Please read our matchday information ahead of this Saturday’s league match:

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Enfield Town 1 Hornchurch 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

When you give two quick goals away before laying a glove on the opposition, you have a proverbial mountain to climb.

Which is sadly what happened on Tuesday when we played far better overall than when we knocked Hornchurch out of the FA Trophy on penalties 10 days ago yet ultimately left ourselves with too much to do.

Apart from the first 20 minutes, we were arguably the superior team and scored a fantastic goal. But not for the first time we struggled in the final third and missed a great opportunity to climb off the bottom of the table.

Surprisingly given his comments on the morning of the game, Gavin Macpherson went with the same starting lineup as against Dorking but it soon became apparent there were fitness issues.

Dylan Adjei-Hersey tweaked a hamstring in the warmup and was replaced by Mickey Parcell. Then Christian Scott had to come off after 17 minutes and gave way to Billy Leonard — by which time we were already two goals down.

Liam Nash had already shot narrowly wide for the visitors after Christian was punished for holding on to the ball too long when they took the lead on 11 minutes. Christian was again at fault as former Towner Manny Harvest beat him too easily and his effort flew past Rhys Forster via a headed deflection.

Before we could recover, we suffered a second blow four minutes later. Chief Urchins dangerman Myles Weston, who recently joined them from League Two Bromley, put in a great delivery and Nash darted unopposed into the area to head home.

Cue a clearly struggling Scott being replaced by Leonard and two almost became three when another pinpoint Weston assist saw Forster get a hand to Nathan Bertram-Cooper’s header and push it on to the bar.

At the other end, Ruben Shakpoke, seeking his first Town goal but needing to time his runs more effectively, latched on to a ball over the top but fluffed his second touch.

But at least now we were starting to gain a foothold in the game and reduced the deficit on 38 minutes following a good spell of pressure.

Parcell and Sam Youngs exchanged passes and when the former played a gorgeous ball through the heart of the Hornchurch defence, Lennon Peake finished beautifully with a shot across goal (pictured).

With the bit between his teeth, Lennon stung the hands of Mason Terry from long range but Hornchurch were still capable of exploiting our mistakes and Nash went close after Alfie Tuck was dispossessed 35 yards from his own goal.

H-T 1-2

Now the game was finely poised. Parcell flicked out a vital leg to thwart what might easily have been a Hornchurch third but thereafter Town were the side who looked the more likely.

Leonard rode two challenges before lashing over whilst what looked like a clear penalty was waved away as both Peake and Joe Payne seemed to have their legs taken when trying to convert Xavier Benjamin’s cross.

Yet despite pushing for an equaliser, we simply couldn’t find enough movement off the ball or quality in the final and were left to rue that opening period and now have the small matter of Torquay on Saturday.

“The result doesn’t reflect the game in any shape or form,” said a clearly frustrated Gavin. “It reflects maybe the first 15 minutes when we never got out of the traps.”

“I’m absolutely seething because the better team has lost and we’ve contributed to our own downfall by gifting them two goals. Their bench were clock-watching for the last 15 minutes. But unlike at step 3 when you can be two goals down and come back and win the game, at this level teams are much better at what they do.”

Gavin conceded we must start to offer more of a threat going forward. “I’m fed up with saying it but I’m working my socks off trying to address this. I know it’s not even halfway through the season but I’m not going down that road. Points are just as important now as they are in April and we need them.”

Town

Forster; Benjamin, Thompson, Cox; Parcell (Hutchinson 87), Scott (Leonard 17), Tuck, Youngs (Whittaker, 93), Payne; Peake, Shakpoke (Beckles-Richards 60)

Following Saturday’s excellent point at Dorking, the games come thick and fast and it’s Hornchurch at home tonight as we try and maintain our slowly improving form (ko 7.45).

No two games are the same and having knocked Hornchurch out on penalties in the FA Trophy, it’s all about league points this time and the chance to move two places up the table with a win.

Dorking’s 7-1 thrashing of Hemel Hempstead on Monday showed just how creditable our draw at the weekend was but don’t necessarily expect an unchanged team because of the demands on the players.

 “What nobody sees after games as that we get stats on every player and we see how  hard and far they are running,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“Since I joined as manager, Saturday was the most running everyone has ever done. You have to look at the impact of that as well as playing on a 3G pitch. It’s something I have to consider in terms of whether I will get the same work rate.

“Quite naturally people may assume same team. But it’s not as easy as that. It’s a massively hard week, starting with Dorking and finishing with Torquay. The trophy win over Hornchurch will have no bearing on tonight. They’ll probably be expecting three points so we have to be up for it.”

Meanwhile, with the Torquay game fast approaching, you are advised to buy your tickets online in advance so as not to miss out.

