

Town lined up without Marcus Wyllie who was rested as a result of slight hamstring issue.

 Jake Cass, who worked tirelessly all game,  led the line and was almost on the end of a Lyle Della-Verde pass early doors, the ball just running on to the keeper.

Twice in the first 20 minutes, Della-Verde whipped in dangerous freekicks to the back post, both of them eluding Town’s forwards.

But it was third time lucky on 28 minutes from a slightly more favourable position outside the box. Cass was bundled over and Lyle produced another of those trademark left-foot beauties that flew past Kie Plumley (pictured)

Bowers tried to respond and Freddy Moncur had a goalbound shot blocked but with James Richmond putting in another eye-catching display in central defence, the visitors’ moves came to nothing.

In fact only a timely interception to thwart Cass prevented Town doubling their lead on the stroke of halftime.

H-T 1-0

Bilal Sayoud’s header forced a low save from Plumley who minutes later produced an even better stop, also from Bilal, saving with his legs after Town’s best move of the afternoon.

In between, Bowers had two decent chances but Nathan McDonald generally had little work to do such was the protection he received from the defence, who switched to a back three for the final period of the game.

Bowers never looked out of contention, however, and it was with some relief when the game was made safe on 85 minutes as Cass lost his marker at a Lewis Taaffe  corner and guided his header into the ground and up into the net.

The one disappointment for Town was having fullback Ryan Kirwan sent off for a second yellow literally seconds from the end, theoretically meaning he will miss Saturday’s tricky FA cup tie at Canvey Island.

Yet it is a game Ryan was unavailable for anyway.

“I’m pleased with a clean sheet following on from last Sunday but in attacking sense we weren’t at our best today, not at our most fluid,”  said Andy Leese.

“Really pleased with the outcome and our defending, such as it was, just a little disappointed with our attacking play. But then whatever way the goals come, I’d take another 20 of those results today.”

Town: McDonald; McLean, Bray, Richmond, Kirwan; Sayoud (Cunnington, 66) , Shulton, Youngs, Dayton, Della-Verde (Taaffe, 83); Cass

Kingstonian 0-0 Enfield Town

Enfield Town are still searching for their first league win of the campaign after slugging out a forgettable goalless draw with Kingstonian on a stiflingly warm Sunday afternoon.

With the conditions and unusual scheduling impacting the quality of football on display, in truth neither side threatened seriously to break the deadlock; Ks enjoying large but ultimately ineffective spells of possession, and Town taking a particularly direct approach that paid very few dividends.

After a ragged start from both sides, the hosts had the first shot in anger on 8 minutes as Kenny Beaney drove a long shot over the crossbar, before Jake Cass centred for Marcus Wyllie to head into the grasp of Ks custodian Rob Tolfrey at the other end. The game’s flashpoint – if ever there was one – arrived two minutes later as Cass collected a flighted through ball down the inside-left channel, skipping past his marker and around Tolfrey before falling under contact from defender Jack Strange. Referee Paul Stratton whistled, only to signal for a Kingston free kick; an incredulous Cass booked for perceived theatrics.

Lee O’Leary’s side were starting to grow into the game, working space out wide and afforded time to pick out some neat passes, if ultimately coming to nothing. With 26 gone, Korrey Henry’s well-struck effort across Nathan McDonald from the edge of the Enfield box was smartly tipped away; Henry again unable to force a loose ball beyond the goalie from a floated cross a few minutes later. Town themselves struggled to find any real rhythm to their build-up play. Nonetheless, they threatened just shy of half time as Wyllie’s persistence in the press won possession in the final third, yet neither he nor Cass could muster a final product as their goalward efforts were crowded out.  

Half Time: 0-0

Town arguably had the better of the second period, although the visitors continued to lack any real cutting edge. Ten minutes after the restart, they were almost gifted a bizarre opener as a relieved Tolfrey watched his clearance ricochet against Jake Cass but fly narrowly wide of goal. A series of crosses were overhit or collected by the Kingston goalkeeper, and several hopeful long forward passes were returned with interest by the Ks defence. The home side’s best chance of the half came on 68 minutes, with McDonald remaining sharp to thwart Gabriel Ajuchi’s deflected shot at the end of a buccaneering run. With time ticking away, Lyle Della-Verde twice went close from carbon-copy chances; cutting in from the right and producing a couple of low, driven efforts which were well repelled by Tolfrey’s outstretched left boot.

“A point is a fair result”, said Andy Leese. “It was a bit of a nothing game. We didn’t do enough to win it, likewise we didn’t deserve to lose. I’m a bit disappointed we didn’t get to grips with Kingstonian’s style of play, and we lacked a bit of composure when we had the ball.”

“I’m pleased with a clean sheet away from home but we could and should do better.”

__________

Kingstonian: Tolfrey; Pascal (Jones 81’), Skura, Strange, Ogundega; Gogo (Shomotun 80’), Owen, Beaney; Collins, Cadogan, Henry (Ajuchi 63’).

Unused: Bonnett-Johnson, Maragh

Town: McDonald; McLean, Bray, Richmond, Kirwan; Riley-Snow (Soulya-Osekanongo 75’), Youngs, Cunnington (Taaffe 80’); Della-Verde, Wyllie (Sayoud 70’), Cass.

Unused: Spencer, Dayton

Attendance: 275

Hornchurch 3 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A pulsating encounter that was a wonderful advert for Step 3 sadly brought little reward for Town who succumbed to two late Hornchurch goals, rekindling those painful memories of our playoff semifinal defeat.

One point from two games may not be the start we wanted but it is doubtful we will have too many tougher challenges and Nathan McDonald (pictured) must feel aggrieved and frustrated in equal measure after pulling off four or five stunning saves.

It could certainly be argued we deserved something from the game for a battling performance that said everything about our spirit, industry and camaraderie.

 We also had more than a few good chances of our own but Hornchurch, with one of the most dangerous forward lines in the division,  would argue they were the superior team over 90 minutes and carved out more clearcut opportunities.

Having said that, we got off to a lightning start. With virtually the first attack of the game, Jake Cass was unlucky to see his looping header come back off the bar while former Towner Mickey Parcell cleared another effort off the line.

Rian Bray picked up an early booking before our luckless captain Scott Thomas had to leave the field with what looked like a bad shoulder injury and was replaced by Lyle Della-Verde.

The change didn’t phase us, however, and we took the lead on 22 minutes, Cass beating another former Towner Joe Wright from the penalty spot after Della-Verde was fouled.

It was almost 2-0 when the increasingly promising Marcus Wyllie just missed the target from a narrow angle but our lead lasted a mere four minutes, Liam Nash getting the final touch in a goalmouth scramble after we failed to clear.

As Hornchurch upped the ante, McDonald pulled off the first of several smart saves to thwart Tom Wraight. Then Joe Christou skimmed the crossbar but on 38 minutes we were back in front.

Kenny Clark was booked for a foul on Della-Verde, who got back on his feet to  thump home a sumptuous trademark freekick which came off both posts before nestling in the net.

Sam Higgins, scourge of Town in the playoff defeat, saw his bullet header miraculously parried by McDonald who moments later pulled off a remarkable double save with his legs. In between, Wyllie’s snap shot was pushed away at the other end by Wright.

H-T 2-1

With Hornchurch hurting us through the middle, we needed to keep the ball better and began the second half in precisely that vein.

A Sam Youngs header was mysteriously disallowed for offside, then Sam turned provider for Della-Verde whose shot was saved by the feet of Wright, Wyllie hitting the rebound just over.

But just as in the playoff ,the game turned on a Hornchurch substitution, Ola Ogunwamide causing havoc for the last 30 minutes.

Our resistance was finally broken on 77 minutes when the last in a flurry of home corners was flicked on for Nash to finish at the far post.

 Now it was a question of hanging on although James Richmond, who put in another commendable shift at the back,  could have put us immediately back in front, only to plant a header over from a rare Town corner.

A series of last-ditch blocks seemed to have got us over the line for a point . But with six minutes left of riproaring encounter, Ogunwamide sent over a pin-point centre which Wraight finished off with a glancing header.  

Still we weren’t finished with both Wyllie and Cass coming close to snatching a draw that would have been reward for all the hard work against an extremely accomplished side.

“We put in a good shift, I’m not going to complain,” said Andy Leese. “We had to reshuffle a bit with Scott going off which was a blow. There were just lapses of concentration, I guess much like the playoff semifinal.”

Town:

McDonald, McLean, Kirwan (Sayoud), Thomas (Della-Verde 14) , Bray, Richmond, Taaffe (spencer 86), , Youngs, Cass, Riley-Snow, Wyllie

Tonight we visit Hornchurch in our first away league game of the season, kickoff 7:45 pm.

Their address is The Stadium, Bridge Avenue, Upminster RM14 2LX 

Admission Prices: – 

Adults £12.00

Concession £7.00

12-16 £3.00

Under 12 Free

Programme £2.50

Tickets available here:

https://hornchurchfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets

Directions to the ground:

https://www.hornchurchfc.com/club-information/club-and-directions/

Hornchurch lost their opening game at Bognor Regis 0-1 on Saturday despite dominating the second half.

Our last meeting with the Urchins, the playoff semifinal defeat, is still painfully fresh in the memory for Town fans but in the corresponding league fixture we won 2-1. A similar result tonight would be a real coup but this is probably going to be one of our toughest games. 

Enfield Town 1 Folkestone Invicta 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Despite the scorching conditions, two sides seeking nothing less than a playoff place come the end of April served up a commendably fast-paced encounter, with the points deservedly shared as the new season got under way.

Huge credit has to go to the ground staff who have worked tirelessly during the summer to present a playing surface to be proud of.

Our visitors, who won the corresponding fixture 3-2 last season and finished in sixth place just outside the playoff places, had half a dozen newcomers in their starting line-up including a couple of eye-catching forwards.

But just like last season when we reached the playoff semifinals, Town showed tremendous tenacity and spirit and had chances of our own to take all three points.

Invicta stormed out of the blocks with three quickfire chances,  the second of which brought a magnificent one-handed tip-over save from Nathan McDonald who later admitted it was probably one of his best ever. In between, Lyle Della Verde’s run and shot whistled past a post.

After growing into the game, we took the lead on 24 minutes shortly after the first drinks break.  Ryan McLean, given the nod at rightback, dispossessed  Folkestone dangerman Ira Jackson and his glorious ball over the top found Jake Cass who had only returned from a long-haul trip six hours before kickoff but kept his composure to round the on-rushing keeper and finish wonderfully from a tight angle (pictured).

One minute later we got lucky when Jackson’s angled shot looked all the world like an equaliser, only to bounce back into play off the post with McDonald beaten.

At the other end, one of many fouls on Cass led to a yellow card for Ian Gayle but Della Verde’s freekick was charged down.

 Folkestone thought they had levelled when Jackson’s long throw from the left was nodded home by Gayle but McDonald had clearly been impeded.

In an end-to-end half, another Della-Verde effort  was deflected away before a second drinks break was allowed with just minutes to go to halftime, much to the annoyance of our our visitors.

H-T 1-0

Folkestone again started on the front foot but we always carried a goal threat.

Invicta’s new keeper Bailey Vose kept them in the game with a terrific reflex stop from Lewis Taaffe, set up by Marcus Wyllie who had a highly encouraging league debut for Town after moving up from Step 5, not only going forward but also helping out defensively.

Just before the hour mark, however, it was 1-1. Kadell Daniel wasn’t closed down and cut inside two Enfield players before curling in an unstoppable equaliser despite Ryan Kirwan’s protestations that he had been fouled in the build-up.

Cue a trio of Enfield subs including Adam Cunnington and Blaise Riley-Snow, the latter having just signed forms on a dual registration shortly before the game.

 Only in the last quarter did the energy-sapping conditions get to the players, with crosses understandably overhit and chances drying up although Bilal Sayoud saw his goalbound drive deflected for a corner. All in all a good point against a strong side .

“A fair result in the end between two very good sides going at it,” said Andy Leese afterwards. “They are stronger than last year and their front three are as good as anyone’s. First half we were about even on chances but we could have been a couple of goals to the good. Second half we didn’t get as tight on Jackson and Daniels but after their goal they didn’t really trouble us.”

“Jake and Adam had only just come back from holiday yet I thought they were running scared of Jake. It was a great finish. I always say don’t lose to the teams around you and I think Folkestone will be one of those teams.”

Town:  McDonald; McLean, Bray, Richmond, Kirwan; Thomas, Taaffe (Riley-Snow, 64), Youngs, Della-Verde (Sayoud, 80 ); Cass (Cunnington, 60), Wyllie

We are pleased to announce that Kyri Neocleous has been appointed First Team Goalkeeping Coach. Kyri is no stranger to Enfield Town as a former manager of Enfield Town Ladies, and was most recently GK Coach at National League South side Braintree Town. We wish all the best to Jake Murphy, who has departed the club.

Andy Leese commented: “We’re sorry to lose Jake but delighted to secure Kyri as an experienced coach.”

Town are pleased to announce the signing of Blaise Riley-Snow on a dual registration from Cheshunt FC

Twenty three year-old defensive midfielder Blaise spent last season in Scotland, playing for Raith Rovers and Alloa Athletic having previously been a professional in Spain. Welcome to the club, Blaise.

Further to our dispute with Cheshunt with regards to Ben Frempah this summer, both clubs have now spoken and are keen to move on having accepted that mistakes were made around the registration of the player. As a club we recognise and thank Cheshunt for their help in allowing us to complete the dual registration of Blaise in a speedy fashion. Whilst the player has signed league forms, we wait to receive clearance that he will be eligible to play tomorrow.

After what seems like no time at all, the new season gets under way tomorrow (Saturday) as we entertain Folkestone Invicta in our opening league game, writes Andrew Warshaw.

 Last season Folkestone finished sixth, just outside the playoff places, and look likely to again feature in the promotion race.

 In the corresponding fixture last season we suffered a rare home defeat losing 2-3 in front of a crowd of 501 in early December.  

Our visitors have enjoyed a good pre-season concluding with a 1-0 win over National League south Dover Athletic and a 4-2 win over Ashford United. 

Tickets for Saturday’s home league game with Folkestone are available at

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/

In the build-up to the game, we are delighted to announce that Bilal Sayoud and Lyle Della-Verde have both re-signed for Town and George Rankin from our Academy has also signed.  Both Bilal and Lyle are available to play Saturday.

Manager Andy Leese says the bulk of the squad are now back from work or holiday commitments with only one or two absentees on what is certain to be an energy-sapping afternoon in the heat.

“It all starts again tomorrow in what will be a very difficult challenge,” said Andy. “Folkestone look to have built an even stronger squad  than they ended last season with, and in addition the weather will challenge the fitness of both teams.”

“We are good to go after some hard work on the training ground and we hope to have everyone available barring a couple of players absent on holiday, not just the starting 11 but the bench as well. We are in good spirits, ready to go and looking forward to seeing the stadium in good voice. We want to pick up where we left off last season and we need your support as always to do that.”

Our away fixture at Kingstonian, scheduled for Saturday Aug 20,  has been switched to the following day, Sunday Aug 21.

The reason is that Kingstonian’s landlord Tooting & Mitchum have a home cup tie on the Saturday.

Kickoff time remains at 3pm

Enfield Town are very proud to be partnering with The Big Step this season to support their campaign to remove gambling advertising in football. The Big Step are part of the Gambling with Lives Charity. More information on their campaign can be found here. 

the-bigstep.com/home

Our Chairman, Paul Reed said: “We know that gambling can and does have a huge detrimental impact on individuals and family life and as a community club we are proud to be associated with Gambling with Lives and the Big Step. “

Enfield Town 2 Berkhamsted 0

Enfield Town’s final pre-season friendly resulted in a low-key 2-0 victory over a well-organised Berkhamsted side, writes Martin Bentley.

The stifling heat resulted in a slow-paced game that will undoubtedly bear little resemblance to next Saturday’s opening league fixture against Folkestone, although Town’s overall performance was encouragingly efficient.

Neither side succeeded in troubling the goalkeepers in the opening half hour, although Lewis Taaffe shot narrowly over, and Marcus Wyllie missed inexplicably from five yards after being set up by Ryan Kirwan.

The first on-target efforts came from the visitors, both being dealt with well by Nathan McDonald, but Town got their noses in front after 41 minutes, with Lyle Della Verde curling a trademark sublime freekick past visiting keeper Craig Hill.

The second half continued in similar soporific vein, not helped by the inevitable procession of substitutions. Taaffe had a shot well saved after being set up by Wyllie, and Della Verde shot narrowly over before Town scored a second after 79 minutes. Once again the assist came from the industrious Wyllie, his pass being converted by a triallist from close range.

Town line-up: McDonald, Spencer, Kirwan, Thomas, Bray, Richmond, Taaffe, Youngs, Wyllie, Triallist, Della Verde.

Subs: Braithwaite, Connolly, Marfo, Sayoud, Smith, Wihongi, Wilkes, Triallist

The club continue to get the QEII ready for the eagerly awaited start of the season. Back in May we were joined by first-year players from Spurs Academy.  The under 18s teamed up with our band of volunteers to help out with a range of jobs, from sweeping the terraces to weeding.

After meeting volunteers and getting to grips with a range of jobs across the stadium site, the players met with Vice-Chairman Paul Millington and his team to learn more about the important role the community plays in supporting grassroots football. 

Speaking after meeting the players, Paul Millington, Vice-Chairman of Enfield Town FC, said: “It was fantastic to welcome the boys to Enfield Town FC and great to see them getting stuck into their jobs with such enthusiasm. 

“Clubs like ours depend on the incredible support we’re lucky to receive from a committed band of volunteers within the community. It was great to show the boys first-hand the work that goes into running a Club at this level.” 

Anton Blackwood, Senior International Football Development Manager at Tottenham Hotspur, said: “The boys were a credit to the Club and showed a huge amount of willingness to help out and work together with volunteers.  

“We have long been a Club embedded within our community – both in Tottenham and Enfield – and it was brilliant to see the players enjoy playing an active and important role in the local area”.  

Our thanks to Spurs and we look forward to welcoming them to the QEII again soon.

(picture produced with the permission of THFC)

We are pleased to announce another three additions to Town’s squad for this season, who you may have seen in recent pre-season action:

Centre-back James Richmond has joined us for 2022-23. The 27-year-old had been skipper at Merstham for the last three seasons and was previously at Burgess Hill Town, where he was voted their Player of the Season in 2017. He’s also had stints with Carshalton, Kingstonian and Leatherhead.

Another central defender to sign with us for 22-23, who will likely be familiar to a number of you, is Rian McLean. 23-year-old Rian started out with Leyton Orient’s academy and enjoyed an initial stint with us in 2018 following an impressive trial period, before signing a deal to join Doncaster Rovers. He has also represented Hendon, Margate, Sheffield FC and most recently Witham Town.

The third signing to bring you is young midfielder Kian Wilkes, who has progressed from Enfield Town’s U19 academy to the first team this pre-season. He has spent the past couple of seasons with Leverstock Green – winning their Young Player and Manager’s Player of the Season awards last term – and he came off the bench to set up our first goal on Saturday at Hayes & Yeading.

Welcome, lads!

Hayes and Yeading United 3 Enfield Town 2

The scoreline may have flattered us somewhat but there were more than a few mitigating circumstances surrounding Saturday’s defeat to fellow Step 3 opponents in our penultimate pre-season friendly, writes Andrew Warshaw

Firstly Hayes and Yeading, who lost in the Southern League Premier Division South  playoff final last term, were a week ahead of us in their preparations, kicking off their league campaign next weekend.

Secondly, they had almost  a full-strength side. Perhaps most importantly of all, we were missing at least EIGHT players who might ultimately be considered members of the first-team squad.

Certainly at one stage it looked as if we might be overrun by a slick, quick-thinking, one-touch-passing H and Y side, reminiscent of that 7-1 drubbing almost exactly a year ago.

Yet it must be emphasised we are still a work in progress and one could only feel for the management team in terms of planning with so many key players absent for one reason or another.

However superior H and Y were for long stretches, there were definitively positives to take away from the game, not least another eye-catching performance from young Marcus Wyllie who is surely getting ever-closer to playing his way into consideration for a starting spot on Aug 13.

Hayes were quickly out of the blocks and twice came close in the opening couple of minutes though Town, too, could have gone ahead had Bilal Sayoud produced a stronger shot when rounding the keeper.