It is also advisable where possible to travel by public transport as we are expecting a huge crowd well in excess of four figures. The car park is likely to fill up very quickly so if you have to drive, please leave as much time as possible.

AW

Part of our sponsorship packages to all of our sponsors is the opportunity for them to offer Enfield Town members a discount off of their services or products. We already know from discussions with sponsors that this is an opportunity some members have already taken advantage of, but just to remind you all, these are the existing sponsors offering incentives.

In the last few weeks, we have also signed up several new sponsors and more details about the offers they will make to members will be published in the coming weeks.

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SPONSORS OFFERING THESE DISCOUNTS INCLUDE:

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If you know of any local company who may be interested in sponsoring Enfield Town, please ask them to email commercial@etfc.london, or speak to Graham Dodd on a match day.

We have sponsorship brochures to share detailing all of our packages, including match day options which start at just £100.00.

Dorking Wanderers 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

In constant wind-swept rain swirling horizontally, Enfield Town defied the filthy conditions to pick up only their fourth away point of the season in a gutsy performance in Surrey.

Sam Youngs’ equaliser early in the second half may not have moved us off the bottom of the table but with the three teams above us all losing it closed to the gap as well as extending our unbeaten record to three games in all competitions.

That may not seem much on paper given two of them were draws and one won on a penalty shootout but it was the latest example of the green shoots of a slow but significant improvement — against a side, let’s not forget, who spent two seasons at step 1 and are trying to get back there.

With both our Welsh youth internationals back in the side, Town threatened first on the artificial surface with a low, driven shot from the edge of the box by Alfie Tuck that zipped just wide of Harrison Foulkes’ left-hand post.

From then on, Dorking took control by dominating possession and putting in a series of dangerous crosses, particular down our right flank.

 That said, a combination of poor finishing and excellent protective work by our back three – each  of whom put in a marathon shift — meant Rhys Forster  was not unduly troubled.

Having weathered the proverbial early storm, we started to get on the ball and show more adventure, exemplified by a Lennon Peake 20-yard drive forward before he was fouled.

But on 37 minutes  we fell behind as George Francomb’s freekick was nodded home by Alfie Rutherford though it looked to most of us like an own goal from Christian Scott.

Just before halftime came a pivotal moment in the game when the referee ignored Dorking screams for a penalty after Tony Craig when down while challenging for a bouncing ball in our area.

It could have gone either way but we’ve seen loads of decisions go against us this season and it meant we were very much still in the game at the interval

H-T 0-1

We needed to be braver on the ball and whatever was said at halftime, that’s exactly how we re-emerged. More intent, more purpose.

It immediately paid dividends when Peake’s left-wing cross fell to Sam Youngs who struck a far-post volley to level the score (pictured)

As the conditions worsened, so the need for concentration intensified and further clear-cut opportunities were hard to come by though Dorking regained the momentum by pushing us back.

Jake Hutchinson, Billy leonard and Mickey Parcell all came off the bench to add fresh legs but with the minutes ticking away, that familiar feeling of a last-gasp opposition goal was never far from the minds of the Town faithful tucked in a distinctly unimpressive shack-like away corner.

But this was one occasion when we got what we deserved, a tribute to all concerned and, as Gavin Macpherson made a point of stressing afterwards, especially to those fans who braved the wretched weather to help us preserve as point.

“Conditions were atrocious on an unfamiliar surface at one of the biggest teams in the league,” said Gavin who changed system during the game from two up top to one up and three behind in order to engage Dorking’s defenders more effectively.

“We were never going to have the lion’s share of possession and set out largely to frustrate them. There are different ways you can achieve results and discipline is one them. I was very angry with their goal  because we’d told the boys what to expect just a minute before the freekick was taken. We sunk a bit in the first half but halftime gave us a chance to get up the pitch which made Dorking less comfortable in possession.”

So could this be a springboard?

“I think to be fair the springboard started few weeks ago and what you are seeing now is a gradual progression even though the top end of the pitch is still obviously still an issue,” added Gavin.

Forster; Cox, Thompson, Benjamin; Payne, Tuck (Leonard 72), Youngs, Scott, Adjei-Hersey (Parcell 86); Peake, Shakpoka (Hutchinson 65)

After squeezing into the third round of the FA Trophy, it’s back to the nitty gritty of league action tomorrow when we travel to Dorking Wanderers under no illusions about the strength of the opposition.

While there have been definite signs of improvement in our recent fixtures despite being rooted to the foot of the table, Dorking represent a formidable challenge having played back-to-back seasons at Step 1 before being relegated back to National League South last April ahead of the current campaign.

Beaten only once at home in the league, Dorking, celebrating their 25th anniversary, are once again genuine promotion candidates and Gavin Macpherson has nothing but praise for how they have steadily climbed up the non-league pyramid in such a short space of time.

“You have to acknowledge that they have done an unbelievable job under Mark White,” said Gav. “To come from where they were and be at Step 1 for a couple of seasons is incredible. Of course you need to be well-financed to achieve what they have but that doesn’t guarantee success. It’s a massive story, in some ways not too dissimilar to ours, and you have to take your hat off to them. I fancied them at the start of the season as one of those who could win the league given the calibre of player they have.  We’ve got a hell of a task on our hands.”

With both Dan Cox and Alfie Tuck available again after international duty with Wales under-19 and two or three of our injured players undergoing light training on Thursday, Gavin is hoping for a competitive squad to choose from in front of what is likely to be a four-figure crowd.

“We’ve had to make changes, everyone knows that, and are still one or two players short which I’m working tirelessly to address. But I have a team around me who are fighting like mad.”

“I’m realistic about where we are and what we need to put right. But I don’t like losing football matches and I certainly feel I have enough experience around me that when we get the balance right, we’ve got more than a fighting chance.”

AW

ticket info, directions etc below:

https://dwfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/enfield

The FA Trophy Third Round draw has handed us an away tie to Isthmian South East side Sittingbourne.

The Brickies currently occupy third spot in their division, above Margate and Burgess Hill Town, with a goal difference of +37. They have lost just once at home so far this term, and will be in confident mood having already knocked out Kingstonian, Bognor Regis Town and Dover Athletic in this year’s competition.

The tie will take place at Sittingbourne’s Staxson Stadium on Saturday 7th December 2024.

Enfield Town 1 Hornchurch 1 (Town win 8-7 on penalties)

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town finally won a knockout game this season but it took a nail-biting sudden death penalty shootout to keep us in the FA Trophy.

Town’s shootout record is pretty woeful but for once Lady Luck  was on our side as we dispatched former winners Hornchurch 8-7 on spotkicks after the sides couldn’t be separated in regulation time.

Not only will the  £3,750 in prize money for reaching the third round come in handy, the fact that we managed to get through despite a number of absentees and against a team with such experience and know-how was another indication of the progress that is slowly coming together.

Hornchurch haven’t won an FA Trophy match since they lifted the trophy as a Step 3 side in 2021. Since then they have fallen at the first hurdle every time, all penalty defeats after the games finished level.

So it was very much a case of déjà vu when Giles Phillips lashed the ball over the bar with the 15^th spotkick, much to the delight of the home faithful.

Ten points separate the sides in the league where, as everyone knows, we have endured a challenging start to our first season at Step 2

It looked as though it might be another of those days when, after just eight minutes, the Red Sea parted and Uchins newcomer Henry Hearn was allowed to rampage unchallenged through the centre of the pitch and fire low beyond Rhys Forster.

As Hornchurch continued to have the better of the attacking play, dangerman Sean Scannell stung the hands of Forster who managed to grab the ball at the second attempt.

A robust challenge by former Towner Manny Harvest on  Ruben Shakpoke, our new centre-forward, saw the referee produce a card and although we lacked  fluidity against speedier opposition, we were still in the game at the interval.

H-T 0-1

No sooner had the players re-emerged than Urchins striker Liam Nash cleared the bar from fully 35 yards.

But on 53 we got the break we needed. Xavier Benjamin’s effort was deflected behind and Adam Thompson – who put in another masterful display at the back – moved up for the resultant corner and got the final touch in a goalmouth scramble (pictured) for his second goal in successive games.

Soon afterwards Dylan Adjei-Hersey limped off but now it was anyone’s to win.

Billy Leonard, who deserve huge praise for having to play in two unfamiliar positions, produced a magnificent clearance off the line while at the other end Jack Smith rifled a low shot just wide after Lennon Peake’s attempt against his former club was saved by the legs of Mason Terry.

And so to penalties, Town choosing to go first but Smith handing the advantage to Hornchurch as our second kick was saved. Forster then restored parity at 2-2 by going the right way to save from Myles Weston.

And so it went on…

Terry so nearly put his team back in the driving seat when he got a strong hand to Leonard’s effort but thankfully couldn’t keep it out.

And with the respective goalies braced for taking kicks themselves, Town’s third-round spot was finally clinched when Phillips lost his nerve and blazed over.

 With Trophy shocks galore across the country, Town now eagerly await the third-round draw on Monday.

“I wouldn’t have been hard on them at all had we gone out on pens and it’s a good step forward that we’ve had the nerve to see it through against a top side,” said Gavin Macpherson who celebrated with the supporters afterwards.