 The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes when Keano Robinson’s 20-yard strike was hit so powerfully, Nathan McDonald could hardly react.

 A great block by Juevan Spencer, who again looked to be an excellent signing, prevented a second goal while at the other end Lewis Taaffe was through on goal but lost his footing at the vital time.

The hosts doubled their lead on 25 minutes when Cole Brown took advantage of defensive hesitancy and curled a sublime effort  into the far corner.

Town then survived no fewer than three more gilt-edged H and Y chances before the break including a Mo Bettamer freekick that  smashed through the wall and almost pole-axed McDonald who somehow managed to stand firm.

H-T 2-0

Both sides made a flurry of halftime changes but it wasn’t long, despite us switching formation, before our hosts made the game safe, Robinson curling another unstoppable effort beyond McDonald for 3-0.

Whilst it might be argued that H and Y took their foot of the gas, Town commendably never gave up and finished the stronger. On 79 minutes,  Wyllie superbly held off his marker to reduce the deficit with a composed finish.

Appeals for a H and Y penalty were waved away before, six minutes from time, Wyllie turned provider for Bruno Tavares to slot home.

“A good workout against very strong opposition who begin their league campaign in a week but frustrating that we don’t have anything like the squad we will have available in two weeks,” was Andy Leese’s assessment.

“Some good performances across the group we had available, and a chance to familiarise some combinations but still lots of work two do before we start in two weeks.”

Town starting line-up

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Richmond, Kirwan; Thomas, Shulton, Taaffe, Tavares; Wyllie, Sayoud

Subs: Connolly, Jordan, Marfo, Wilson-Braithwaite, Wilkes, Smith, McLean

Ware 1 Enfield Town 4

Enfield Town recorded a comfortable 4-1 win over Ware in their latest pre-season friendly, played for the Sean Mynott Memorial Shield, writes Martin Bentley.

 In an open encounter, with Town again fielding a mixture of available regulars and newcomers, a hat-trick from the unlikely source of Lewis Taaffe saw the Town home after being matched for more than an hour by their hosts.

Town succeeded in getting their noses in front after only four minutes when Lyle Della Verde’s 30-yard free kick deflected off a home defender, leaving the Ware keeper wrong footed, frustrated, and standing by the wrong post.

Ware gained the upper hand for a while, stretching the Town defence on the flanks but only managed shots off target. For Town, Marcus Wyllie had a shot well saved, and Ware’s keeper did well to cut out a number of dangerous crosses, before the home side levelled after 43 minutes, from a penalty that can only be politely described as ‘soft’.  Ex-Towner Sam Chaney sent Nathan McDonald the wrong way from the spot.

H-T 1-1

The second Town goal arrived after 56 minutes, with Wyllie’s perseverance after his shot was saved resulting in a cut-back to Taaffe and an excellent finish.

The home side were unlucky not to be level again on the hour when McDonald brilliantly tipped a 20-yard first timer onto the crossbar.

Town eventually made the game safe with two goals in three minutes from a goal-hungry Taaffe, the first a looping far-post header from Wynford Marfo’s cross after 71 minutes; the second a neat lob from the excellent Wyllie’s headed pass.

There was still time for an excellent save from sub keeper Adi Connolly near the end, but by then the Town win was confirmed.

Town line-up: McDonald, Marfo, Braithwaite, Thomas, Richmond, McLean, Taaffe, Youngs, Wyllie, Tavares, Della Verde.

Subs: Shulton, Wilkes, Bray, Jordan, Whyte, Connolly

Three defensive reinforcements to bring you; with one retained and two new signings who you may have seen in recent pre-season action.

Firstly, versatile defender Josh McLeod-Urquhart – gradually back on the road towards recovery – has signed on for the 2022-23 campaign. He started last season well with three wins and two clean sheets before a season-ending injury at the end of August. He will be looking to add to his 27 appearances and three goals for the club once fully fit again. Welcome back, Josh (pictured with Andy Leese)

We also welcome two defensive additions to the club in Wynford Marfo and Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite. Dequane spent time with Carshalton Athletic and Potters Bar last season, and has also turned out for Welling Town and Maldon & Tiptree. Right-sided defender Wynford was a regular in Leyton Orient’s Under-18s side before most recently representing St Neots Town.

Andy Leese commented on the two: “Both are really good lads; good characters; good pedigree. Both have been with professional clubs: Dequane’s been at Spurs and then Luton, and Wynford’s been at [Leyton] Orient. They’ve come out of the professional game and into non-league clubs – they were at St Neots last year together, for example – but they’ve been very impressive. They’re disciplined boys, they work extremely hard, and they’ve come in and really impressed us with their ability and versatility. Thanks to Mark Salton at 12 Mountains Agency for helping get them in.”

The club are delighted to confirm that striker Jake Cass has agreed to stay at Enfield Town for the 2022-23 campaign.

The ever-popular Jake joined from Bishop’s Stortford mid-way through last season and hit 10 goals in 18 appearances for the Town.

Welcome back, Jake!

The club has recently discovered an issue concerning the registration of a player.

This has been raised with the Football Association who will rule over the matter in due course. The other club involved is Cheshunt.

Given the dispute the club has decided not to partake in the tournament at Theobalds Lane this Saturday.

The club apologise for any inconvenience caused and will make donations to the charities connected to Saturday’s event.

Enfield Town FC are proud to support  The Big Step,  a campaign to end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, led by those who have been personally harmed.

The Big Step are part of Gambling with Lives,  a charity set up by the families and friends of young people who have taken their own lives as a direct result of gambling. 

The campaign delivers gambling awareness sessions and a string of other initiatives designed to discourage players from gambling.

Earlier this month, more than 60 people affected by gambling – including families who have lost loved ones–  walked from Manchester to Liverpool to demand gambling reform.

With the online gambling industry increasingly pervasive in lower-league football, there is a growing need to update the  UK’s 2005 Gambling Act which is now out of date.

Non-league clubs are particularly susceptible and The Big Step  wants a blanket ban on gambling advertising in football.

Last week’s ETFC members meeting included a special appearance from  Chris Gilham, who stepped in on Zoom to replace The Big Step founder James Grimes, a former gambling addict, in speaking to members to raise awareness of the dangers surrounding gambling.

Chris gave a passionate account of  how the practice had affected him personally and how at one stage he considered taking his own life.

“It affects both your mental and physical health,” said Chris who revealed that a petition launched by the Big Step already has some 67,000 signitures. “We need to get all gambling sponsorship out of football, not just on shirts but all advertising.”

Enfield Town 1 St Albans City 4

A mixture of registered players and triallists were put through their paces on Tuesday on a searingly hot evening that required several drinks breaks, writes Andrew Warshaw.

As expected, Step 2 St Albans, who knocked Forest Green Rovers out of the FA Cup last season, proved formidable opposition especially since Town were without a number of unavailable key players.

A couple of our players took early knocks which meant changes had to be made quicker than the management might perhaps have anticipated but everything is still in its development phase as we build towards that all-important opening league game in  mid-August.

Early doors, Adam Cunnington’s quickly taken freekick was helped on by James Dayton for Jake Cass to see his header blocked but Jake was narrowly offside anyway.

St Albans soon grasped the initiative and went ahead after 12 minutes with a lightning move down the right which a triallist, believed to have been on Brentford’s books, finished off by finding the corner of the net.

Nathan McDonald was forced into a fine save from  Liam Sole but we, too, were creating chances.

Fouled just outside the boss,  Cass almost found the net with the resultant freekick, then planted a header wide after good work by Wynford Marfo.

Right on halftime, however, the visitors doubled their lead with the kind of goal that demonstrated their National League South status as they showed dazzling pace, again down the right and again converted by the same triallist.

H-T 0-2

Changes aplenty were made at halftime to give as many of the squad as possible a run-out and we got back in the game on 67 minutes as the St Albans keeper took out Juevan Spencer and Sam Youngs scored from the spot.

Adam Cunnington came within a whisker of levelling but couldn’t quite adjust his feet before Saints made the game safe.

First Chez Isaac stole in at the far post to lash home a corner, then Ryan Kirwan was unjustly adjudged to have given away a penalty and Joe Neal did the rest.

“Another decent workout against good opposition” was Andy Leese’s appraisal. “It gave us a chance to look at some more players and different combinations as well as getting valuable game time for a couple who have missed some sessions.”

Players come and players go but Andy Leese believes the squad being gathered for the new season will be just as competitive as during the last campaign.

“We’ve lost some players we didn’t really want to lose but it’s that time of the year,” Andy told last week’s  members meeting when giving a frank and honest appraisal of the current situation.

Andy, like the chairman, has spoken several times to Mo Faal in recent weeks but while Mo decides where his future lies with his contract having expired, the focus is on those who back in training and playing pre-season games including new signings Juevan Spencer, Scott Shulton, Marcus Wyllie, James Dayton and Ben Frempah.

“Whilst we are sorry to lose certain players the key is to focus on what you’ve got,” said Andy. “So far, so good. I’m really pleased with the attitude. I of course understand Mo wants to move up a level and try and become a full-time professional. I’ve invited him into training and will try and work my magic again by persuading him he belongs here but you have to respect the guy. He did what he said he would last season with his goals and I’m a bit surprised no-one has taken a chance on him yet.”

Andy made the point that there are goals all over the pitch in terms of the players who have already committed themselves including Adam Cunnington, Sam Youngs, Jake Cass and Lyle Della-Verde.

In response to a question about Andre Coker, who has been out of the game for disciplinary reasons, Andy said Andre was keen to right the wrongs of the past when he becomes available again.

“He’s been very humbled by events and really wants to come back. He’s pretty remorseful and I’ve seen a change in him and am prepared to give him another go,” said Andy.

The manager made a point of praising everyone responsible for maintaining  our pitch during the summer. “The work that’s gone on is first class, nothing short of incredible.”

He also gave an insight into how the state of the pitch determines selection. “There is no way back in February, say, that we could play football from the back. That’s why we played more directly when it suited us. All the players felt the same way.”

Reflecting on our playoff defeat to Hornchurch, Andy believes being shorn of crucial players so late in the day, including Scott Thomas, Lee Chappell and Nathan Smith, affected proceedings

“I’ve done a lot of soul searching and I genuinely thought we were in a winning position. With some extra experience on the pitch  we might have made some different calls.”

But onwards and upwards with the following message to the supporters.

“The support we get wherever we’ve been has been nothing short of fantastic. The players love it and so do I. I always tell the players about us being owned by the supporters and what that means. They all have a stake in us. I remember when we got battered at Eastleigh in the cup. We had a torrid time and were all doing Covid tests  before we even got on the coach. We took a side that was nowhere near full strength but the support  that day sticks in my memory. It’s the sense of belonging.”

And the ambitions for the season? “We want to do at least as well and try and go one better. We’ve got the nucleus of players and are again a top five team. Which of those places we take, I don’t know. We also want to go deep into the cups competitions which brings both prestige and revenue.”

Andy was joined at the meeting by Sam Youngs and Adam Cunnington, both of whom expressed the same sentiments about the fans and the work that has been done on the pitch.

“The increase in fan numbers really helps us a lot,” said Adam. “It’s all set up to realistically go to the next level. There is absolutely no reason why we can’t match last season. That’s why we re-signed, not just so we can have a chat with our mates and be a mid-table side.”

“There are teams who spend a lot more money,” added Sam. “But player for player, every time we go on the pitch we think we can win. We may not necessarily always be favourites on paper but we have kept the core of the team. And the biggest thing we’ve got in our favour  is our togetherness.”

This year’s annual pre-season members meeting was conducted both in person at Butler’s Bar and on Zoom.

It was in two sections, with the chairman and vice-chairman taking the floor for the first part, reflecting on last season and looking ahead, followed by the manager and two players, Sam Youngs and Adam Cunnington

Part One (Paul Reed and Paul Millington)

Paul Reed

The chairman began by pointing out that gates were up last season by 40 percent on our previous completed season. This meant we were able to maintain a strong playing budget and allowed us to be financially stable despite the impact of Covid and enabled us to bring in the likes of Jake Cass. Paul recalled we achieved our highest ever points position and points per game at Step 3.

As regards stewarding we will be utilising the professional stewards who were employed towards the end of last season and who are all first-aid trained.

We are looking at making a profit for the 2^nd season running, said PR, a rarity in itself. Improved gates means additional revenue from the bar, shop etc and less reliability on one individual source of income.

The academy remains an important source of income whilst our debt position is much improved. On the field, the academy won their regional league to compete in the Champion of Champions and lost narrowly to Chelmsford who went on to win the entire competition.

Despite the women’s first team getting relegated, the women’s section is in good health especially at youth level.

As far as the community section is concerned, the Saturday morning soccer schools still attract over 100 kids while the disability section continues to grow. Our social media presence is much improved, giving us extra profile.

On the technical side, the first team players are now equipped with GPS tracking systems to ascertain how fast they run, heartbeats etc. This is used extensively for analysis by the coaching staff and represents an important innovation.

A colour promotional brochure showcasing the club and at no cost to ETFC is almost at the printing stage and will be distributed throughout the local area in the build-up to the new season. 

Paul Millington

Paul focussed on an extensive outline plan for a new 700 sq metre single storey facility, prompted by the need to expand the academy. To increase the intake, we need more accommodation. At present classrooms are restricted to the bar area and portacabins.

Planning permission has been submitted for an additional couple of cabins. Not yet formally granted but likely on condition that it would only be a temporary situation for 3 years, with a permanent solution in place by then.

The unused grassed area behind the portacabins has been identified as the most likely possibility since Butlers Bar itself is a listed building. It will include a bigger bar and the club shop and provide classrooms for the academy during the day. It will also be available for functions. Discussions are underway with the Football Foundation to see what funds might be available as well as with the LBE.

Paul Reed

All players from last season were invited back for pre-season. Some decided not to take up the offer and the coaching staff have been working hard to identify how the gaps can be filled. PR mentioned James Dayton, Marcus Wyllie and Scott Shulton as new arrivals and later in the meeting the signing of centrehalf Ben Frempah was announced.

Team spirit last season was the best PR had ever seen and the same togetherness will be important. PR disclosed that players’ personalities were just as important a factor as playing ability when brought to the club in order to foster team spirit.

PR said there was a deliberate plan to get quality pre-season opposition and heaped praise on those who have been tending our pitch. Season ticket sales going strong, with over 100 already, while NHS season ticket offer and Go To Town has been extended.

In terms of sponsorship, WWE was always a one-season deal. Negotiations are at an advanced stage to announce a new main sponsor.

Finally, Paul introduced the concept of potentially replacing the playing surface with an artificial pitch and outlined the pros and cons.

The pros include a strong driver of revenue, potential success on the pitch (Aveley, Worthing, Dorking etc), providing a consistent playing style, saving money on hiring outside facilities and dealing with extreme weather conditions, whether winter or summer.

The risks include the need for commercial borrowing, whether supporters may be disenchanted, potential long-term injury risks, conflict with athletics at peak times and the need for more on-site presence .

In terms of costings, PR laid out the following estimates:

Installation – £600,000-700,000

Equipment/booking management system – £10,000

Extra staff – £10,000 pa

Need to save £250,000 over 10 years in order to replace the artificial pitch with another one at that point.

Total cost over 10 years would be approx £1m and PR estimates that we would need to hire the pitch out for 10 to 12 hours a week to break even.

The proposal is to engage with relevant stakeholders and then, at the agm  in January, put a business plan in front of the members ahead of a potential vote.

(Part 2 of the meeting will be published tomorrow)

Because of the unseasonally hot weather, we are pushing kick-off against St Albans City in our pre-season friendly tomorrow (Tuesday) back to 8pm.

The temperature by then is likely to be lower than when we played in at Cockfosters or Maidstone.

We advise supporters not to attend if they have any health conditions that may be impacted by the heat (we can refund any tickets already purchased if they contact the club).  We are also stress to our volunteers that they have no obligation to attend.

Maidstone United inflicted Enfield Town’s first defeat of pre-season with a comfortable 6-1 win on a sweltering afternoon at the Gallagher Stadium.

In truth this was a very useful test for our gradually-developing squad against National League opposition, and while the hosts demonstrated their quality throughout, Town did fashion a number of chances which on another day might have seen them leave with more than the single goal for their efforts.

Both sides attempted to build during the opening exchanges, though the hosts had the first real chance as James Alabi spun his marker well but was denied by the legs of the returning Nathan McDonald. The Town ‘keeper was powerless a couple of minutes later, as Sol Wanjau-Smith found room along the left-hand channel and squared to Sam Corne who had time and space to pick out the bottom corner.

Not that this appeared to dent the visitors’ confidence, as Jake Cass lined up an effort from 20 yards and was only denied an instant equaliser by the crossbar. Just as Town looked to grow into the game, however, Maidstone hit a second as Roarie Deacon was released down the right and pulled back for Henry Woods to steer home. Again Town broke beyond the halfway line and tried in vain to create – often lacking a clinical final pass – and again Stones were ruthless in their response by adding goals three and four within eight minutes. Summer addition Alabi skipped past two defenders to curl one in from the edge of the area, before he played a role in the fourth; drawing in a Town defender and allowing Wanjau-Smith freedom to latch onto a looping pass and finish across McDonald for four.

To their credit, Town recovered and began to work some clearer opportunities towards the end of the half; Jake Cass played in behind and narrowly denied while attempting to round goalie Yusuf Mersin, before Enfield did pull one back on 36 minutes. Cass was put through for a carbon-copy chance, this time opted to shoot, and while his effort was well repelled by Mersin’s feet, Marcus Wyllie was on hand to knock in the rebound for his first Enfield Town goal.

Ryan Kirwan, playing in a more advanced role down the left, met a header from a free-kick before two huge chances for each side on half-time as Alabi rattled the post with an audacious scissor kick; at the other end, Marcus Wyllie’s persistent pressing on the edge of the Stones box allowed him to dig out a low cross towards Cass, whose shot on the slide bobbled agonisingly wide of the mark from close-range.

HT: Maidstone United 4-1 Enfield Town

Town introduced Adam Cunnington for Wyllie, Wynford Marfo for Lewis Taaffe and academy product Lucas Jordan for Ryan Kirwan in the second period as McDonald was again pressed into action to deny a Maidstone trialist and then Regan Booty with two good stops. Cunnington miscued a header and Jordan showed some promising involvements, including an impressive solo run along the left flank; the resulting corner met by a combination of Nathan Smith and another academy graduate, Kian Wilkes. The two-step difference between the sides would eventually tell twice more in the final six minutes, as substitutes Dominic Odusanya and Perri Iandolo each produced terrific long-range efforts to put the gloss on the home side’s victory.

“I’m not keeping count; I never have done in a pre-season game”, said Andy Leese.

“Some real positives, one or two little negatives… some good lessons for us as well today.”

“We’re playing against a very good outfit today who have all the momentum having come out of the division below and then added some players. You can see the difference in the levels.”

Quality centre halves are hard to come by so we are delighted to have signed Ben Frempah from Hayes & Yeading United.

Italian-born Ben, a 27-year-old ex-professional,  was virtually ever-present in the United side which finished runners up in the Southern South Premier last season before falling to defeat in the Play-Off Final against Farnborough, just failing to gain promotion to Step 2.

Early on in his career Ben jumped seven tiers to join Leicester City and made his professional debut with Ross County north of the border.

Other clubs he has played for include Hendon, Guiseley and Solihull Moors before getting another professional chance with Wycombe Wanderers. He has also turned out  briefly for Wingate & Finchley.

“He fits the profile of what I think we need,” said Towners manager Andy Leese. “I think we’re quite fortunate to get him to be honest. He had some other options but I managed to convince him this was the place to play his football.”

Welcome Ben

Enfield Town 3 Tottenham Hotspur under-21s 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A fantastic crowd of 841 saw us overcome a strong Tottenham Hotspur development squad – supplemented by the surprise appearance of a former Spurs household name – with an excellent display that augers well for the upcoming weeks and months.

You only have to look at last season’s dire pre-season form, followed by a memorable campaign,  to know that nothing can be taken for granted one way or the other.

But there was a sense of optimism and positivity as we gave a tremendous account of ourselves despite still being without a string of players who are still unavailable through various commitments.

On a balmy evening, it was fitting that our player of the season Sam Youngs revelled in the occasion, opening the score after just three minutes by sweeping the ball into the bottom corner after excellent build-up play from Adam Cunnington and new signing Marcus Wyliie who might well have had a hattrick on the night.

Adi Connolly kept us in the lead with a superb stop from Max Robson following a left-wing cross from a certain Danny Rose — training again at Spurs after apparently seeking to leave Watford, and allowed to appear as an over-age player.

The sight of Rose lining up against Town certainly added extra interest and only served to galvanise us more even though right on the half-hour Spurs were back in the game, Roshaun Mathurin converting from the spot after being fouled by the returning Scott Shulton.

Halftime brought a wave of substitutions by both sides and just after the restart Wyllie almost put us back in front – not once but twice. First his snap shot was brilliantly saved by Aaron Maguire, then Mcguire somehow got a hand to Marcus’ goalbound looping header.

But it wasn’t much longer before we restored our lead. Youngs was fouled on the edge of the box and when his freekick was pushed away, Cunnington supplied the finish (pictured).

It was a far cry from last season’s 4-0 defeat in the corresponding fixture. Although Spurs understandably had plenty of the ball, they didn’t manage to hurt us too often and on the hour we extended our lead.

Wyllie was alleged to have been barged over by Kallum Cesay inside the box and Youngs sent the keeper the wrong way with the penalty.

As we tired, it was inevitable that our fully professional under-21 opponents, a couple of whom had represented the senior Tottenham side, would finish the stronger.

After a number of the more experienced members of Wayne Burnett’s squad came off the bench, a 20-yard  thunderbolt from Nile John reduced the arrears and set up a close finale.

But we did superbly to hold out and next up Maidstone on Saturday followed by St Albans City at home on Tuesday.

Town starting line-up: Connolly, Muleba, Bray, Trialist, Marko, Dayton, Shulton, Youngs (c), Kirwan, Cunnington, Wyllie.

We’re very pleased to announce two retained players and a new (if somewhat familiar) addition to the squad for the 2022-23 campaign.

Goalie Nathan McDonald (pictured) and full-back Ryan Kirwan – two key members of last season’s playoff side – have committed to the club for next season. Welcome back, lads!

We’re also delighted to welcome back midfielder Scott Shulton, who rejoins Enfield Town having most recently been with Hayes & Yeading United.

Scott chipped in with 34 appearances and six goals during our playoff run in 2016-17, and brings with him a wealth of experience having represented St Albans City, Braintree, Wingate & Finchley, and Hemel Hempstead Town among others. He was part of the squad for yesterday’s  pre-season win over Cockfosters and came on in the 2^nd half.

Cockfosters 0 Enfield Town 1

Lyle Della-Verde’s sweet first-half strike (pictured) earned us a 1-0 win over neighbours Cockfosters on Saturday in the first of our pre-season fixtures, writes Andrew Warshaw.

On a glorious afternoon, we fielded a mixture of familiar names, new signings and young triallists as the squad begins to take shape ahead of the new season.

We have only had a couple of training sessions and a number of players were unavailable through either work or social commitments – not unusual at this time of the summer.

But it was a highly useful workout just the same and there were several eye-catching performances, not least from our new rightback Juevan Spencer  who, like many of those selected, played one half as manager Andy Leese rung the changes at halftime to have a look at as many players as he could.

It may have been a narrow victory against our Step 5 opponents on a tricky, sun-scorched pitch but it was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests with plenty of positives to take away ahead of Tuesday’s high-profile home game against a Tottenham Hotspur development squad which is likely to represent a far tougher but eagerly anticipated challenge.

As the squad for 22-23 begins to take shape, we are happy to report that three more players have signed on the dotted line for the season ahead: Nathan Smith, Jon Muleba, and Lewis Taaffe have all agreed terms to stay at Donkey Lane for another season. Welcome back, lads!

We’re pleased to confirm two more additions to our pre-season calendar for the 2022-23 season.

• We’ll visit old friends Maidstone United at the Gallagher Stadium on Saturday 16th July [k.o 15:00]
• We’ll welcome Berkhamsted FC to the QEII Stadium on Saturday 6th August [k.o 15:00]

We are pleased to announce that two more of last season’s squad, skipper Scott Thomas and defender Rian Bray, have been retained.

As the squad continues to take shape, Scott (pictured) and Rian have both committed themselves to the club for the forthcoming campaign.

COYT!

 When James Dayton, our newly-signed winger, was offered the chance to come and play for Enfield Town, he didn’t think twice, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Born in the borough, James lived much of his early life in Ladysmith Road not far from the QEII and, as a four-year-old, would go and watch the old Enfield.

Not just watch. He also played for them even though he hadn’t reached the requisite age of five.

“My step grandad took me over to the club and told them they had to take me even though I was still only four,” James explained. “I ended up playing a year above my age, if you like.”

The rest, as they say, is history. James joined Crystal Palace as a 10-year-old and, when the time arrived, went on to enjoy a long professional career that embraced clubs in both England and Scotland.

Now 33, after a season at national league south Dulwich Hamlet, he is coming back to his roots even though he had several other offers.

“I’m getting on a bit now and whilst it might sound cliched, the chance to come back and go full circle, if you like,  is a wonderful feeling,” said James. “The gaffer didn’t really need to sell me the club. I knew last year they just fell short so I’m here to try and help them go one better.”

“The first two training sessions have been great. The lads have really welcomed me. I could tell straight away why they’ve been up there for the last couple of campaigns. I can already see the togetherness in the group. That counts for a lot when you want to push for promotion.”

James is too modest to say what qualities he will bring to the club but 17 years of experience is certainly one of them.

“I may have lost a little bit of pace but I want to help in any way I can. I’ve won two promotions and what I will say is that I will give 100 percent in every game.”

We are very pleased to confirm that Sam Youngs and Adam Cunnington have agreed terms to stay with Enfield Town for another season.

Midfielder Sam (pictured) has clocked up 194 competitive appearances for the Town, and won last year’s Goal of the Season, Players’ Player & Members’ Player of the Year awards while forward Adam assisted 11 goals and scored seven times last term, including crucial goals against Hornchurch and Bognor Regis.

We are delighted to announce the signings of experienced winger James Dayton and exciting young striker Marcus Wyllie.

Enfield-born James, who began his career at Crystal Palace, most recently turned out for Dulwich Hamlet – and also counts Leyton Orient, Oldham and Kilmarnock among his former sides.

Manager Andy Leese (pictured with James) commented: “We are very pleased to get James to the club. He’s a very experienced player who will bring some real quality to the group.”

“As an ex-professional with plenty of promotions under his belt, he brings a winning mentality into the squad. He’s a great lad who really wanted to be here. He’s an Enfield lad who  and returns to where his football journey began as a young boy.”

Also joining us this season is exciting young striker Marcus Wyllie. Marcus signs from Risborough Rangers, who described him as having “the ability to score goals at will” – he chalked up an impressive 36 of them last term.

“Marcus has come to us highly recommended by no less than one of ETFC’s former favourites!” said the manager. “He has developed in the last two seasons, and is hungry to take his chance at this level. We look forward to working with Marcus in pre-season and hopefully he will pick up where he left off last season scoring goals.”

After 94 appearances, seven goals and a stint as captain across a couple of spells with us, midfielder Percy Kiangebeni has departed the club. We thank Percy for his service and wish him all the best. We hope to bring you more news of how the squad is taking shape over the coming days.

All the best to midfielder Manny Maja who has decided to move on up the League pyramid. Our Young Player of the Year for 21-22, he made 35 appearances for the Town, and was Man of the Match 3 times – we wish him well for a very bright future!

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and are slowly getting over the disappointment of our play-off defeat?!

The board and management team are fully focussed on the new season ahead and are working hard to provide the best budget and playing squad for the new campaign. The management staff of Andy, Mario, Ian, Jake & John are all committed to another year and are determined to build on the improvement that we saw last season.

On the playing front, as a club we don’t operate with too many contracts so we have to wait until league registration forms are issued before “signing” and announcing players.  I appreciate that there is always a thirst for information at this time of year, but please be patient with us. Our trial matches start this weekend and pre-season training commences at the end of next week, it’s at this point that you will start to see announcements of players re-signing or joining the club. 

All of last season’s squad were invited to return for pre-season, but as happens every year, some players decide that their futures belong elsewhere. As such, we have already seen two players announce moves to other clubs – Jerry Gyebi has decided to try his luck higher up the pyramid and Harold Joseph has accepted an offer from Cray Wanderers. Both players have been a credit to the club and we wish them well with their new endeavours.

We expect that another two or three of last season’s squad may also move on, however we have a number of exciting new additions who we are talking to and hope to be able to talk more about these in the coming weeks. 

The pre-season schedule has been published and gives us a good mix of games to prepare for the 2022/3 term – We expect the league fixture to be announced towards the middle of next month.

Season tickets and friendly match tickets are now available to purchase online –  https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/ . The Go To Town monthly scheme will continue and we will be in touch with packages in the coming week. All ticket and package prices have been frozen for 2022/3 and we look forward to seeing you all back at the QES very soon.

Up The Town!

Paul Reed 

Huge congratulations to ETFC life president Roger Reed, father of Town chairman Paul Reed, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Roger has just been made a Life Member of the Isthmian League, an incredibly rare accolade awarded at last Saturday’s AGM in Brighton when Roger stepped down as a board member after acquiring almost legendary status.

The announcement, in front of scores of Isthmian League clubs who gave Roger (pictured with Isthmian League chairman Nick Robinson) a rousing ovation, means he is one of only two life members currently living.

In the entire history of the league, founded in 1905, only small group of officials have ever been made Life Members – including none other than the late chairman of the Football Association and ex-Fifa president Sir Stanley Rous.

“I had no idea about the award,” said Roger who, at 75, has decided to call time on his invaluable work on the Isthmian League board where he was primarily responsible for maintaining standards through ground grading.

“I thought they would do something for me but not that. I was bowled over by it. To be honest, it’s still sinking in. I’m immensely proud.”

“I never dreamed for 10 seconds that I’d end up a Life Member of the League. I just did what I did because I had the knowledge and the time.”

“One of the things I enjoyed most was giving advice to clubs on how to improve their facilities in the most cost-effective way.”

Now retired, will he miss it? “Yes and no,” says Roger. “I must have visited literally hundreds of clubs. I decided to retire because of my age. I don’t quite have the energy any more to drive all those long distances. But I’ll miss being on the inside track, if you like. However, now I can relax and do other things. And of course I’ll still be coming to watch The Town as often as I can.”

We are delighted to confirm that our near-neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, whose training ground is a stone’s throw from the QEII, have again kindly agreed to provide invaluable opposition as part of our early pre-season preparations.

Tottenham’s Development Squad, who will this season revert to competing as Under-21s, will visit us on Tuesday, July 12, at 7pm.

The fixture is bound to generate enormous interest and tickets can be purchased in advance on the following link:

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/ent2223120722/enfield-town-v-tottenham-hotspur-u21s

We are pleased to confirm six pre-season matches ahead of the 2022-23 season. We look forward to welcoming St. Albans City and Spurs’ Under-21s to Donkey Lane, as well as visiting some near-neighbours during July:

Saturday 9^th July [15:00] – Cockfosters (A) – Chalk Lane

Tuesday 12^th July [19:00] – Tottenham Hotspur U21s (H) – QEII Stadium

Tuesday 19^th July [19:45] – St. Albans City (H) – QEII Stadium

Saturday 23^rd July [from 12:00] – Cheshunt/Haringey Borough (A) – Theobalds Lane

Saturday 26^th July [19:45] – Ware (A) – Wodson Park

Saturday 30^th July [15:00] – Hayes & Yeading (A) – SkyEx Community Stadium

*These fixtures are subject to changes of date and time. Further fixtures may yet be added

The pain of Enfield Town losing right at the death to Hornchurch in the semifinals of the playoffs will take time to heal.

But as the club looks towards maintaining our competitiveness in time for next season,  there is a huge amount of promise lower down the age scale, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Last week, having already won their regional league in the National League U19 Alliance, the academy side narrowly missed out on the semifinals of the subsequent knockout competition in an attempt to become Champions of Champions.

In their quarterfinal at Chelmsford they so nearly made it through only to lose 5-4 with the last kick of the game.

Manager Ahmed Abdulla, who reports to Town’s academy chief and first-team coach Ian Hart,  can’t heap enough praise on his young players who have done the club proud.

“The way we lost was really cruel especially as we fought back from 3-1 down,” said Ahmad.  “I’m super proud of the boys after a fantastic season. It shows we’ve got up and coming players in-house, Ross Busunda and George Rankin to name but two.”

Meanwhile, as part of our ongoing relationship, our neighbours Tottenham Hotspur generously provided a dozen members of their under-18 squad recently to assist with much-needed ground maintenance at QEII.

“It was a great gesture by Spurs, with their training ground being in the borough, to help their local community club,” said Town vice-chairman Paul Millington.

Enfield Town’s academy team have reached the quarterfinals of the National League U19 Alliance knockout competition, taking another giant step towards becoming regional champion of champions, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Goalkeeper Adi Connolly (pictured) was our hero, saving three penalties in the shootout after the last-16 tie with Tonbridge finished 1-1.

Both goals came in the second half, the visitors opening the scoring before David Agbon equalised.

The boys, who did brilliantly to win their league to put them into the knockout phase of the competition, now visit Chelmsford in the quarterfinals next week.

“We didn’t play that well but still got the result which says a lot,”  said  manager Ahmed Abdulla. “It’s good for the boys to still have something to play for.”

By Andrew Warshaw

It’s not only our senior team who we should congratulate on a magnificent season.

Our academy side deserves enormous credit for having just won their division of the National League U19 Alliance and will host Tonbridge at 1pm tomorrow (Wednesday) in the first knockout phase in attempt to become Champions of Champions.

Anyone who witnessed our friendly last month against Southend under-23 will have been impressed by a raft of young academy players who were given a chance to mix with the first team.

Several of the lesser-known players produced eye-catching performances all over the pitch which certainly augurs well for the future including fullbacks Monty Clarke and Yahke Solomon, diminutive central midfielder James Bone and substitutes Ross Busunda and George Rankin.

The academy side won Division C, as it’s known, on goal difference from Barking on the final day of the season.  Basunda, who scored  a superb goal in that win over  Southend,  netted 18 times in as many appearances.

 Manager Ahmed Abdulla can’t heap enough praise on his young players who have done the club proud.

Ahmed, who is responsible to academy boss Ian Hart, is convinced some of his kids are good enough to break into the senior team.

“What you saw against Southend was just a glimpse of those who could hold their own in and around the first team,” he said. “It shows we’ve got up and coming players throughout the club. But like the senior team, it’s not about individuals, you need a whole collective team.”

“Incredible as it may sound, we had to win our last five games in seven days to win the title which is unheard of at any level. And we got five clean sheets.”

“The first team having such a good season rubbed off on my boys who wanted some of the same feeling. Lots of the boys go to first-team games and they come back saying how they’d like to do the same.”

Enfield Town 2 Hornchurch 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

So close and yet, agonisingly, so far.

In front of our biggest ever home attendance, a staggering 1,948, Enfield Town’s promotion hopes ended in heartbreaking anguish last night, leaving players, management, fans and directors collectively shellshocked.

Town were just three minutes away from the Isthmian Premier League playoff final, with promotion to the Holy Grail of National League South within touching distance, when Hornchurch struck twice to spoil the party in a last-gasp win that left all of us scarcely able to  believe what had happened.

In an incredible atmosphere in our first playoff for five years, Town led twice through Jerry Gyebi and Mo Faal, only for the Urchins to level on 87 minutes with a piece of sublime skill from super-sub Sam Higgins, then snatch victory three minutes later as the clock ticked towards extra time.

With three players ruled out at the worst possible time – skipper Scott Thomas and Nathan Smith through injury and long throw specialist  Lee Chappell through personal circumstances – John Muleba started at right-back and Harold Joseph, who had hardly trained, was called up at the last minute to the bench against the surprise winners of last season’s FA Trophy.

Town’s line-up was certainly an attacking one with all three of our forwards starting in a 4-3-3- formation.  Adam Cunnington had the game’s first big chance when he headed wide after two minutes while at the other end former Towner Micky Parcell sent Liam Nash’s backheel too close to Nathan McDonald.

Olly Muldoon and Joe Christou both then threatened our goal as we took time to settle but  we gradually imposed ourselves on the game and  on 38 minutes, shortly after a clear penalty claim for handball was turned down, we took the lead. Percy Kiangebeni’s freekick was flicked on and Jerry Gyebi – one of our best players on the night – supplied an excellent finish (pictured).

It could so easily have been 2-0 when a Sam Youngs effort hit the base of the post before rebounding to safety. The first half was then prolonged for several minutes for what appeared to be a bad injury to Hornchurch’s Tom Wraight who was carried off on a stretcher and replaced.

H-T 1-0

Just after the restart, again we might have doubled our lead when Cunnington’s bicycle kick had Joe Wright, another ex-Towner, scrambling, only for Hornchurch to level out of nothing on 56 minutes when Nash took advantage of hesitant defending to convert a long throw.

It didn’t at the time do any lasting damage, however, because within a couple minutes we had restored our lead as Muleba’s surging run and cross was rattled home by Mo Faal.

But cue Hornchurch’s call from the bench for the dangerous Higgins who turned the game on its head. With his first touch,  he created a golden chance for Nash who shot inches wide with McDonald beaten.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, we almost made the game safe only for Wright to save superbly from the ever-willing if tiring Cunnington. But just as it looked as if we would hold on and the celebrations would last long into the night, they were suddenly cut short. Higgins controlled the ball 25 yards out and sent an outrageous lob beyond McDonald and in off the post for 2-2.

All eyes were now on extra time but instead Town’s collective hearts were broken as the ball was fed out once again to Nash and this time he made no mistake, lashing it into the far corner.

As our frustrations boiled over, there was still time sadly for Manny Maja to be dismissed for a second yellow.

To make matters worse, victory would have given us a home final against local arch-rivals Cheshunt, who upset Bishop’s Stortford in the other semifinal, on Bank Holiday Monday, a double whammy that made the last-gasp defeat all the more gut-wrenching to take.

Crestfallen players who had left everything on the pitch slumped to the ground in abject disappointment at the final whistle before regrouping for a squad huddle with the management staff to reflect on what has been the club’s best ever season.

It was entirely fitting that after a memorable campaign, the team were given a rapturous send-off by the majority of a bumper crowd that had the stadium packed to the rafters and bursting at the seams.

“Football can be a cruel mistress at times and so it proved,” said Enfield manager Andy Leese. “A devastating end to the game and our hopes which I just didn’t see coming. We gave it our all and edged a very competitive game until the last few minutes when a couple of bits of excellent finishing undid us. It’s been an exceptional season in so many ways and we shouldn’t lose sight of that. Final mention to our incredible support which went to a new level last night. Huge appreciation from us all on the management and playing staff.”

Despite the agony of defeat and a summer of “what ifs” ahead, the entire squad can look back with pride. The playoffs were always the goal from day one of the season, something clubs with far greater resources than Town also aspired to but never achieved.

A record points tally and biggest ever average home gate speaks volumes about the commitment and camaraderie of a unique group of players.

“It was hugely disappointing to get so close to our first playoff final at this level but when the dust settles we will look back and feel very proud,” said chairman Paul Reed.

“To have a crowd of that magnitude shows the inroads we’ve made in the local community and how our support base is growing. Hopefully we can carry that forward.”

Town: McDonald, Muleba, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan (Della Verde 90), Kiangebeni, Maja, Youngs;  Cunnington, Faal, Cass

Playoff Preview by Andrew Warshaw

It is, quite simply, the biggest game we have ever played at the QEII and the anticipation is reaching fever pitch.

They say you deserve to be where you finish and after 42 league games, months of intensive hard work, behind-the-scenes attention to detail and all-important spirit and cameraderie, it all comes down to Wednesday night’s nailbiting play-off semifinal against familiar foes Hornchurch.

Play-off games, as we all know, are one-off affairs. They can be decided by a sublime piece of a skill or an outrageous stroke of luck. Euphoria can change to heartbreak in the blink of an eye – and vice-versa.

Just like Town, Hornchurch will be desperate to come away with victory, not least after losing to us twice this season. With a place in the final and the Holy Grail of Step 2 football so close, neither side will want their season to end just yet.

One thing’s for sure: the management team will have been meticulous in the build-up to the game and the atmosphere promises to be electric with Towners fans coming out in their hundreds to try and push us over the line and into a final against either Bishop’s Stortford or Cheshunt.