“When Dylan came off, we were looking round wondering who to put there and Billy did a job in a position where he’s never played. These kinds of things are massive for us.”

His thoughts on Shakpoke’s debut in a Town shirt? “Ruben is obviously short of matches but we wanted to get him out there straight away. He’s a very good player but we need to play to his strengths and that will come.”

“I felt a bit detached from the fans in the first half to be honest but it’s a two-way thing. We’ve got to give them something to shout about and they were magnificent once we got our goal. It’s a competition you don’t turn your nose up at and creates a bit of a buzz. Hopefully we can take that forward in the league before the next round.”

The one big surprise for fans was the omission on the teamsheet of  Fionn Mooney, who had signed for us the previous day along with Shakpoke yet was conspicuous by his absence.

“It was a bit of strange conversation on Friday,” Gavin explained  diplomatically.  “Someone has agreed to join, then an agent gets involved and it’s turned on its head and we no longer have that player. It’s a total one-off that I’ve never experienced before but I only want players who want to play for this football club.”

Town  Forster, Benjamin, Thompson, Payne; Adjei-Hersey (Hutchinson 62), Smith, Scott, Youngs, Peake; Leonard, Shakpoke (Whittaker  90)

Having been knocked out at the first hurdle in all cup competitions to date this season, Enfield Town enter the FA Trophy tomorrow against former winners Hornchurch determined to buck that trend but without a string of key players for the second round clash.

No fewer than six of the first-team squad could be  missing, either injured or, in the cases  of Alfie Tuck and Dan Cox, called up by Wales under-19 while Harry Ottaway has bade farewell to the club for a second time

It’s hardly the ideal scenario ahead our last chance of cup progress in what is generally regarded as the FA Cup for non-league sides, plus of course, the prize money on offer.

But every cloud has a silver lining and the additions of youth internationals Fionn Mooney, an attacking midfielder who came through the academy at Crystal Palace, and striker Ruben Shakpoke has lifted the entire mood in the camp.

Our search for a centre-forward is well documented and Rueben, 20, is a hugely exciting prospect having been on the books of both Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion.

“I’ve been saying for some weeks that we need to strengthen our forward options, both Ruben and Fionn bring recent professional experience to the camp”, said Gavin macpherson

“They are both very different in the way they operate but the hope is they add much needed goals to our current situation. I’m certainly not putting any pressure on them or the wider squad, we accept that we have key players missing for the visit of Hornchurch and it’s for me to shoulder any pressure and responsibility that already exists.”

Although Tuesday’s Middlesex Cup defeat at Hanwell was not the result we wanted or expected, Gavin made wholesale changes and there were plenty of positives to take from the game, just as there were last Saturday against Salisbury.

This, however, is an altogether different challenge.The draw hasnt exactly been kind and we take on an Urchins team who, despite being in the bottom half of the same division as us, look ominously strong on paper and who, of course, swept all before them to actually win the competition three years ago as a Step 3 side.

Ironically this will be the first of two meetings in 10 days with Hornchurch since we play them again at home in the league on Nov 26.

Whilst league points are obviously paramount, a cup run can have a galvanising effect.

“I have to take the view that this gives other people an opportunity,” said Gavin. “Some people might feel we don’t need any distractions and if you  offered me staying up over a cup run, I’d take that any day. Having said that, the FA Trophy is a fantastic competition. League runs can emulate from cup runs. While we’ll obviously be weakened by absentees and have a couple of square pegs in round holes somewhere, let’s give it a go and try to stay in it.”

In advance of this weekend’s FA Trophy fixture with Hornchurch, we are delighted to welcome another couple of new recruits to bolster our attacking options.

The first is attacking midfielder Fionn Mooney, who joins having left Real Valladolid’s academy. The 21-year-old came through the academy at Crystal Palace, where he posted impressive numbers at youth level and featured in the Young Eagles’ EFL Trophy squad.

The second is a long-awaited centre-forward in the form of Ruben Shakpoke. The 20-year-old striker has spent the last few years in the Midlands in the youth sides of Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. He spent the off-season training with another Premier League side.

Departing the club is Harry Ottaway, who bids farewell to Enfield Town for a second time having scored twice and assisted once in eight appearances. We wish him the very best for the future.

“I’ve been saying for some weeks that we need to strengthen our forward options, both Ruben and Fionn bring recent professional experience to the camp”, commented manager Gavin Macpherson.

“They are both very different in the way they operate but the hope is they add much needed goals to our current situation. I’m certainly not putting any pressure on them or the wider squad, we accept that we have key players missing for the visit of Hornchurch and it’s for me to shoulder any pressure and responsibility that already exists.”

“Key to any recruitment is selling the club, the club is the supporters so much of my time is spent talking about that to any potential players.”

Welcome, lads!