What we have achieved already is a tribute to the management staff and players, most of whom were not around the last time we reached the playoff semifinal five years ago. This time we want to go one better.

It’s highly possible that not one, not two but three ex-Town players could be facing us in a Hornchurch shirt with several ex-Towner legends likely to be in attendance.

Having become the first Step 3 side to win the FA Trophy, non-league football’s biggest prize, last season, Hornchurch know all about the big stage. But after Saturday’s Bognor result, coupled with Wingate’s surprise win at Hornchurch, there was a confident air of “bring it on” amongst our boys who are hungry to succeed and raring to go.

“Being rewarded with a home tie is something in all honesty I didn’t expect would happen,” Andy Leese (pictured) told the Our Local Non-League podcast. “But we worked hard for it and finishing third in the league is a reflection of what we’ve done all season so I’m absolutely delighted.”

With no league fixtures to fall back on, Andy and his staff will have left no stone unturned to get the players in the right frame of mind.

“The mindset is obviously slightly different because it’s bit like the last-chance saloon. But I’ve got a bunch of players who know the drill. A lot of them are used to playing in big games.”

Advanced ticket sales have gone through the roof though you can of course still purchase tickets on the night by cash or card at the turnstiles.

Stand transfer tickets, price £2 , will be available on the night but are likely to sell out before kick off. These can be purchased at the exit to the balcony in the main building. For crowd management and safety reasons there will be no access to the balcony except for those purchasing stand transfer tickets. We would appreciate your co-operation with these arrangements.

Turnstiles will open at 6 PM, bar and catering facilities will be open, and it is suggested you try to arrive 30 minutes before kick off if possible. This will help to ensure we can get everyone in the ground before kick off.

We do anticipate the main car park will be full before kick off . If you can walk or arrive by public transport that may be preferable. Car sharing is also very much encouraged.

COYT!

Enfield Town FC V Hornchurch – Wednesday 27 April 2022, 7:45PM

Tickets are now available online and are already selling well. Purchasing tickets in advance should speed up the process of entering the ground. Usual ticket prices apply. You can of course still purchase tickets on the night by cash or card.

Click here to purchase tickets

Season tickets and GoToTown packages are not valid for this game to comply with the regulations set by the Isthmian League.

Stand transfer tickets, price £2, will be available on the night but are likely to sell out before kick off. These can be purchased at the exit to the balcony in the main building. For crowd management and safety reasons there will be no access to the balcony except for those purchasing stand transfer tickets. We would appreciate your co-operation with these arrangements.

Turnstiles will open at 6pm, bar and catering facilities will be open, and it is suggested you try to arrive 30 minutes before kick off if possible. This will help to ensure we can get everyone in the ground before kick off.

We do anticipate the main car park will be full before kick off and we are exploring alternative parking options but if you can walk or arrive by public transport that may be preferable. Car sharing is also very much encouraged. We will update you if we secure additional parking.

The game itself will be decided on the night with extra time and if necessary penalties. COYT!

Sam Youngs has won the supporters’ player of the season award and was presented with his trophy on the pitch immediately following our 1-0 win over Bognor on Saturday.

In all there were seven awards,  the club person of the year accolade going to  Glen Hosford for his tireless work on the pitch, supporting Dave Farenden through all weathers.

Mo Faal won two awards – the manager’s player of the season and the Golden Boot  prize having scored 32 league goals in 42 games (41 in all competitions) while Manny Maja took the young player award

Sam also won goal of the season as well as the players’ player award

Congratulations to each and every  winner for their invaluable contribution to a terrific season.

Meanwhile tickets for our eagerly anticipated playoff semi-final at home to Hornchurch on Wednesday can be purchased in advance by clicking here

Enfield Town 1 Bognor Regis 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

What a day. What a Season. And it Ain’t over yet!

To chants to “We’re Proud of You”, Enfield Town rounded off their best ever Isthmian League season with a record points haul to finish third in the table, thereby clinching a home semi-final playoff against Hornchurch.

On a dramatic final day of Step 3 action, we needed to better Hornchurch’s result against Wingate and Finchley to leapfrog the Urchins and secure home advantage on Wednesday.

And we did exactly that courtesy of Adam Cunnington’s early second half goal, coupled with Wingate’s shock victory on the road. Thanks to W and F boss and former Town skipper Marc Weatherstone for helping us out!

The scenes of unbridled joy at the final whistle told their own story as the majority of a bumper crowd of 668 celebrated our first playoff for five years.

Jake Cass, who had a slight niggle, was left on the bench with our playoff place already assured as were Lee Chappell and Lyle Della-Verde, the latter two coming on late in the second half.

In a swirling wind and on a bumpy pitch, conditions were not easy but Town were deserved winners in a carnival atmosphere, upping our game in the second half against opponents whose approach play was neat but who struggled in the final third.

Mo Faal, the league’s second highest scorer with 32 goals, had the first big chance, his shot brilliantly pushed over by Amadou Tangara after just two minutes.  Mo then somehow contrived to shoot wide of the far post with only the keeper to beat.

At the other end  Nathan McDonald was forced into action with a magnificent stop from Charlie Bell while Alfie Bridgeman’s cross came off the shin off Nathan Odokonyero.

With the wind behind them, a youthful Bognor side enjoyed plenty of first-half possession but just before halftime almost paid for a mistake by Tangara who hit a poor clearance straight at Ryan Kirwan, the richochet falling just out of reach of the lurking Mo.

H-T 0-0

Straight from the restart, Bognor’s Charlie Bell let fly from 30 yards, McDonald palming the shot over, but that was the cue for Town to dominate the rest of the game with Bognor heavily reliant on central defender Joe Cook, their outstanding player on the day, to try and keep us out.

The game was won on 51 minutes as Cunnington beat Tangara to a diagonal ball from Sam Youngs and bravely headed home (pictured).

Jerry Gyebi should have quickly doubled the lead, missing the target with a free header from a corner, while Tangara saved from Youngs and Mo, who might have had a hat-trick on another day, struck another effort wide.

As news came in of Wingate’s lead at Hornchurch, it became imperative to hold on to what we had, encapsulated by Gyebi’s fantastic clearance with Odokonyero ready to pounce.

But in truth but we rarely looked in any further trouble, Percy Kiangebeni looking particularly strong just at the right time with a series of timely interceptions. Indeed, we might have stretched our lead late on when calls for a penalty went unheeded after Tangara appeared to take out Kirwan.

Now it all comes down to Wednesday night’s showdown with Hornchurch, last season’s FA Trophy winners who, in the blink of an eye, find themselves having to travel to us instead of vice-versa.

It is, quite simply, the biggest game in our history with a place in the playoff final at stake against Bishop’s Stortford or Cheshunt.

“A great day all round that worked out well for us,” said Andy Leese. “Conditions made it hard in the first half but we used them in the second and dominated. Cunns led the line well. It rounded off a great season but there is still a job to do, starting on Wednesday. A mention to the fantastic support again.”

Town:

McDonald; Smith (Chappell, 70), Bray, Gyebi; Kirwan (Muleba, 73) Youngs, Maja, Kiangebeni, Taaffe (Della Verde 71); Faal, Cunnington

Depending on today’s results, we could be playing the semi-final of the play-offs away at Hornchurch next Wednesday 27th April 2022. The club may be running a coach to Hornchurch subject to supporters interest.

The details are:

-Date: Wednesday 27th April 2022  -Departure Time: 4.30pm -Departure Point: QEII Stadium -Cost: £16.00

If you are interested please contact Les Gold on 07979727563 or speak to him at today’s match

It’s been an thoroughly absorbing league campaign and on Saturday it concludes with our home game against Bognor Regis – just days before our eagerly awaited playoff with Hornchurch.

Back in December we drew 2-2 at Bognor, Mo Faal putting us two up in the opening 15 minutes before Nathan Odokonyero reduced the areas before halftime.

We then came under sustained pressure in the second half, particularly after Manny Maja was sent off for a second yellow card offence, and Bognor finally levelled the scores three minutes from time through Jordy Mongoy.

Mo nearly won the game for us with a chance in the last minute but on balance 2-2 was a fair result.

Bognor have been in good form of late but will have been disappointed not to have made the playoffs along with the likes of Lewes and Folkestone. On Monday they ended Lewes’ playoff ambitions with a 1-0 home win courtesy of a goal from Dan Gifford.

We are expecting another big crowd for our last home league fixture, you can book your tickets in advance using the link below.

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/ent2122h06/enfield-town-v-bognor-regis-town

If we can better Hornchurch’s result at home to Wingate and Finchley, we will be at home in the playoffs. Otherwise the mouth-watering semifinal will be at Hornchurch on Wednesday night. All to play for still.

Potters Bar Town 0 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town warmed up for the final league game of the season with a comfortable 2-0 derby win at Potters Bar on Easter Monday that saw each and every player in a Town shirt put in a terrific shift and ensure we gained our record points tally as as Isthmian League club.

With our playoff place already in the bag, the management team took the sensible decision to rotate the squad – and it worked a treat.

Mo Faal, who is fasting during Ramadan, and Sam Youngs both started on the bench, with the fit-again Adam Cunnington up front with Jake Cass, Bilal Sayoud at wingback and Percy Kiangebeni occupying central midfield with skipper Scott Thomas out injured.

Apart from a brief spell in the second half when the Scholars came into the game, we were largely in control with everyone playing for their place with so much at stake.

Jake Cass, arguably back to his best form, was particularly prominent and was almost on target with just a couple of minutes on the clock.

The lead we had threatened to take came on 17 minutes with yet another trademark Lyle Della-Verde left-foot strike after fine work by Sayoud.

Joe Boachie, Bar’s best player on the day, almost sneaked in to capitalise on some hesitancy at the back but most of the half-chances were still coming our way, much to the delight of the Town support who made up a majority of the 562 attendance.

H-T 0-1

Whilst the Scholars improved after the break, we were still very much the more composed side and after 58 minutes almost doubled our lead. Lewis Taaffe, who put in one of his best displays in a Town shirt both at the back and going forward in his wingback role, fed Cunnington who was narrowly ruled offside as he rifled the ball home.

At the other end, the pacey Boachie produced a thankfully unconverted sparkling run and cross while Tyler Christian Law put a free header over as Bar briefly threatened.

But with Percy, who revelled in being given the captaincy for the day, and Manny Maja controlling midfield, we posed the greater physical threat and always looked capable of extending our lead.

Which is exactly what happened with seven minutes to go.  Shortly after both coming off the bench, Sam Youngs placed a sublime header through to Mo who just managed to control the bobbling ball and shoot past Kacper Kurylowicz for his 33^rd league goal of the season (pictured) despite the desperate attempts of a defender to keep it out.

There was still time for both Cass and Youngs to produce further efforts in what was a thoroughly satisfying afternoon full of desire and energy, made all the more so by the fact that Hornchurch were defeated.

This means that if we win our last regular league game on Saturday at home to Bognor and Hornchurch somehow fail to beat Wingate and Finchley, we will finish third instead of fourth and secure that all-important home playoff tie against the Urchins.

All to play for still, then, and let’s hope former Towner Marc Weatherstone, now in charge of W and F, can do us a favour.

“I never felt we were in danger, they didn’t trouble us too much,” said Andy Leese, who started with a back three and wingbacks, a system we often revert to during matches.

 “We got the ball first which we didn’t do on Friday against Cray. It was a solid, efficient, professional performance. The mindset now is absolutely vital over the next 10-14 days and it started today.”

Town:

McDonald; Sayoud (Kirwan, 56), Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Taaffe; Kiangebeni, Maja, Della-Verde (76); Cass, Cunnington (Faal, 64)

Enfield Town 3 Cray Wanderers 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

In front of our biggest gate of the season, just under 800, Enfield Town secured the point they needed to mathematically make sure of a playoff place courtesy of hattrick hero Jake Cass.

Congratulations to the players and management team for fulfilling the goal we set out to achieve  at the start of the season back in August.

John Muleba was given a rare start against Cray while Cass continued up front in the absence of the still-injured Adam Cunnington.

The last three meetings between the sides had produced 21 goals and this was no different but was by no means straightforward. We were pushed all the way by a team scrapping for their lives at the other end of the table and who almost spoiled the Good Friday party.

Cray were on a four-game losing run and because of injuries had to call up U18s keeper Nathan Boamah for his senior debut .

But he produced an outstanding performance with a number of terrific saves especially in the final 20 minutes when we were in danger of losing back-to-back matches against relegation-threatened teams and applied mounting pressure.

On 11 minutes Boamah somehow got to a trademark Lyle Della-Verde freekick with a brilliant one-handed tip over but Cray were clearly not in the mood to be over-run and caused us several anxious moments at the back, Nathan McDonald producing his own tip over from the dangerous Jamie Yila.

The first goal could have gone either way but thankfully went to us. On 28 minutes Mo Faal was hauled back just as he was about to shoot and Cass buried the penalty confidently.

The lead lasted  lasted just two minutes, however. Just as Scott Thomas was down injured, Sam Wood’s swivel and turn restored parity.

Scott had to be replaced by Percy Kiangebeni but Town were back in front with the goal of the game, a thunderous 25-yard strike from Cass that almost burst the net.

Still we couldn’t put Cray away, however, and they responded again through Richie Danquah’s bullet header from a freekick on the stroke of half-time.

H-T 2-2

Cray began the second period with renewed intent and went in front for the first time on 66  minutes through Anthony Cook with an accomplished finish after the ball ricocheted off Rian Bray.

 Cue a double substitution and a storming Town rally. Cass steered the ball inches wide after being put through by Lewis Taaffe — who scored twice when the sides drew 4-4 in January – while a Mo volley produced a flying save from 17-year-old Boamah.

Finally, with two minutes to go, the pressure told as Cass secured a point by bravely turning in Sayoud Bilal’s corner (pictured).

He almost notched a fourth to win the game, only for his left-foot volley to produce another wonderful stop from the teenage keeper.

“It’s a fantastic achievement even though we made hard work of it today,” said Andy Leese after we secured a playoff semifinal spot, almost certainly an away tie at Hornchurch or Bishop’s Stortford .

“Some of the defending today was disappointing but Cray have some excellent individuals who really turned up and are a much better side than their position suggests.

“I’m delighted with the character shown and Cassie ran the line superbly and has found his form again. Hopefully the pressure will be off in our last two games. Obviously the objective is to finish as high as we can and we’ll be at it again at Potters Bar on Monday and again on Saturday.”

Town:

McDonald; Muleba (Taaffe, 74),  Bray, Gyebi, Chappell; Maja, Youngs, Thomas (Kiangebeni, 31),  Della-Verde (Sayoud, 75); Jake Cass, Mo Faal

Crowd: 782

Just a gentle reminder to all our fans that the Good Friday game at home to Cray Wanderers kicks off at 3pm rather than the evening.

A point from this fixture would ensure our playoff place but a win could put us back in the race for a home game in the playoff semifinals.

Back on January 3 we were involved in one of the games of the season when we drew 4-4 at Cray’s temporary home at Bromley FC.

Since then former Bromley manager Neil Smith has taken over at Cray but their recent form has not been great even before Sunday’s 0-5 thrashing by Hornchurch — their fourth successive defeat. Currently in one of the two relegation spots they desperately need points from their final three games to avoid the drop.

We are expecting a big crowd for our penultimate home league fixture, you can book your tickets in advance using the link below

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets

Enfield Town FC Supporters Society Members can now also vote for their player of the season via their link below.

https://poll-maker.com/poll4240857x53fd4eb9-133

Members without access to the internet can vote at the Club Shop on Friday.

Enjoy the contenders for Enfield Town’s Goal of the Season from the 2021-2022 campaign, and cast your vote by clicking here

Brightlingsea Regent 2 Enfield Town 1

Report by Martin Bentley

The curse of the Manager of the Month award landed on Andy Leese’s unsuspecting head as an injury-time winner from Brightlingsea’s Ollie Bell saw Enfield Town slip to their first defeat in seven games.

The unexpected setback saw the Town hold on to third place in the league, but with Hornchurch two points behind them with a game in hand going into their fixture against Cray and possibly now in the driving seat to achieve that coveted home draw in the playoffs.

By contrast, this was only Regent’s second win in 11 games but could prove vital in their battle against relegation. It must be said that their win was deserved in the light of a strangely uninspired Town showing.

With Jake Cass returning in place of the injured Adam Cunnington, the Town started the game at a gallop, having two shots blocked in the opening 20 seconds and Lewis Taaffe hitting a free kick over the bar two minutes later.

Town were comfortably in control in the opening stages, and got their noses in front after 22 minutes, when Cass fired home the loose ball (pictured) after home keeper Charlie Turner had spilled a left wing corner.

We continued to enjoy the greater share of possession for most of the first half without managing to trouble Turner again, and were not helped by the enforced retirement from the game of Jerry Gyebi after 32 minutes.

As the home side started to come into the game, Town once again conceded an annoying equaliser on 39 minutes. A cross from the right was met by a first-time effort from Aaron Blair that was probably destined to finish closer to the corner flag than the goal until the ball was deflected in via the shin of Nathan Smith who had replaced Gyebi.

H-T 1-1

With Town now facing a stiff breeze in the second half, Brightlingsea started the brighter of the sides although most of their efforts were landing in the car park.

Their winger Valter Cachicote da Rocha embarked on a mazy dribble that was almost as long as his name but his final effort was disappointing.

 Town were struggling now to make any decent headway although Mo Faal hit a shot wide from Cass’ flick on and substitute Lyle Della Verde had a freekick well saved by Turner on 68 minutes. Ten minutes later Faal  thought he’d won the match, only for his effort to be  disallowed for offside as Town’s frustrations grew.

The final period of the game saw the home side force a string of corners that were dealt with by Town’s defence, before Regent administered the coup de grace in the first minute of injury time that sent the home crowd wild.

Rocha’s 30-yard freekick was partially cleared to the feet of Ollie Bell, whose low shot through a forest of legs beat Nathan McDonald to his left.

“A bitterly disappointing performance and result,” was how Andy Leese summed up proceedings. “Apart from 25 minutes at the start of the game we weren’t at it  and you get what happened in the second half when you do that.”

“We have to reset this week and get back to basic principles. We have to focus on the next game where we still need maximum points to secure a top-5 place.”

Town line-up: McDonald, Chappell, Kirwan, Thomas, Bray, Gyebi (Smith 32), Youngs, Cass, Faal, Taaffe (Kiangebeni 77), Maja (Della Verde 65). Unused subs: Muleba, Sayoud

Vital Game Time

Enfield Town 2 Southend  United U-23 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

A specially arranged friendly designed to give precious game time to those who have not been selected in recent matches ended with an impressive 2-1 over tenacious and skillful opponents on Tuesday night.

The management team put out a mixture of experienced first-teamers and academy players in what was an extremely useful exercise as we approach an eagerly anticipated run-in to the league season and then, almost certainly, the playoffs.

Several of the lesser known players produced eye-catching performances all over the pitch which certainly augurs well for the future including fullbacks Monty Clarke and Yahke Solomon, diminutive central midfielder James Bone and substitutes Ross Busunda and George Rankin.

As he gets back to full fitness, Jake Cass was among the senior players who started and had an early chance, producing a decent save from the visiting keeper as Southend tried and failed to play offside.

Many of their players may have been under-18 but Southend, two divisions higher than us, were a highly drilled unit and almost went in front when Jack Wood’s freekick came back off our bar.

H-T 0-0

Wood broke the deadlock on 53 minutes but within six minutes we were on level terms as Cass’ flick found Busanda who finished with aplomb.

The game was won on 62 minutes when Cass rifled the ball home from the edge of box and while all wins build confidence, this was mainly about players getting fit as well as trying to impress the management staff.

“Tonight was a great workout for us and thanks to Southend FC for coming and making it a very competitive game,” said Andy Leese.

“We were able to give first-team players some much needed match time and were also able to look at some as some of the young players who have been showing promise.”

We should also congratulate Andy on his award as manager of the month for March for our division, a thoroughly deserved achievement after six wins on the bounce that have put us to within touching distance of the play-offs.

Town: Connolly; Clarke, Muleba, Smith, Mohamed (Busunda); Kiangebeni, Solomon, Bone (Rankin), Della-Verde; Cass (Jordan), Sayoud.

With the playoffs looming ever closer, the club has arranged a friendly for tomorrow against Southend United’s U-23 team, specifically to give game time to members of our first-team squad who have not been in the starting eleven in recent matches.

They will be joined by some of our promising younger players who have been loaned out to other clubs this season.

The fixture makes eminent sense given who we might still need for the run-in, with four games to go.

“We need to keep the squad match-fit and this game gives us the opportunity to do that,” said Andy Leese.

“We will also get the chance to check on some of the players who have been out getting games elsewhere.”

Reduced admission prices of £5 for adults and £1 for under 16s will apply for this game.

Enfield Town 1 Horsham 0

Match Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town made it six wins on the bounce and are now within touching distance of that much coveted play-off spot with just four games to go.

Jerry Gyebi’s towering header midway through the second half put paid to a Horsham side that competed well but didn’t do enough to justify sharing the spoils.

With a couple of other key results going our way, mathematically we are one win away from securing a playoff spot, a testament to the players and management staff who have worked tirelessly to get us to where we are now.

It might seem like job done already as we remain third just a point behind Bishop Stortford but we want to finish as high as we can to get that home draw and to  try and beat our record points tally.

Games against Horsham invariably throw up a goalfest but whereas the corresponding fixture in January produced nine goals, this one was an entirely different affair. Control was difficult on a hard pitch and in tough conditions that included bright sun, driving rain and even a flurry of snow.

The visitors had arguably had the best chance of a well contested opening half when Eddie Dsane’s flashing header grazed the top of the bar with six minutes on the clock.

As Town responded, a lightning three man move down the left almost paid dividends while Manny Maja brought a superb tip-over save from Sam Howes and Sam Youngs almost broke the deadlock with a 25-yard freekick.

H-T 0-0

Whilst we just about shaded the first half, Shamir Fenelon came within a whisker of giving the Hornets a shock lead just after the restart but blasted his shot just wide.

Cue a timely double substitution, one of them forced, as Jake Cass replaced the limping, leg-strapped Adam Cunnington and Lyle Della-Verde took over from Lewis Taaffe.

Cass came close with a superb turn and half-volley before Mo Faal provided the game’s outstanding piece of individual skill, picking the ball up close to the halfway line and leaving not one, not two but FIVE Hornets players in his wake as he burst forward.

The only thing lacking was Mo’s finish as he got too close to the keeper before deciding to shoot.

The points were ultimately settled by an unchallenged Jerry Gyebi who rose above the visitors’ defence (pictured) to head home a Della-Verde corner on 68 minutes.

There was still time for Della-Verde to force Howes into a scrambled save from a fizzing 30-yard freekick and for Faal to square the ball for Cass who couldn’t quite get nearer enough to convert.

You can’t ask for more than a six-match winning streak at this time of the season, partly down to the fact that we have had a settled squad for most of the campaign with a fantastic team spirit drilled into them by the management team.

 “Another demanding game which only changed when we altered our shape in the second half,” said manager Andy Leese. “Horsham are a very decent team but we limited them to very few clear opportunities on goal.”

Town:

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Thomas, Maja, Youngs (Smith 90), Taaffe (Della-Verde, 65) Cunnington (Cass 57), Faal.

Five league games to go, three home, two away, starting with entertaining Horsham on Saturday which, if recent encounters between the sides are anything to go by, could be a goalfest.

Our record against the Hornets in recent meetings may be somewhat iffy but we recorded a 4-3 win at the Camping World Community Stadium in the corresponding fixture in January with goals from Sam Youngs, Lyle Della-Verde, Mo Faal and Jake Cass.

Horsham are currently 13th in the table with 42 points from 36 games but on their day are a dangerous proposition as Tuesday’s 3-2 win over  Folkestone Invicta showed.

They are through to the final of the Velocity Trophy having beaten the same opposition  5-0 in the Semi Final.

And earlier this season they reached the first round proper of the FA Cup before going out 0-2 at Carlisle United, having beaten National League Woking 1-0 in the 4th Qualifying Round.

Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available at:

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets

Merstham 1 Enfield Town 3

Report by Martin Bentley

A fifth consecutive win, this time at struggling Merstham, that was far more convincing than the scoreline suggests and might easily have improved our goal difference had we converted more chances.

On a hard, bumpy pitch that demanded a direct approach, an unchanged Town started the game at a gallop, with Adam Cunnington and Mo Faal having shots saved by home keeper Patrick Ohman in the first 10 minutes.

Lewis Taaffe and Rian Bray were also narrowly off target as the Towners threatened to overrun their hosts.

The first goal finally arrived after 25 minutes, when Faal dispossessed a home defender 10 yards from goal and passed to Sam Youngs, who shot low into the net, much to the relief of the travelling faithful.

Taaffe then had two further chances to extend the lead, shooting wide when well-placed on 29 minutes and having a shot well saved by Ohman 10 minutes later.

Annoyingly, Town then conceded an equaliser a minute before the break, Tahjae Anderson heading in a right wing corner at the far post. This was a touch unfair on the Town, who really should have been out of sight by then.

H-T 1-1

But we began the second half in the same vein. Manny Maja had a goal disallowed for offside just after the restart before Town regained the lead on 49 minutes. Again Faal provided the assist, rolling a square ball into the path of the outstanding Youngs (pictured), who banged it gleefully into the roof of the net.

Still Town pressed forward. The luckless Taaffe managed to hit the crossbar from three yards; Faal fluffed a far-post header; and Taaffe’s right-wing corner somehow made its way unmolested through a crowded goalmouth.

The insurance goal finally came on 77 minutes courtesy of Mo, shooting low from the left into the far corner of the net.

Only hours earlier Town’s top scorer had made a guest appearance on Sky’s Soccer AM show, great publicity for both himself and the club on what was billed as Non-League Day.

Although the home side never gave up, Town played out the remaining few minutes without undue difficulty, successfully retaining third place in the league.

“Another solid professional performance to keep us on track,” said Andy Leese. “We dominated the game until we scored, then allowed Merstham some space and they took advantage.”

“We altered our shape at halftime and it worked, with Mo alongside Adam and a narrow midfield to get us on the ball more.”

“The only disappointing aspect is that we didn’t take more of the numerous chances we created. I think we will need to win most of our games to get to where we want to be.”

Town line-up: McDonald, Chappell, Kirwan, Thomas (Kiangebeni 81), Bray, Gyebi, Youngs, Taaffe (Smith 77), Faal, Cunnington (Della Verde 83), Maja. Unused subs: Joseph, Sayoud

Our own Muhammadu Faal is scheduled to make a guest appearance on Soccer AM on Sky tomorrow morning.

As you may know, there is no Premier league or Championship football this weekend because of the international break. Saturday has been designated as non-league day and Mo, who has scored 31 league goals this season, is being featured as part of Sky’s coverage.

Mo will be on the show some time between 10.30 and noon before travelling to our game at Merstham

Enfield Town 1 Leatherhead 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Four straight wins have put us within touching distance of the playoffs after yet another tight, nail-biting encounter against a Leatherhead team that played way above its relegation-threatened status.

In a game of precious few chances, the points were won after just seven minutes courtesy of yet another of those near-post headers by man-of-the-match Sam Youngs who ghosted in to convert a Lewis Taaffe corner (pictured).

Sam clearly relished the occasion and put in another outstanding shift but it was our defence – not always our strong point – which really caught the eye against opponents who took the game to us for long periods and will perhaps feel they deserved more.

Special mention has to go to the seemingly ageless Lee Chappell whose two vital interceptions soon after we took the lead almost certainly prevented an equaliser.

Lee, like his colleagues at the back, put on a superb “Thou Shalt Not Pass” display as we managed to snuff Leatherhead out whenever they threatened.

He made another fantastic block late in the first half and moments later a low cross was fizzed into our box but fortunately found no Leatherhead player.

For all their possession, however, the Tanners might well have fallen further behind when Mo Faal spooned a terrific chance over the bar after taking advantage of defensive hesitancy.

H-T 1-0

Leatherhead, who have had three managers this season, are unrecognisable from when we played them earlier in the season and in fact had only one player in their squad who featured back October.

With a brand new team, they are banking on a great escape and showed commendable passing ability though to be fair Nathan McDonald hardly had a notable save to make, largely due to being protected by those in front of him.

To make sure of the points, the management team switched to three at the back late on as we made it four wins on the spin after those three back-to-back defeats to move to within one point of second-placed Bishops Stortford.

Winning without playing at your best is the sign of a team with spirit and confidence and we have made a habit of that over the last couple of games.

More of the same and a playoff spot seems assured though no one is yet taking anything for granted.

“Another valuable win which came the hard way,” said Andy Leese. “Leatherhead belied their league position, were well organised and competed for everything. We were fantastic defensively  and limited them to few opportunities. We were having a terrible little run and to bounce back the way we have shows what we are about.”

Town

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Maja, Thomas, Youngs, Taaffe (Smith, 77); Faal, Cunnington

We are delighted to report that our own Kraig Noel-McLeod has been called up for Grenada’s Senior Men’s National Team for two upcoming friendlies against Gibraltar and Andorra during international week

The games take place this Wednesday and on March 28 after which Kraig is due to return to the club.

Kraig, who can play at centrehalf or leftback,  joined us in January having previously represented Brightlingsea Regent and Clacton this season. He spent time with QPR and Norwich City in his early career.

Congratulations Kraig on being called up for your national team

Enfield Town 2 Corinthian Casuals 1

Report from Andrew Warshaw

Whisper it quietly, with seven games to go we are getting ever closer to ensuring a playoff spot and achieving the goal we set as a club at the start of the season.

It may be a cliché but at the business end of the campaign it’s not necessarily about being pretty, rather about racking up the points, no matter how you get them.

So it was on Saturday when we should probably have killed the game when leading reasonably comfortably. But no team in this division just lies down and Casuals were no different, running us close just as they have done with other leading contenders.

 With Folkestone well beaten at home, we are now in third spot. The top five seem to be pulling away and there is no doubt we are handily placed.

But there is no room for complacency because we are not there yet. The likes of Lewes and Cheshunt are very much still in the mix.

 We want to finish as high as we can to try and ensure a home draw in the playoffs. All of which makes for a nail-biting run-in.

Against opponents missing no fewer than eight players, we were unchanged from the win against Hornchurch and got off to the perfect start with the strong wind behind us,  Adam Cunnington converting with a sweet volley from Lewis Taaffe’s fourth-minute corner.

Not much happened from then on until we doubled our lead. Sam Youngs was brought down inside the box and Mo sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.

Sam himself then narrowly missed the target with a neat shot and turn while Manny Maja fired over and although Casuals started to have more of the ball, we seemed in control.

H-T 2-0

Right at the start of the second period Mo broke clear down the left, only for keeper Daniel Bracken to grab the ball off his feet. But 2-0, they say, is a dangerous scoreline and Casuals, now playing with the wind, were suddenly a different proposition, showing more purpose and intent.

A deep freekick into the box almost caught us napping at the far post before Lee Chappell stooped low to clear the next effort off the line. But it was third time lucky for the visitors as Scott Thomas bundled over Misha Djamili and Kieron Cadogan drilled the penalty into the corner to halve the deficit.

Just as momentum switched and we had difficulty clearing our lines, so Town had a glorious opportunity to restore their two-goal advantage with eight minutes to go.

But in a game of three spotkicks, this one was missed as Mo drove his shot wide after being hauled down by Bracken as he raced through on goal.

It could have proved costly but fortunately we held on to grind out a third straight win.

“I was pleased with the first half and how we set about them,” said Andy Leese. “No matter who you play, the opposition are always going to have a spell. I’m not pointing the finger at Mo but the second penalty could have been a lifesaver and would have put the game to bed.”

“There are no easy games in this league. Nearly everyone has got something to play for.The conditions meant it wasn’t going to be a pretty game – we’ll take the points and move on to Tuesday against Leatherhead.”

Town

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Youngs, Thomas, Maja, Taaffe (Sayoud, 71); Faal (Kiangebeni 89), Cunnington

(end)

Enfield Town FC have joined forces with Tottenham Hotspur for a walk/talk/exercise around Enfield Playing Fields before this Saturday’s home game and again on April 23 – our final league game of the season.

Meet outside the QE11 gates at 12.30pm.

For further details, contact  ianchrisham@hotmail.com  or  tel  07949071587

We are delighted to announce we have a new link for online advance ticket sales, starting with Corinthian Casuals this Saturday.

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/

We will be collecting to help the people of Ukraine this Saturday and every remaining home league game of the season.

Items needed include the following: Tinned/Dried Food, First Aid kits, Blankets, sleeping bags.

Any other items you can assist with are listed below.

Collection point will be underneath the stairs leading to Butlers Bar.

binoculars

metal cups

backpacks

raincoats

socks

thermal underwear

painkillers

bandages

antiseptics

Used smartphones with internet access

Enfield Town FC Proudly stands with the people of Ukraine during these difficult times.

Hornchurch 1 Enfield Town 2

Report from Andrew Warshaw

Forget about the few chances to either side. Forget about lack of entertainment value.

Make no mistake, this was a potentially landmark victory against a side who had gone 16 games without defeat – including 13 wins – and was reward for an all-round team performance which, without getting carried away, represents a huge confidence boost going into our final eight league games.

The fact that our top-five rivals hadn’t lost since November – against us, no less, in the corresponding fixture – says everything about the result in what was a tight, often physical game which, for long periods, we managed to slow down and control at our own pace.

Wearing our yellow and blue strip, which seemed somewhat appropriate given events unfolding in Ukraine, we were without the unavailable Lyle Della-Verde but were otherwise close to full strength with Manny Maja especially eye-catching in midfield with a series of timely interceptions.

After a cautious opening by both sides we took the lead with one of the strangest goals you will ever see.

Lee Chappell decided to go short with a throw-in and Maja’s 40-yard floated cross totally deceived former Towner Joe Wright, who for some reason declined to wear a cap despite having the sun in his eyes and didn’t even move.  He apparently didn’t even see it.

Lewis Taaffe needed lengthy treatment after a strong challenge from Tom Wraight who then did the same to Sam Youngs without being booked.

As halftime approached, Wraight curled an effort wide but the hosts, last season’s FA Trophy winners,  had hardly had a first-half shot on target.

H-T 0-1

The Urchins were almost back in it straight after the break as Charlie Ruff brought a superb save from Nathan McDonald and headed the resultant corner over.

Ryan Kirwin and Mo Faal were the next two victims of rough play with no action taken by the referee and right on the hour Hornchurch broke through to equalise.  Micky Parcell, another former Towner, was given too much space on the right-hand side and his cross was headed home by Wraight.

Despite the disappointment there was no sense of panic as we continued to execute our game plan. Taaffe almost squeezed the ball home at the near post and on 66 minutes we restored our lead as Adam Cunnington (pictured) headed a Taaffe corner low and hard into the corner through a ruck of players.

This time, there was no Hornchurch comeback as we held firm at the back and cleared our lines at every opportunity. The only downside was a straight red card in stoppage time for substitute Jack Cass who had come off the bench to replace Mo and now misses three crucial fixtures.

Whilst Jake’s challenge on Parcell was late, the Hornchurch defender was ever so quickly up his feet and given what had gone before to our own players, the referee’s decision seemed questionable to say the least.

However, onwards and upwards. Eight games to go and the playoffs loom ever closer.

“A proper team performance against a strong Hornchurch team” was how Andy Leese summed up matters. “We had a plan which the players executed. We had to defend under pressure late the game  but we do that better with Manny back in the team. The result keeps us in the mix but that’s all it does at this stage.”

Town

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Youngs, Maja, Thomas, Taaffe (Kiangebeni, 84); Faal (Cass, 75) , Cunnington

The anticipation is mounting. There is only one place to be at 3pm tomorrow and that’s at Hornchurch for a mouth-watering six-pointer in the race to make the playoffs.

Since we beat last season’s surprise FA Trophy winners back in November, they have not lost in the league and are arguably the form team of the division.

Most recently the Urchins – featuring a good number of former Towners — came from behind to win 2-1 at Potters Bar on Tuesday with goals from Tom Wraight and Liam Nash.

Nothing will be decided of course  tomorrow but who knows, this could well be a rehearsal for a play-off clash at the end of the season.

Town expect to be close to full strength against opponents who are level on points with us with a game in hand and, on paper at least, represent the toughest challenge of our remaining nine games of the regular season.

Ticket information and directions to the ground can be found here

https://www.hornchurchfc.com/club-information/

Enfield Town 3 East Thurrock 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

That’s more like it! After three straight defeats, Enfield Town rekindled their play-off hopes by sweeping aside relegation-threatened East Thurrock on Saturday to move into fourth spot.

The visitors have radically changed management and playing staff since being dealt an 8-0 drubbing in the corresponding fixture back in October but were still largely second best.

Manny Maja was restored to our starting line-up after a lengthy injury layoff while Percy Kiangebeni was suspended.

On a day when girls and ladies were let in for free to mark International Women’s Day, boosting the attendance to almost 500, we were on the scoresheet after just six minutes with a textbook goal straight from the training ground.

Lee Chappell’s long throw was flicked on by Adam Cunnington and Sam Youngs buried the loose ball.

A strong wind and muddy pitch rendered conditions far from ideal but Town, playing a flat back four, were hardly troubled in a dominant first half.

Lyle Della Verde was particularly eye-catching with several inswinging corners but it was from open play that he almost created a second goal as he sent Mo Faal away down the left, only for Mo to miss the target by whisker. Two minutes later we went close again as the Thurrock keeper just managed to prevent the ball trickling over the line.

In their only threat of the opening half, Johnny Ashman failed to take advantage of Jerry Gyebi’s weak back-header but on 31 minutes we extended our lead as  Cunnington, showing commendable persistence, wrested possession from the opposition and squared for Mo to finish with precision (pictured).

Gyebi almost made it 3-0 with a bullet header from another Chappell throw and the only blemish of the first half was a booking for otherwise excellent Sam Youngs for kicking the ball away.

H-T 2-0

The Towners could have been out of sight by halftime but the Rocks re-emerged with a far more positive mindset and decided to have a go, Martins Dantas-Carvalhi particularly prominent as he twice weaved his way dangerously into our box.

With the visitors pushing forward, Nathan McDonald was finally called into action with a couple of decent saves while Gyebi was cautioned for a late challenge.

Nevertheless, the better chances still went our way as Thurrock had precious little end product.  Scott Thomas drove wide, Sam Youngs brought a flying save from  Arthur Janata and with the next goal always likely to prove crucial, we wrapped the game up on 69 minutes.

Cunnington was fouled 25 yards out and, not for the first time this season, Della-Verde’s sublime left-foot strike flew into the net.

There was still time, in a 4 v 2 Town counter-attack, to make it even more comfortable, only for Mo’s final shot to be smothered by the keeper.

“A much better day at the office” is how Andy Leese summed up proceedings ahead the all-important showdown at Hornchurch next Saturday.

“Getting the points was all that mattered and we did that without being troubled too much. We gave East Thurrock a couple of opportunities but dealt with what they had to offer.

“We have more games like this to come in the next six weeks. We need to focus on ourselves and on getting as many points as we can to guarantee a playoff spot. That was our objective at the start of the season and it hasn’t changed.”

Town

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Gyebi, Kirwan; Thomas, Youngs, Maja (sayoud, 78), Della Verde (Taaffe, 73); Cunnington (Cass, 69), Faal

A must-win game lies ahead for The Towners against East Thurrock tomorrow afternoon following setbacks in our last three games and all our female fans will have free entry.

The gesture is being made to mark International Women’s Day which officially falls on March 8.

We look forward to welcoming as many regular and/or first-time visiting women and girls to our Borough’s iconic Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.

Kickoff is at the usual time of 3pm and weather permitting there will be a display by Empire Cheerleading Academy beforehand and again at halftime while representatives of our women’s and girls teams will be assisting with a number of match-day tasks.

East Thurrock are in a desperate battle to avoid relegation and are currently 21st in the table seven points from safety.

Back in October we won 8-0 at Rookery Hill , with four goals from Muhammadu Faal, two from Lyle Della-Verde, and one each from Adam Cunnington, and Nathan Smith.

However, this will be no formality. Last Saturday East Thurrock beat Carshalton Athletic 1-0 and on Tuesday caused Folkestone a few problems before going down 1-3.

The Cinelli Brothers gig at Butler’s Bar tomorrow, March 4, is now officially sold out.

Doors open at 7.30

One of the UK’s most electrifying and dynamic blues bands, who wowed the audience at last year’s Livestock festival at Forty Hall farm, are back in Enfield – at our own Butler’s Bar this Friday March 4, with all proceeds going to the club.

Tickets for the Cinelli Brothers, who recently sold out the legendary 100 Club in central London with their unique infectious style of blues and rhythm and blues, are selling like hot cakes so get in quick.

This is a veritable coup as well as an extraordinary gesture by the four-piece band formed by Italian brothers Marco and Alessandro Cinelli who have already performed once at our club but have since developed a fanatical nationwide fan base.

The band have released several albums – tasty originals as well as finely crafted covers — and have been nominated for a number of awards.

Doors open at 7.30 and tickets, priced £10, can be purchased in advance by contacting Christine Hamilton on ianchrisham@hotmail.com.  Please state how many you would like.

Tickets may still be obtainable on the night but only pending availability.

Worthing 3 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit you were beaten by the better side.

So it was on Saturday when, despite a formation designed to match our high-flying opponents, we were well beaten by the runaway league leaders on the south coast.

A healthy Town following in a bumper crowd of over 1,500 did their best to spur the team on but in truth we were never really in the game.

Yet despite having now lost three in a row and played more games than most of our playoff rivals, we are still very much in the hunt for a top-5 spot, with many of the other contenders having to play each other before the end of the season.

Basically nothing is settled as of now but we do need to bounce back next Saturday against East Thurrock, who are fighting to stay up,  to regain momentum before the mother of all six-pointers against Hornchurch the following weekend.

Worthing flew out of the blocks and caught us napping after just eight minutes when a quick throw found man-of—the-match Davide Rodari and his volleyed cross was headed home by Jasper Pattenden.

The game was billed as a clash between the league’s two top scorers, Oliver Pearce and our own Mo Faal with 60 goals between them.

But both had a quiet afternoon by their own high standards and instead it was Rodari, on loan from Crawley, who stole the show.

Jake Cass had our best chance of the opening half when he skimmed the top of the bar from 30 yards.

But Worthing always looked the more threatening side and had two more golden chances to extend their lead, one of which was cut out by a last-ditch Rian Bray interception.

H-T 0-1

Although we re-emerged with more urgency, we continued to struggle to deal with Worthing’s pass-and-move style in contrast to our more direct approach and on 54 minutes we fell further behind.

A quick break down our right ended with Rodari arriving at the back post to rifle the ball home from James Beresford’s pinpoint  cross.

And it was Rodari again who finished off the scoring with the goal of the game, a side-foot finish off the post on 65 minutes.

A hugely disappointing afternoon in the sunshine was complete when Percy Kiangebeni, who had already been booked, was shown what appeared to be a straight red for a body challenge on the edge of the box. Because it was not deemed as violent conduct, Percy is expected to only miss one game.

All in all not many positives to take away but let’s not get too downhearted.

 There will still be several twists and turns and victory against East Thurrock, when girls and ladies will have free entry to celebrate International women’s day, will keep us very much in the mix.

Town

McDonald; Bray, Chappell, Smith; Sayoud (della Verde 69), Thomas, Youngs, Kiangebeni; Faal, Cass (Taaffe, 74), Cunnington (Kirwan 82)

Following the postponement of our home game with Leatherhead last Saturday, the action returns tomorrow with our eagerly awaited trip to Worthing who are expecting a huge gate for what promises to be a mouth-watering occasion between two free-scoring sides.

Having drawn 2-2 in the corresponding fixture back in October when goals from Percy Kiangebeni and Muhammadu Faal cancelled out strikes from Jasper Pattenden and Reece Myles Meekums.  we are hoping for another positive result against the league leaders in what should be a cracking atmosphere in front of possibly close to 2,000 fans – including a healthy Town travelling support

A much-changed Worthing team made up primarily of youth-team players crashed out of the Velocity Trophy to Haywards Heath in midweek but in the league they have only slipped up twice at home all season and in their last two home games scored 10 goals without reply.

The fixture is  likely to feature the league’s top two goalscorers with Worthing’s Oliver Pearce on 31 up against Mo who has 29.

Match tickets are still  available on line at https://worthingfc.ktckts.com/event/wor2122h17/worthing-fc-vs-enfield-fc

You can also book your coach ticket now.  Payments can be made directly to our Bank account.

The details are:

Barclays Bank

ETFC Ltd

Sort Code: 20-45-45

Account Number: 43222942

Departure Point: QE II Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

Departure Time: Leave 10.30.p.m. PROMPT

Cost: £16.00.

Please confirm your booking by contacting Les Gold on 07979 727563 or lesgold@enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk

COYT!

We now have a revised date for our home league game against Leatherhead which had to be postponed last Saturday.

The match will take place on Tuesday, March 22 at 7.45 pm

Today’s game with Leatherhead has been called off because of the weather.

The pitch was playable in the morning but the match had to be postponed following severe rain when conditions worsened badly. A new date will be announced as soon as possible.

Wingate and Finchley 4 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Not even a temporary floodlight failure could save Enfield Town’s blushes as we slumped to a 4-1 defeat at local rivals Wingate and Finchley on Tuesday, marking our first back-to-back reversal of the season.

There were few positives to take from a night where we made a couple of defensive changes from Saturday’s loss to Bishop’s Stortford but were still very much second best against opponents who were clearly fired up for the occasion managed by former Town skipper Marc Weatherstone.

It was a game in which everything Wingate tried came off whilst our efforts were either well saved or narrowly off target.

But that doesn’t excuse a performance that will have infuriated the management team and only adds to the desperate need to get back to winning ways against Leatherhead on Saturday to rekindle our playoff hopes, with most of the other contenders now heaping on the pressure.

Almost before we could settle we were a goal down as Theo Ofori’s half-hit shot appeared to have either been deflected in off Lee Chappell or deceived Nathan McDonald.

On 20 minutes it got worse as Chappell was dispossessed near the corner and Dylan Kearney’s cross was turned in by man of the match Antonis Vasiliou – on loan from Barnet just to add salt the wounds.

Sam Youngs and Mo Faal both went close to halving the deficit  while Jack Cass was thwarted when one on one with Ben Goode in the Wingate goal. Then  Mo ran half the length of the pitch and set up Cass who narrowly failed to hit the target.

But W and F always posed a threat and just before the break, we fell further behind to a wonder strike as Vasiliou gave McDonald no chance from 30 yards.

There was still time for the hosts to come close to a fourth as McDonald saved superbly, again from Vasiliou, before a floodlight failure brought a temporary halt to proceedings.

H-T 0-3

When the lights came back on, Town needed to brighten up their ideas and they did so as Rian Bray moved up from the back to rifle the ball home from close range (pictured).

Bray put another snapshot just wide in a sustained period of Town pressure as we were finally in the ascendancy.

But the pivotal moment came on 66 minutes.  Mo won a penalty, only to see his spotkick saved by Goode and watch the follow-up go wide. Perhaps, bemoaned many Towners fans afterwards, it is time that penalty honours were switched to Cass who, after all, used to take them for Bishop’s Stortford.

A double substitution following a halftime change of formation briefly looked promising but on 78 minutes it was game over. McDonald parried but couldn’t hold a rasping freekick and as our defence hesitated, Kearney was first to the rebound.

Worryingly we looked poor throughout when we didn’t have the ball whilst some of the players appeared leggy and Andy Leese didn’t mince his words.

“It was the most shambolic performance of the season…we got what we deserved,” fumed Andy.

“I think we turned up with a misplaced confidence as a team thinking we can win and somehow we need to find a fighting spirit and resilience that has gone missing.”

Town: McDonald; Chappell (Taafe, 69), Gyebi, Bray, Smith; Youngs, Thomas (Della-Verde 68), Kiangebeni, Sayoud (Muleba, 46); Cass, Faal

Enfield Town 0 Bishop’s Stortford 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town’s seven-match unbeaten run was halted in its tracks as equally in-form Bishop’s Stortford completed a rare league double over us on Saturday.

For once we failed to live up to our reputation as the division’s great entertainers but we are still in a fantastic position in the runners-up spot as the race for playoff places intensifies.

Rian Bray and Lee Chappell were both unavailable for different reasons while Manny Maja has only just resumed training after a lengthy injury absence.

No team can win every game and this was simply an off-day, something that all our play-off rivals have suffered over the last few weeks as we claimed victory after victory.

If our visitors were slightly fortunate to win the corresponding game with that last-ditch goal back in November, on this occasion they on balance deserved the three points.

Stortford were quicker to the ball and more composed than Town and managed to keep our strike force quiet for most of the game.

After a scrappy first 20 minutes  in front of a bumper 754 crowd, the Blues took the lead on 23 minutes as Ryan Charles ran on to Frankie Merrifield’s defence-splitting pass to beat Nathan McDonald who got a hand to the shot but couldn’t keep it out.

Town have been scoring goals for fun but on this occasion hardly troubled a defence marshalled superbly by skipper Ryan Henshaw.

H-T 0-1

 Three minutes after the break, our visitors doubled their lead as Merrifield converted from the penalty spot, sending McDonald the wrong way after Charles was barged over by John Muleba.

Lyle Della-Verde and Sam Youngs both had chances to reduce the deficit but it wasn’t until Adam Cunnington and Bilal Sayoud came off the bench that we posed any real threat.

Whilst no-one can take anything away from  Stortford, who closed us down at every opportunity, the fact remains that the players and management team have a superb job getting us to where we are now, something all of us would have taken at the start of the season.

It’s just a shame Jake Cass didn’t get a chance to shine against his old team and that we again dropped points against one of our play-off rivals who look certain to be in the mix with us come the run-in.

On the plus side, which cannot be emphasized enough, we have two highly winnable games – against Wingate and Finchley on Tuesday and Leatherhead on Saturday – before the eagerly awaited clash at Worthing.

Andy Leese summed up our performance as “bitterly disappointing. We never really got going and seemed a bit too anxious.”

“We didn’t start well. The things we’d asked to do  we weren’t doing. I thought at halftime we were in it. I thought we could go with two strikers and then we concede a penalty at a poor time. More disappointingly after that, we didn’t really create a lot. But credit to Stortford, they are good at what they do.”

Town:

McDonald; Muleba, Smith, Gyebi, Kirwan (Sayoud, 69); Thomas, youngs, Kiangebeni (Taafe, 77), Della-Verde; Cass (Cunnington 66), Faal

Tomorrow, Saturday, we entertain third-placed Bishop’s Stortford in another proverbial six-pointer given even greater spice by Jake Cass, if selected, playing against his former club.

After four straight league wins, we are anticipating a bumper attendance as we try and gain revenge for Stortford’s last-gasp victory in the corresponding fixture in November when Jake, ironically, gave them the lead from the penalty spot.

Town have taken an impressive 16 points from our last six games (five wins and a draw) while Stortford have lost only one of their last 25 and most recently won convincingly 3-0 at Potters Bar on Tuesday, making Saturday’s eagerly awaited clash all the more mouth-watering.

Andre Coker remains suspended pending the referee’s report after his sending off against Kingstonian.

Since we are expecting one our biggest crowds of the season we suggest you arrive a little earlier than usual to ensure everyone is in the ground by kick off.

COYT

Bowers & Pitsea 1-4 Enfield Town

Report by Martin Bentley

Another thoroughly professional performance saw Enfield Town bank another three points with a comfortable 4-1 win over Bowers & Pitsea at the Len Salmon Stadium. With Bishop’s Stortford, Folkestone and Hornchurch all dropping points, this was another very good day to be a Town supporter.

An unchanged Town line-up got off to the perfect start when they were awarded a free kick 20 yards from goal after 6 minutes. Lyle Della-Verde stepped up to curl a delicious free kick past home keeper Mitchell Beeney and into the bottom corner, and Town were up and running. Jake Cass narrowly cleared Beeney’s crossbar a minute later as Town threatened to overrun their hosts.

Bowers came into the game more as the half wore on, with wingers Quentin Monville and Norman Wabo causing a few uncomfortable moments, although their only clear sight of goal came on 28 minutes when Wabo’s shot was well saved by Nathan McDonald.

Town were always looking dangerous though, and doubled their lead on 36 minutes. Mo Faal gathered up a loose ball on the left wing, and proceeded to tie home full-back Alex Bentley in knots before crossing low onto the boot of the grateful Jerry Gyebi.

Seven minutes later it was 3-0 and game over, Sam Youngs unleashing a proverbial tank shell from 25 yards into Beeney’s top right corner. Wonderful stuff.

For a long time, the second half was routine. Home substitute Mitch Gilbey tested McDonald a couple of times, and Wabo succeeded in pulling a goal back after 58 minutes with a neat glancing header from a James White free kick out on the left. Town were always going to have the last word in this one though and, after Youngs had headed against the post, and Cass had an effort deflected narrowly over, it was Town’s hard-working centre forward who added a fourth goal in stoppage time after being set up by Percy Kiangebeni.

__________

Town line-up: McDonald; Chappell (Muleba 86), Smith, Gyebi, Bray; Thomas, Kiangebeni, Youngs; Della Verde (Sayoud 78), Faal (Taaffe 88), Cass.

Unused subs: McLeod, Kirwan

Enfield Town 3-3 Barking (Barking won 4-3 on penalties)

Report by Martin Bentley

Enfield Town’s defence of the Velocity Trophy lasted just 90 minutes, as they were edged out in a penalty shoot-out after yet another lively encounter at the QEII.

As expected, Andy Leese rang the changes, with only Sam Youngs, Jerry Gyebi, Percy Kiangebeni, Jake Cass and Lyle Della-Verde retaining their places from Saturday’s win over Margate. There were debuts for Kraig McLeod, Alex Solomon and youngster Emmanual Adebiyi, as well as a second debut for the returning Bilal Sayoud.

Any thoughts of a comfortable win for the Town were dispelled in the 10th minute, when the visitors’ Freddie Parker slammed a shot against the foot of Adi Connolly’s post. Throughout the first half, Barking played swift, incisive football, aided, it must be said, by some very poor Town passing and decidedly benevolent defending. By the end of the half, the visitors had opened up a 3-1 lead, courtesy of two goals from the dangerous Parker and one from his strike partner Charlie Heatley. Town’s sole reply came from the lively Sayoud, who accelerated on to Della-Verde’s pass to beat Barking keeper James Shaw with a thumping finish on 39 minutes.

The second half saw a spirited Town rally. Barking, rather strangely, substituted both centre halves at half time, and the game turned in Town’s favour. Jake Cass galloped onto Kiangebeni’s through ball to reduce the deficit on 56 minutes, and, 11 minutes later they were level; a corner was cleared to Sayoud on the edge of the box, and he belted a powerful shot through a crowd of players into the bottom corner. The winning goal just wouldn’t come however, despite a fusillade of Lee Chappell long throws, which were dealt with by the visitors’ second string defence comfortably. With Barking also creating a couple of hairy moments for Town at the other end, the game reached a thoroughly entertaining conclusion.

Apart from the penalty shoot-out that is. Town did not have many proven penalty takers on the field by then, but the loss was still disappointing. For the record, Cass, Sayoud and Solomon all scored their kicks, with Chappell and Matt Walsh having theirs saved. Connolly produced one excellent save from Louis Dillon’s kick, while keeper Shaw’s kick flew over the bar to take the shoot-out to sudden death. Unfortunately, Adebiyi, who had been excellent as a second half substitute, skied his kick to give the victory to Barking.

Nothing to get too concerned about here though. Back to the more important matter of league points on Saturday.

______________

Town line-up: Connolly, Muleba (Chappell 66), Kirwan, Youngs (Solomon 79), Gyebi, McLeod, Kiangebeni (Adebiyi 55), Taaffe (Walsh 79), Cass, Sayoud, Della Verde (Nichols 66)

We are very pleased to announce the signing of Bilal Sayoud, who has returned for a second spell in a Town shirt.

Forward Bilal began his career through the Nike Academy before moving on to Coventry City. Since then, he spent time with us at Enfield Town, as well as Hendon and Met Police before joining Wingate & Finchley in December 2019. He swapped Wingate for Potters Bar in December 2021, and has now re-joined Town for the final push to the end of the season.

Manager Andy Leese added: “We have moved to bring Bilal back to the club. We have one or two issues in the squad looming next month and signing Bilal again will help us.

He’s matured since he was here last, both his physicality and his all round game. He’s added goals to his game as well and is more versatile as he showed when he played against us this season.

I’m sure you’ll welcome him back as he’s goes in to the squad tomorrow night.”

Enfield Town 4-0 Margate

Report by Martin Bentley

Enfield Town moved to within two points of leaders Worthing after an almost complete performance saw them beat play-off contenders Margate by four clear goals. With Worthing, Lewes and Bishops Stortford all dropping points, this was almost a perfect afternoon for the Town, with the majority of the 625 crowd thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Town recalled Jerry Gyebi to the back line with Nathan Smith moving to left back. New signings Kraig Noel-McLeod and Alex Solomon were both on the subs’ bench.

The game was played in a stiff end-to-end breeze, with both teams attempting to make use of it with a plentiful supply of crosses. Lyle Della-Verde’s dead ball kicks and Lee Chappell’s long throw-ins were causing visiting keeper Billy Johnson no end of problems, while the visitors’ Ben Greenhalgh was firing the ball in from all angles at the other end, but with limited end product. It was from a Chappell throw that Town struck the first blow on 37 minutes, Mo Faal smashing in a loose ball from a flick-on.

After the break, Town doubled their lead after Margate goalie Billy Johnson missed his kick on the edge of the box, leaving Jake Cass to finish into the empty net. After that, the home side took over completely. Sam Youngs’ long-range header ended up on the roof of the net, and Johnson somehow juggled a corner against his own post, before saving Youngs’ follow-up. After 65 minutes, Town made the game safe when Cass flicked on Nathan McDonald’s long kick into the path of Faal, who finished expertly to Johnson’s left.

Faal then hit the crossbar after 79 minutes, Adam Cunnington’s follow-up effort being cleared off the line. Town’s top scorer then completed his hat-trick in injury time with a well-taken penalty following a trip on Della Verde. The celebrations were long and raucous at the final whistle. Just how far can this Town team go?

___________

Town line-up: McDonald; Chappell, Smith, Gyebi, Bray; Thomas, Kiangebeni (Taaffe 80), Youngs; (Cunnington 74), Della-Verde, Faal, Cass

Unused subs: Noel-McLeod, Solomon, Muleba

Before Saturday’s Pitching In Isthmian Premier Division match with Margate, we are happy to confirm the signings of two new players. Defenders Kraig Noel-McLeod and Alex Solomon have joined and are available for selection.

Grenada international Kraig has played with Brightlingsea Regent and Clacton so far this season, and spent time with QPR and Norwich City in his early career. Alex has been called up by Cyprus Under-17s, and was on the books at Leyton Orient for the past two years.

Manager Andy Leese said: “Both lads have been training with us for a while. Alex has been released at Leyton Orient and can play a number of positions but primarily is a defender. Kraig is a centre-half or left-back and has a good pedigree. We need some depth to the squad at moment and both lads give us quality options.”

Two goals either side of half time saw Enfield Town bag a hard-earned victory over a hard-working Carshalton side who looked the better side for much of the first half. The win saw Town hang on to second place in the league on a night where Worthing, Lewes and Bishops Stortford all recorded wins to leave the top of the table looking largely unchanged.

The Town fielded an unchanged line-up from Saturday’s spectacular win over Kingstonian, but this was to turn out to be a vastly different sort of game. In fact, the opening half hour was a case of dustcart following Lord Mayor’s show, as Town struggled to put together any constructive moves, with a Sam Youngs header that was well saved by Brad House in the visitors’ goal being their only effort of note. Carshalton were buzzing purposefully around Nathan McDonald’s penalty area, and got their noses in front after 22 minutes, when a fortuitous rebound landed at the feet of winger Lewis White, who beat McDonald with a low shot to his right.

Slowly but surely, Town clawed their way back into the game. Both Jake Cass and Sam Youngs fired decent efforts over the bar before the equaliser arrived three minutes before half time, Nathan Smith bringing a bout of penalty area pinball to a satisfactory conclusion by striking a crisp half-volley into the net via House’s left-hand post.

After just two minutes of the second half, however, Town found themselves in front courtesy of the ever-reliable Mo Faal. His effort from the edge of the box was hardly hit with anything resembling venom, yet the ball somehow sneaked into the bottom corner, with House appearing to misjudge the direction of the shot. Five minutes later Faal beat House to a long through ball, only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Bradley Williams. Lyle Della-Verde picked up the loose ball and pinged a low cross back across the goal just out of the reach of Cass’ despairing lunge. Della-Verde and Cass both saw shots fly over as Town maintained the pressure, but the decisive third goal wouldn’t come.

The visitors’ late rally came to very little as Town defended well, and Faal even managed three further efforts in stoppage time, one just wide of the post, one well saved by House and one over the bar. This was a game in stark contrast to the win over Kingstonian, but Andy Leese’s side showed a pleasing resilience to bank three points in tougher circumstances.

“We could’ve taken the pressure off and made life a little bit easier for ourselves, but I thought we were the better side in the second half”, the manager noted.

“I think we’re showing that consistency. I’m absolutely delighted with us, nearly at the end of a really long month, to dig that out tonight was absolutely tremendous.”

______

Town line-up: McDonald; Chappell, Kirwan, Smith, Bray; Thomas, Kiangebeni (Taaffe 83), Youngs; Della-Verde (Cunnington 71), Faal, Cass

Unused subs: Gyebi, Coker, Connolly

A healthy 80-plus members attended last Thursday’s AGM on zoom at which a number of pressing issues were discussed, writes Andrew Warshaw

The Board reported to members how we had to run a mothball budget during the curtailed seasons whilst at the same time having to deal with losing players to National League clubs. Conversely we were protected by a number of grants that arrived from the Football Foundation and other sources.

Turning to this season, chairman Paul Reed admitted that pre-season results didn’t augur well but said there were mitigating circumstances, not least considerable uncertainty in trying to get players signed up.

The mood has rapidly improved during what has been our best ever start to a league campaign, with home attendances up by an average of 70 and the club rarely out the playoff places. The addition of Ian Hart and Tommy Fester to the management team has proved a huge benefit while the gesture of free tickets to NHS workers has been extremely well received.

Decent Cup runs in the FA Cup and FA Trophy allowed some prize money to be re-invested in the playing staff while shirt sales, both nationally and globally, have contributed to a healthy financial situation. In fact we have recorded probably our strongest operation profit to date.

Tribute was paid by Paul to Future’s sponsorship of the youth section while the publicity generated by the NXT UK sponsorship deal now stretches to over 250 news outlets in 40 countries, all great exposure for the club.

Other positives include the growth of the academy, notably Adi Connolly breaking into the first team, our floodlights being upgraded and increased engagement on social media.

What happens next depends largely on where we are at the end of the season but Paul Millington made a detailed presentation on a number of possible options for ground development should we gain promotion, with further talks planned on the most efficient way forward in terms of how to add 100 extra seats in one stand that can  accommodate 250 fans, as well as turnstile additions.

In terms of community shares, the board intend to pay its first interest payment at 2 percent over base rate.

Inevitably several questions related to the future of Mo Faal and Paul Reed conceded that Mo would almost certainly review his options at the end of the season since understandably he still has ambitions to play at a higher level.

Paul revealed that despite pushing and pushing in terms of trying to tie Mo down for longer, he perfectly reasonably only wanted to commit for this season even though he was offered a longer-term contract.

Andy Leese took a break from training to answer members’ questions and revealed how a number of other clubs in our division and even higher had tried to sign Jake Cass. Their loss is our gain!

Andy said preparations for matches was the best he had ever known his time at the club and made a point of thanking supporters for the noise generated both home and away.

A full video recording of the AGM will be available shortly.

Kingstonian 3 Enfield Town 5

Report by Martin Bentley

Another end-to-end thriller, eight more goals, and, most importantly, three more points. It’s certainly never dull for Towners fans.

With Worthing and Lewes both dropping points unexpectedly, Saturday’s latest win against dangerous opponents saw the Town consolidate their position in second place, now just four points behind leaders Worthing.

Having rested several players in the 3-1 midweek win over Bowers, Andy Leese reverted to something close to his first-choice side and formation for this crucial six-pointer, with Ryan Kirwan, Percy Kiangebeni and Lyle Della Verde recalled to the starting line-up. Lee Chappell also returned at right back after a three-game absence.

Kingstonian were the first to settle, spreading the play across the midfield and putting in several dangerous crosses.

Town, however, opened the scoring after 18 minutes.  Mo Faal won the ball on the left and played in Percy Kiangebeni, whose low cross was smashed gleefully into the roof of keeper Rob Tolfrey’s net by Jake Cass.

The Ks hit back rapidly, and Daniel Ajakaiye had already lobbed narrowly over Nathan McDonald’s crossbar before they found an equaliser on 22 minutes, Fabio Saraiva netting from the edge of the box after a well-worked move.

There was no time to breathe however. Four minutes later, Mo found himself in behind the Ks’ backline, and, with appeals for offside going unheard, beat Tolfrey with ease.

 The next goal was always going to be crucial and Mo was once again on hand to provide it. The outstanding Cass (what a signing!), who had already drawn a decent save from the Ks’ keeper, again burst through the home defence before presenting Mo with another chance, which our top scorer gobbled up gratefully.

Things then calmed down a little for the remainder of the half, with only a speculative long-ranger from Rian Bray to inconvenience Tolfrey.

H-T 1-3

Any thoughts of consolidating the lead in the second half, however, disappeared rapidly out of the window.

 A mere 22 seconds had passed when Lyle Della Verde shot over from the edge of the box, and within another minute it was 4-1. Sam Youngs’ neat through ball sent Cass (pictured) galloping into the box for another emphatic finish.

Cass almost completed a hat-trick on 54 minutes, but Faal’s low cross from the left was diverted out of his reach by a desperate lunge from Simon Cooper.

But the scoring didn’t end there, far from it, as Della Verde netted with a glorious left-footer from 20 yards as we romped into a scarcely believable 5-1 lead.

Although the home side continued to play neat football on both flanks, Town’s defence was not unduly stretched – until Kingstonian suddenly reduced the arrears. Not once but twice.

The hard-working Ajakaiye pulled one goal back on 77 minutes, and Saraiva made it 3-5 with one minute of the 90 remaining.

The result was never in doubt however, although Andre Coker managed to get himself sent off for two yellow cards in four minutes, an annoying conclusion to a massively enjoyable away day for Town’s vociferous travelling support.

“What a performance, nothing short of fantastic. To put that score on the board against a top-five team is scarcely believable,” said a jubilant Andy Leese after we reached the landmark target of 50 points.

“In every department we were superb, from one to 11. It’s given us a huge confidence boost and will live long in the memory.”

“The front three were different class and Jake led the line really well. I don’t remember him losing a header. The back four were superb especially during spells of their pressure in the first 15 minutes and a 10-minute spell in the second half. And in midfield, Sam Youngs has been playing well for weeks.”

“My only disappointment is the two late goals we let in because goal difference could prove so important. But overall, fantastic. What finishing and we could even have scored more.”

“These pitches can sap your strength, especially the way we press. Some of them were puffing at the end  so it will good to get a small breather at the end of January.”

Town line-up: McDonald, Chappell, Kirwan, Thomas (Taaffe 74), Smith, Bray, Kiangebeni, Youngs, Cass, Faal, Coker 75), Della Verde (Gyebi 85). Unused subs: Cunnington, Connolly

One of the UK’s most electrifying and dynamic blues bands, who wowed the audience at last year’s Livestock festival at Forty Hall farm, are back in Enfield – at our own club, would you believe.

The Cinelli Brothers, who recently sold out the legendary 100 Club in central London with their unique infectious style of blues and rhythm and blues, have agreed to play at Butlers Bar on Friday, March 4, with all proceeds going to the club.

This is a veritable coup as well as an extraordinary gesture by the four-piece band formed by Italian brothers Marco and Alessandro Cinelli who have already performed once at our club but have since developed a fanatical nationwide fan base.

The band have released several albums – tasty originals as well as finely crafted covers — and have been nominated for a number of awards.

The show begins at 8pm and tickets, priced £10, can be purchased in advance by contacting Christine Hamilton on ianchrisham@hotmail.com. Please state how many you would like. Tickets will also be available on the door pending availability.

We have today released Luke Cook from the club. Luke was seeking more game time and having recently strengthened our attacking options with the addition of Jake Cass, it was not something we could guarantee and we are happy to let him progress his career elsewhere, which we will monitor.

Michael Dome-Bemwin has also made the decision to play higher up the pyramid and we wish him well for the future.

We will continue to invite triallists into training with a view to strengthening our squad, but with Manny Maja now back to full fitness and Lee Chappell returning from honeymoon, we have greater options. John Muleba is nearing fitness, whilst Harold Joseph continues to improve.

Enfield Town 3 Bowers and Pitsea 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

We may have now caught up and even overtaken some of our rivals in terms of numbers of games but it’s all about points on the board in this gruelling month of fixtures which continues on Saturday with a top-five showdown at Kingstonian.

Hence the importance of Tuesday’s win over a Bowers and Pitsea side who matched us for long periods but fortunately didn’t have our finishing skills.

With such a relentless programme, the management team rung a couple of changes but went with a strong attacking line-up and two wide players and it paid off as we moved up into second spot.

We were almost in front straight from the kick-off when Alexander Bentley was forced to head over his bar under pressure.

The lead came on 16 minutes courtesy of a quick one-two between Mo Faal and Adam Cunnington which Mo finished off with a neat toe-poke.

Shortly afterwards Cunnington squared for  Jake Cass but the ball was just out of reach of our new forward.

Bowers, who reached the first round of this season’s FA Cup before narrowly losing to Lincoln City, missed a glorious chance to equalise when Lewis Manor put a free header wide – and they were soon made to pay.

On 25 minutes, Andre Coker, who started wide on the left, produced a sumptuous freekick from 25 yards into the top corner (pictured) to double our lead to the delight of the 365 crowd.

Bowers, whose pacey winger Quentin Monville gave our defence plenty to think about, had a strong penalty claim turned down before Nathan McDonald was forced into a superb stop after the visitors got in behind us.

Yet how our opponents still had 11 men on the pitch by halftime is a mystery. Jamie Dicks, who had already been booked for an ugly challenge on Sam Youngs, was lucky to survive a second yellow after another bad foul, this time on Mo.

H-T 2-0

It was no surprise when Dicks was taken off at the interval to save him from further punishment but within five minutes of the restart Bowers cut the deficit.

Youngs was dispossessed halfway inside our own half and the dangerous Monville drilled the ball home via a deflection.

The next goal was always going to be crucial and within just two minutes we restored our advantage. Mo shot straight at keeper Michael Beenley who somehow spilled the ball and the quick-thinking Cunnington was first on hand to finish it off.

Beenley then redeemed himself with a fine save from Coker as we went for a fourth and Mo headed wide after Cass stood the ball up at the back post.

But Bowers weren’t finished and three times came within a whisker of again getting back into a highly watchable encounter, only to be thwarted by lack of finishers in the box.

“Another hard-working performance against a well-drilled resilient Bowers team” was how Andy Leese summed it up.

“An even game which we shaded with our finishing. We had to defend deep at times especially in the second half where I felt we got opened up a bit too easily at times.”

“We needed the third goal when it came. Some players earned a rest and it shows how the squad will be needed in the coming weeks. We are back in a great league position which I’m sure we would all have taken at the start of the season.”

Town:

McDonald; Gyebi, Smith, Bray; Taafe (Kirwan 71), Youngs, Thomas (Maja 66), Coker; Cass, Faal (Kiangebeni), Cunnington

The Annual General Meeting of Enfield Town FC Supporters’ Society Limited will be held via Zoom this Thursday 20 January at 7:00 pm.

This is your chance to pose any questions to the board and management and raise any issues you wish so don’t miss out.

The AGM will receive an update from the board on work carried out since the last meeting and plans for the coming year ahead. There will be an opportunity to raise any Enfield Town-related matters.

There will also be a Q & A session with Andy Leese and Mario Noto.

Members will be sent a link to the meeting using the email address they have previously provided.

You must be a member to participate but you can still join via

https://membermojo.co.uk/etfcs/membership

Just a reminder too that we are home to Bowers and Pitsea this evening (Tuesday)  in the latest game of a gruelling January and hope to see as many of you there as possible.

The Club will be running a coach for our next away league fixture at Kingstonian on Saturday 22nd January – 3.00 Kick Off.

Departure Point: QE Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

Departure Time: Leave 11.30.p.m. PROMPT

Cost: £16.00.

Please Note: We understand that trains on 22/1/22 going to Tolworth are likely to be affected by staffing shortages .

For Bookings please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563

– lesgold@enfieldtownfooballclub.co.uk or Leave your details at The Club Shop at the Bowers match on Tuesday.

It is essential that bookings are made through either of these contacts only.

Early reservations are essential to avoid disappointment. Face coverings to be worn on the coach.

Haringey Borough 0 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

You’d have got pretty good odds, given our recent goal sprees, if you’d correctly predicted that our latest fixture would finish goalless.

But a mixture of solid defending by both sides and a lack of quality in the final third made for an underwhelming if satisfactory afternoon in front of a bumper 796 derby crowd.

Another point on the road and a welcome clean sheet were undoubted positives, plus the fact we actually moved up a place in the league to third despite most of our playoff rivals winning.

Rian Bray cleared off the line early doors for the Town but for the rest of the opening period most of the half-chances came our way with Lyle Della-Verde missing the target by a whisker and both Percy Kiangebeni and Jake Cass having shots saved.

The pace of Mehki Leacock-McCleod was a constant threat for Haringey but this was a day when our defending was arguably the most encouraging part of our game, with young rightback Eli Nichols growing in stature and putting in an assured display.

Right on half-time, Mo Faal shot narrowly across goal as we ended the half in the ascendency.

H-T 0-0

The game’s pivotal moment came 12 minutes after the break. Cass pounced on a bad defensive mistake and was brought down by goalkeeper Lamar Johnson, only for the Boro custodian to turn from villain to hero by palming away Mo’s penalty (pictured).

Cue Haringey’s best spell and we nearly paid the price when Nathan McDonald punched away Ade Cole’s goalbound effort.

Our response was to go with three strikers to try and win the game but for once we left our collective shooting boots at home despite a period of late pressure.

“They defended well especially late in the game and have shown they can hold their own with anyone in the league this season,” said Andy Leese afterwards.

“We dealt with their counter-attacking game really well. Very disappointing obviously with the penalty but it was a decent save. A good week on the road with four points from the six available.”

Next up Bowers and Pitsea on Tuesday when we can go second and put pressure on the others, followed by a mouth-watering clash at Kingstonian next Saturday in what is a gruelling month.

“We have another challenging week ahead when hopefully we can get one or two bodies back,” said Andy. “We just have to keep picking up points and staying in touch.”

Town: McDonald; Nichols, Bray, Smith, Kirwan; Thomas, Youngs, Kiangebeni, Della Verde (Cunnington 70); Faal, Cass

Horsham 3 Enfield Town 4

By Andrew Warshaw

Another top-turvy goal fest but this time Town emerged victorious, cementing our role as the division’s great entertainers and pushing us up to fourth in the table.

On a drizzly night in West Sussex, we once again wobbled at the back but such is our offensive strength that we ran out deserved winners, helped by some canny tactical moves by the management team.

Ali Nichols, on loan at Colney Heath under dual registration, was handed his first league start of the season at rightback and, after an understandably nervy first few minutes, performed extremely promisingly whilst our new striker Jake Cass (pictured) was thrown straight in alongside Mo Faal – and even got on the scoresheet.

In front of a crowd of 502 – including a vociferous throng of Towners fans who kept up a constant din – it could have started disastrously for us.

But having given away a third-minute penalty, Nathan McDonald redeemed himself with a superb save from Eddie Dsane’s spotkick.

It wasn’t long before the goal spree started. Sam Youngs, who put in an assured and tireless box-to-box shift all evening, opened the scoring after being put through by Mo having already been denied by a reflex save.

But within 60 seconds before we  could celebrate, the lead was wiped out when Lee Harding took advantage of hesitancy on our left side.

McDonald’s finger-tip save from Shamir Fenelon kept us in it, only for Fenelon to put the hosts in front. Back we came through Lyle Della-Verde before the goal of the game seven minutes later.

Mo received the ball near the touch line and carried it 20 yards before unleashing a wonder strike beyond Sam Howes for his 22^nd league goal of the season and one of his best.

The only downside of the first half was a nasty looking injury to Harold Joseph who came off worse in a 50-50 challenge and after lengthy treatment had to be substituted.

 Another stoppage saw Nathan Smith, Harold’s replacement, luckily get to his feet after going for the same ball as Charlie Hester-Cook who had to be carried off.

H-T 2-3

Horsham thought they had levelled when the dangerous Fenelon fired into the side netting but parity was restored on 64 minutes when, slightly against the run of play, Dsane wasn’t picked up at the far post from a corner and atoned for his spot-kick failure.

Horsham then had arguably their best spell but as we switched formation, so we went for the winner and duly got it courtesy of Jake’s close-range finish following fantastic link-up play with Mo which can only augur well.

The pair of them were mobbed by the travelling faithful such was the importance of the goal that proved pivotal despite a mighty scare at the other end in the final action of the game.

Andy Leese was naturally delighted with the result, which came after one win in six but somehow seemed especially sweet with no-one else playing on the night.

“We opted to bring Eli back from his spell at Colney Heath and of course Jake making his debut. Both did very well and Jake got his reward for a very hard-working performance,” said Andy.

“Horsham are a well-drilled side and we had to adapt our shape a couple times to counter them.  We do that well and the final change brought about the winning goal. It;s all about picking up points this month however they come.”

“The only downside on the night was the injury to Harold. He’s damaged his ribs and we wait to see the extent. A quick note on the support. A good number of you made the long journey and you lifted the team,  especially in the last part of the game which was appreciated as always.”

Town:

McDonald; Nichols, Gyebi, Joseph (Smith 39), Kirwan; Thomas, Youngs, Kiangebeni (Bray, 74), Della-Verde (Cunnington 75); Faal, Cass.

We are delighted to announce that we have signed striker Jake Cass in what the management and board believe is terrific piece of business.

Jake has parted company with play-off rivals Bishop’s Stortford after scoring 15 goals this season and is an exciting addition to our forward line.

“We are really pleased to get Jake on board,” said manager Andy Leese. “We feel we need to strengthen the squad right now with the schedule we have, and Jake coming available was too good an opportunity to miss.”

Jake, 28,  was Stortford’s leading scorer this season in his second spell at the club, having joined from Chelmsford last July.

“He’s an experienced player, he knows his way around this level,  wants to win things and as soon as we spoke he wanted to come here,” Andy added.

“I’m sure the fans will love his style and welcome him to the club. We will continue to review the squad this month as we know where we have to improve if we want to maintain and improve our current position.”

Welcome Jake

The games come thick and fast and tomorrow (Tuesday) we travel to Horsham hoping to get back to winning ways.

Horsham are currently 12th in the table with 28 points from 22 games but have playoff aspirations of their own and it promises to be a highly entertaining encounter.

In the FA Cup they reached the First round proper before going out 0-2 at Carlisle United having beaten National League Woking 1-0 at home in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

The ground address is: The Camping World Community Stadium, Worthing Road, Horsham RH13 0AX.

Admission Prices are Adults £11, Over 60s, Under 18s and Students £6, Under 16s £2. Tickets may be purchased in advance at www.horshamfc.co.uk or by card or cash at the gate on the day (subject to availability.)

There is very limited parking at the stadium as this is reserved for match and club officials, official guests and the teams. Supporters travelling by road must use (free of charge) Horsham Park & Ride RH13 0AR, which is an easy 300m walk from the ground.

The attached link is from the Horsham FC website

Find us

If you wish to travel by club coach, leaving the QEII Stadium at 4PM please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563.

COYT!

Enfield Town 1 Lewes 4

Match report by Andrew Warshaw

It was a sad case of déjà vu for the Town on Saturday as we slumped to a heavy defeat against opponents who inflicted the same scoreline on us back in September.

Once again our defence, which for some reason has forgotten the basics in recent matches after doing so well earlier in the season, let us down but the centre of midfield was also at times cruelly exposed as our inconsistency continued.

With so many leading contenders having their games called off because of waterlogged pitches or Covid, this was a chance to put down an early 2022 marker  but it was our playoff rivals who rose to the challenge with a stirring performance of composure and clinical finishing.

With the pitch passed fit after two inspections, Lewes seemed to cope better with the conditions, tiring us down and running way with the game in the second half.

Lewes showed their enterprise from the off and in the best of the early chances, Nathan McDonald somehow kept out Joe Taylor’s close-range effort with a superb one-handed stop.

But after a relatively even first half-hour when we gave as good as we got, we fell behind. Lewes were awarded a freekick and when the ball was played back in after being half-cleared, a seemingly unsighted McDonald could only fumble and Michael Klass was left with a simple tap-in.

Six minutes later, however, we were back on level terms as Adam Cunnington rose majestically above his marker to deliver a towering pinpoint header and celebrate accordingly (pictured).

That should have been the signal for us to move through the gears and on the stroke of halftime, Lyle Della-Verde had the ball in the net again, only for it to be ruled out for handball.

If Lewes were marginally the better team as the first half ended, they took control after the break as the rain returned. But not before Mo Faal, who had another quiet game by his own high standards, was denied by a last-ditch tackle.

Right on the hour, Razz Coleman-De-Graft cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable past a despairing McDonald. A real team goal then put Lewes 3-1 in front as the ball was played down the line before being finished off by Klass for his second of the game.

Between the Rooks’ second and third, Percy Kiangebeni – whose right-back role on the day after John Muleba was a late withdrawal arguably weakened our midfield  — went into the referee’s book to go with Rian Bray’s first-half yellow.

Many watching thought Percy had already been cautioned and was fortunate to remain on the pitch. However, the referee clarified afterwards that it was Scott Thomas who had actually had his name taken earlier.

Much as we tried to get back in the game, we were second best to a well-drilled and side and Joe Taylor completed the scoring on 73 minutes as he dinked  the ball over an advancing McDonald.

Cue our first glimpse of the newly registered Michael Dome-Bemwin but in truth the scoreline would have been even more painful had we not thrown a series of bodies on the line in the final stages.

The absence of the injured Manny Maja is certainly not helping our cause but one win in six is hardly playoff form and the fact that we have dropped points against so many rival contenders is a real worry, as Andy Leese acknowledged.

“It was another difficult day for us where we were beaten by the better side,” said Andy with Horsham to come on Tuesday. “Certainly in the second half we lost all our discipline and understanding of the game plan.”

“Lewes took control after their second goal and we didn’t compete after that. It was again a very disappointing defensive performance and showed we have a huge amount of work to do.”

  Town: McDonald, Kiangebeni, Joseph, Bray, Kirwan, Taaffe (Coker 62), Thomas (Gyebi 70) Youngs, Cunnington, Faal, Della-Verde (Dome-Bemwin 73 mins)

Cray Wanderers 4 Enfield Town 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Where on earth do we start?

Crazy game, both defences at times non-existent but fantastic entertainment – especially for the neutrals.

In the end, we came away with a point on Monday which, on the balance of play, was probably about right.

If you score four goals away from home, you expect to emerge victorious.  Equally, hitting back from 4-2 down could prove crucial come the end of the season and actually pushed us up one place in the table.

Cray have a new manager in Grant Basey, whose tenure began 48 hours earlier with a good away win.

They are a far better side than their lowly league position suggests and they came at us straight from the kickoff when we were caught napping by a well-worked freekick, the ball cleverly switched from right to left and the resulting cross turned in by Chris Dickson.

We had another scare on 19 minutes when Dickson seemed certain to double Cray’s lead, only for his shot to be deflected off Nathan Smith.

Three minutes later, slightly against the run of play, we were level.  Andre Coker, back in the starting line-up and looking sharp against his old club, stooped to convert Lyle Della-Verde’s cross.

This should have settled us down but instead, all our good work was wasted as Cray restored their lead. Dickson’s shot was parried by Adi Connolly, once again standing in for Nathan McDonald, and Jamie Yila supplied the finish.

By now, we were being worryingly stretched with pace though with the ball we looked a constant threat – despite Mo having one of his quieter games.

Sure enough, six minutes before the interval, we were again back on level terms through a superb piece of skill from Della-Verde.

With no other option after receiving the ball, he  swept into the area and finished brilliantly from the tightest of angles, Salah-style!

H-T 2-2

The game continued at a relentless pace with John Muleba replaced by Lewis Taaffe at halftime and Percy Kiangebeni switching to right-back in a tactical move.

It didn’t seem to have the desired effect when dangerman Yila squared the ball across and  Cameron Brodie took advantage of more slack defending to put Cray in front for the third time.

Within moments it should have been 3-3, only for Coker to choose the wrong option by going for glory instead of passing to Mo who was totally unmarked in front of goal.

We were soon made to pay when Cray seemed to have made the game safe, the luckless Ryan Kirwan turning the ball into his own net when trying to clear.

One felt for poor Connolly, who was given precious little protection and could do little about any of Cray’s goals.

It could have been even worse when Cray had a legitimate claim for a penalty waved away after Yila cut inside and looked to have been clipped by Nathan Smith.

Yet for all our defensive deficiencies, without the unavailable Harold Joseph, we showed character in abundance as once again we regrouped.

In what was surely one of his most effective  displays of the season, Taaffe reduced the arrears in the 76^th minute when he burst into the area and converted Mo’s cross.

His desire was there for all to see as he picked the ball out of the net and ran back to the centre circle.

And with three minutes of normal time remaining, he became Town’s saviour, pressuring the Cray keeper into a mistake and placing the ball into an empty net (pictured).

In the end a point didn’t serve us too badly as we moved up to fourth with a massive six-pointer to come against Lewes on Saturday.

“It was another frustrating day where our defending let us down,” said Andy Leese. “Early mistakes set the tone and gave the lively Cray forwards line plenty of hope.”

“That said, we showed great character again to battle back for what looks like a good point  in light of other results.

“We shouldn’t be scoring four goals away from home and not winning. We have more work to do to tighten up our shape as a team.”

Town: Enfield Town:  Connolly;  Muleba (Taaffe, 46), Bray, Smith, Kirwan; Thomas (Cunnington, 64),  Kiangebeni (Chappell, 66), Youngs, Della-Verde; Coker,  Faal

Enfield Town 4 Potters Bar Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

The perfect start to 2022. After a wobbly couple of weeks, Town moved back into the playoff positions with a second-half demolition of local rivals Potters Bar in front of a New Year’s Day attendance of 682 — largely courtesy of Mo Faal’s latest hat-trick.

Having taken just a point from our previous three games,  we started hesitantly and teenage reserve keeper Adi Connolly, in for Covid-hit Nathan McDonald, was forced into a superb early save.

Sam Youngs then produced a brilliant clearance off the line from a looping effort by Dwight Pascal as the Scholars, despite having to re-organise because of an enforced change just before kick-off, threatened again.

They were arguably the two best chances of the first half though Percy Kiangenbei  twice went close for the Town and both Mo — needlessly booked for handball — and Lyle Della-Verde also had opportunities.

At the other end, young Connolly was again called into action to save a curling effort by former Towner Bilal Sayoud who also produced a fierce drive  that whistled past the post.

H-T  0-0

Having already been forced into one change in their starting line-up, Bar were unlucky  to also lose key striker Joseph Boachie at the  interval and were blown away in a 15-minute spell at the start of the second period.

With the first move of the half, Mo capitalised on defensive hesitancy and lobbed Cieran Gordon-Stairn to give Town the lead.

Suddenly our confidence flooded back and Della Verde doubled the lead on 49 minutes picking up the ball in the left channel before drilling it home.

Between the two goals visiting manager Lee O’Leary received two yellow cards in quick succession for what appeared to be some choice words to the officials – and played no further part in the proceedings.

Right on the hour we made the game safe as Mo converted from the spot after a clear trip.

Bar now had arguably their best spell of the game as substitute Luke Joyce-Dwarika and Samson Eson both came close to cutting the deficit.

But they couldn’t stop Mo who saved the best till last, latching on to an 89^th-minute cross from Andre Coker before committing the keeper, steadying himself and burying his shot in the corner to collect the match ball.

With only a 48-hour break before the next outing at Cray Wanderers on Monday, it was a hugely important three points – made sweeter by Folkestone and Cheshunt both losing.

 Special mention has go to young Connolly who once or twice was charged down by the visiting forwards but kept us in the game at vital moments.

“We were a bit laboured in the first half but we played Lyle just behind the front two after the break and it worked an absolute treat,” said Andy Leese.

“We’ve stuttered in the last couple of games and conceded too many goals so we needed to get momentum back. I’m really pleased for young Adi who had to go in at 48 hours’ notice.”

Town

Connolly; Maluba, Joseph, Smith, Kirwan; Thomas, Youngs, Kiangebeni (Taaffe, 74), Della-Verde (Bray, 84); Cunnington (coker, 74), Faal.

What better way to start 2022 than a trip to the QEII Stadium. Tomorrow, Saturday, we start the new year with another local derby, this time against Potters Bar Town, kick off is 3 PM.

Our visitors have had a mixed season and are currently 14th in the table with 24 points. They recently recorded a sensational 5-1 away win at high-flying Lewes but more recently have lost 3-4 at home to Leatherhead and 1-4 at Corinthian Casuals.

For our part we need to get back to winning ways after two defeats and a draw from our last three league games.

Every team has a spell like that during the season, the test is how quickly you can bounce back. There would be no better way to start 2022 than with a home win, but it will not be easy.

Two days later on Jan 3 we make the trip across London to play Cray Wanderers who play their home games at Bromley FC .

The travel information below is from Cray’s website.

Contact

Ryan Kirwan is our latest player to be interviewed by Aficion Deportiva, the Spanish website that has taken such a keen  interest in our club

For those who haven’t seen it, here is the link

https://aficiondeportiva.com/the-fans-the-engine-of-everything-interview-with-ryan-kirwan-enfield-town-fc/

Cheshunt 2 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

The old adage that football is a cruel game was rarely more applicable than on Monday when we dominated our local rivals but somehow came away with nothing apart from frustration and disappointment as we slipped out of the play-off places for the first time in weeks.

A huge Town following boosted the derby attendance to a bumper 966 but we left to rue a spate of near-misses as well as a series of bizarre decisions by the officials.

On another day we would have won comfortably but were undone by two pieces of clinical finishing by Cheshunt after taking an early lead.

After a pitch inspection allowed the game to go ahead, both teams started without key players through illness and injury, in our case Manny Maja and Andre Coker. 

But we were in front after 11 minutes. Adam Cunnington, who tirelessly won challenges all afternoon, saw his header from Lee Chappell’s long throw cleared off the line and when Lee recycled the ball back in, Sam Youngs (pictured) headed home.

Six minutes later, however, Cheshunt were level with, to their credit, a well-worked team goal finished off by Mo Camara.

After a brief respite, it wasn’t long before we wrested back control in terms of chances and possession. Lyle Della-Verde’s shot stung the hands of the Cheshunt keeper, Rian Bray missed a golden opportunity from six yards by heading over and not one but two penalty appeals were turned down, one of them a cast-iron spot-kick for a body check.

Just before the interval, Percy Kiangebeni’s strength took him past three players and he was unlucky to see his resultant shot come back off the post.

H-T 0-0

The second half began as the first ended as Della-Verde was thwarted by a last-ditch block and Percy curled a shot narrowly wide.

It wasn’t long before we had the ball in the net again, only for the referee to blow for an infringement.

Cheshunt’s defensive bravery often spilled over into ugly fouls, not least on Mo Faal who found himself a marked man most of the afternoon but still posed a worry for the hosts.

We could, maybe should, have done better with a series of wasted freekicks in dangerous positions but it seemed only a matter of time before the pressure told.

Instead on 75 minutes, just as we feared it might be one of those days, the Ambers stole the points. Their main man, Rowan Liburd, had posed little threat beforehand but good strikers only need one chance and when the ball ran loose to him in a swift counter-attack, he burst forward and buried his shot in the corner.

The goal galvanised Cheshunt whilst leaving us shellshocked and unable to create any worthwhile chances to salvage a draw as we tired visibly after such a strong effort.

Having dropped points now against several of our playoff rivals, it leaves us ideally needing a maximum haul over the New Year period against Potters Bar and Cray.

In conclusion, it has to be said that the conduct of a minority of home fans, notably unnecessary foul and abusive language, was disappointing.

“It was a very frustrating afternoon and a game we wouldn’t have lost but for two bits of pace from their forward,” said manager Andy Leese after seeing Cheshunt leapfrog us in the table.

“We controlled the game, had a decent penalty shout in the first half and created plenty but the game is decided in both boxes and they obviously edged that.”

“I was pleased with how we played after the injury and illness issues we have had. We have to look forward now and get back on track if we want to stay in the race at the top. Not many points are covering a host of teams and they will all have to play each other.

“We now have to regroup and reset ourselves for the second half of the season.  If we achieve what we have in the first half, we will be fine but I want us to improve on that.”

Town:

McDonald; Chappell, Bray, Joseph, Kirwan (Cook 83); Kiangebeni, Youngs, Thomas, Della-Verde (Taafe, 83); Faal, Cunnington

We have sent three players – Matt Walsh, Ebrima Sawaneh and Eli Nicholls – out on loan to Step 4 Colney Heath on a dual registration basis in order to get game time.

“All of them are still our players and we can recall them any time,” confirmed Andy Leese.

Whilst Matt and Ebrima will be familiar names, Eli’s favoured position is fullback. His last club was Carshalton and he trained with us for number of weeks.

Graham Dodd, our head of football operations (pictured), further explained: “We felt it would be better for them to go out on loan. Nothing beats game time but they are all boys who we want to keep tabs on.”

With a mammoth January programme, the management team have been quick to strengthen our defensive midfield options by bringing in 25-year-old Michael Dome-Bemwin.

Michael has played in the USA, Spain, Cyprus and, most recently in terms of his overseas sojourns, Sweden.

 Whitehawk held his registration but Town fans will perhaps remember him playing against us for Lewes a couple of years ago on the opening day of the season.

Welcome, Michael

Enfield Town chairman Paul Reed has a special message for all those who followed us at Eastleigh on Saturday

Saturday was a tough day for us on the pitch against a really good Eastleigh side, we were understrength through Covid, illness and suspension but I was extremely proud of how the boys kept going to the end, didn’t allow their heads to drop and kept fighting for every ball.

To be competing at that stage of the competition against full-time teams shows how far we have come in our 20 years. I spent some time after the game talking to their directors and understanding the journey they have been on to get to that level and what has been involved financially and operationally to get them to and sustain themselves in the National League. It definitely gave me some real insight in to the finances and structure needed to compete at the higher echelons of non-league football and offered food for thought for us a board as we plan for the future.

For me, the outstanding memory of Saturday will be the incredible support that the team received, both in numbers and volume you delivered outstanding backing to the boys with constant singing and encouragement throughout the 90 minutes.

 The players and management have all told me how much it meant to them and you also received many compliments for the officials and supporters of Eastleigh that I spoke to.

For so many of you to make a 200-mile round trip on the Saturday before Christmas in these uncertain times is amazing and as a club we would like to offer a small token of our appreciation for you at the Potters Bar game on New Year’s Day.

Anyone presenting proof of purchase of a ticket for the Eastleigh game can claim a complimentary drink from the bar (up to a value of £4.50) and a limited edition ETFC chocolate bar as a thank you from the club. Please show your proof at the bar to claim your items.

I understand all ticket purchases for the game were “cashless” so hopefully you will easily be able to demonstrate your purchase, however if for any reason you cannot, please contact me at chairman@etfc.london and we can make alternative arrangements.

On behalf of the board, players and management, thank you again for your incredible support on Saturday and please do get behind the team for the rest of the season.

Up The Town

Paul Reed

Eastleigh 5 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

It’s hard enough being drawn away from home against a fully professional side two divisions higher. But when your squad is suddenly decimated, the task becomes virtually impossible.

So it was on Saturday when Town lost a swathe of  regular starters to Covid on the morning of the FA Trophy third round tie at Eastleigh.

Add to that the one-match suspension of Manny Maja and the fact that we had only two players on the bench eligible to play and you get some idea of the nightmare scenario the management team faced on the trip to Hampshire.

To their credit, despite one or two playing out of position, the team battled hard, kept their shape and were well in the game at 1-0 down. But once the second Eastleigh goal went in on the stroke on halftime, any chance of a recovery flew out the window.

Some of our defending could – perhaps should –  have been cleverer. For much of the game, Mo Faal was having to track back, nullifying his goal threat.

But in the end, we can have no complaints as our run in the competition came to an end against a quicker, stronger, physically superior team who didn’t really give us a sniff of a goal or any worthwhile possession and wore us down.

Former Southampton midfielder Jake Hesketh stole the show with a sublime hat-trick (and hit the woodwork twice) as the Spitfires took charge from the off, unlike the FA Cup meeting with Folkestone earlier in the season when our playoff rivals so nearly caused a huge upset .

Eastleigh were almost ahead within two minutes through Tyrone Barnett and further penalty area scrambles came and went in the opening period.

Just as we showed signs of settling into the game, we fell behind on 37 minutes as Hesketh fired home off the post with fantastic technique.

Being robbed of possession against full-time professionals is a dangerous game and it wasn’t long before Eastleigh doubled their lead, this time through advancing full-back Josh Hare who smashed the ball home with the help of a deflection off Sam Youngs.

H-T 0-2

Three minutes after the break it was game over as Ryan Hill fed Hesketh who carried the ball forward and finished in the corner.

Only now did we look like getting on the scoresheet as both Youngs and Faal fired off shots that either missed the target or were too soft.

The fourth goal, and arguably the best, came on 70 minutes when a well-worked corner was played across our box for Andrew Boyce to unleash a magnificent volley.

In truth, Nathan McDonald couldn’t do anything about any of the goals and the fifth came on 81 minutes as Hesketh finished off some terrific interplay.

It could have ben worse as Hesketh and Harry Pritchard both rattled the woodwork in the final stages.

Whilst we were bruised and battered at the finish there is no doubt that mitigating circumstances played a considerable part.

Special mention has to go to our travelling fans who kept up a relentless noise and outsung the home supporters in the 877 crowd from start to finish. They were a credit to the club and were praised by a number of Eastleigh officials.

 “A challenging day was made more difficult when circumstances conspired against us with a number of positive Covid tests in the camp on Friday and Saturday  morning,” said Andy Leese afterwards.

“It may not have affected the outcome of the game but it certainly affected the preparation as we had to select another team to the one we worked on all week.”

“We conceded goals at poor times especially the second and third. We never really kept hold of the ball long enough to fashion any decent opportunities and didn’t give our fantastic support much to shout about.”

“We can get back to the league campaign provided we have enough fit and healthy players to train this week. Thanks to everyone who travelled to support us. Please stay behind the team as we look to make this a memorable season.”

Whilst it was a disappointing end to the Trophy run, the league comes first and now we prepare – Covid regulations permitting — for the eagerly awaited derby at playoff rivals Cheshunt on Dec 27 before an eye-watering nine scheduled games in January.

Town:

McDonald; Joseph, Gyebi, Bray, Smith; Youngs, Taaffe (Kirwan 83), Kiangebeni, Coker (Cook 67), Faal; Cunnington

Our home match with Bowers & Pitsea has been rearranged to take place on Tuesday 18th January.

Meanwhile, please note that match tickets for our 3rd Round FA Trophy tie at Eastleigh on Saturday are available at https://www.eastleighfc.com/tickets/

Adult tickets are £10 and concessions are £5.

We understand Eastleigh do not intend to segregate away fans. Tickets will be available on matchday and Eastleigh intend to make an announcement closer to match day.

If you wish to travel by coach to Eastleigh, just a reminder to please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563 or lesgold@enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk. The coach will depart the QE II Stadium at 11 AM. Cost £16.

You will be required to wear face coverings on the coach, and Eastleigh have advised face coverings are required to enter their club shop.

If you are intending to use the coach it is recommended you take a Lateral Flow Test on Saturday morning.

For those who haven’t seen it, here is the link to a fascinating interview with both the manager and Mo following the Bognor game.

Andy talks about the match itself, fixture congestion, the competitiveness of our league, our unique fans and preparations for Eastleigh while Mo discusses his love for the club, his aims and aspirations.

Meantime, just to remind everyone that match tickets for our FA Trophy tie at Eastleigh are now available at https://www.eastleighfc.com/tickets/

Adult tickets are £10 and concessions are £5.

No decision has yet been made by Eastleigh if tickets will be available on the day or if away supporters will be segregated. These decisions may be dependant on advanced ticket sales

If you wish to travel by coach to Eastleigh please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563 or lesgold@enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk

Coaches will depart the QE II Stadium at 11AM (to be confirmed).