Enfield Town go into tomorrow’s fixture at Farnborough buoyed by two wins out of three but up against formidable opposition and with a couple of key midfielders missing

As well as being without Alfie Tuck, called up by Wales under-18 this week, Town will have to cope without Sam Youngs who suffered a freak ankle injury whilst doing strengthening exercises in the gym.

Gavin Macpherson describes the task against sixth-placed Farnborough, who have lost only once at home in the league, as “massively difficult” though as ever, forced absentees provide a chance for others to stake their claim.

“We probably should have more points on the board but in keeping with this league, if you switch off at one end and don’t take your chances at the other, it hurts you. It may sound obvious but they are the bits we have to improve,” said Gavin.

Bar one or two bad defeats, the team are gradually looking more likely the one the management team want them to be as they try to settle into Step 2.

“It’s a very tough league but some clubs are tougher than others,” said Gavin. “Farnborough are one of them but they are a side I know very well. We have a plan and hopefully we can carry it out.”

Town’s defence could well be up against Hisham Kasimu who left to rejoin Farnborough after an impressive albeit brief spell with us.

“Hish made his decision and while we were disappointed, I never hold grudges,” said Gavin. “We wish Hish well – just not on Saturday!”

AW

As our crowdfunder enters its final few weeks, we are delighted to report that we are getting ever closer to our target of £35,000 towards our new stand and turnstiles, having received almost £29,000 in online and pledged donations from 262 supporters and counting. A huge thank you again to everyone who has contributed so far. Now, let’s keep it going.

We have just a few weeks left to raise the remaining £6,000 – please do keep spreading the word, sharing our fundraising page, and encouraging donations – however little or large – if people are able to chip in.

Our fundraising page can be found here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/etfc-home-improvements

In the meantime, the club are making progress towards confirming our planning application and securing grant funding to help cover the bulk of the stand’s £100k+ construction costs.

Enfield Town 1 Weymouth 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Reece Beckles-Richards came off the bench to drive home a 74^th-minute winner as Enfield Town prevailed in this crucial basement battle in front of a bumper four-figure crowd on our annual Whole Club Day (pictured).

It may be too early in the season to call it a six-pointer but our first home win since that opening success in mid-August was just reward for a gutsy and largely dominant  display.

After being trounced at Hampton and Richmond last week, Town needed a response and Gavin Macpherson made five changes to the starting line-up, resulting in arguably our best opening 45 minutes of the season.

Once we had settled down after a scrappy start, there was an energy and zip about our play, Sam Youngs striking the bar with a bullet header following a clever chip from Lennon Peake.

Three minutes later and the woodwork was struck again. A trademark Joe Payne long throw was only half-cleared and Mickey Parcell – once again wearing the captain’s armband and superb on the day apart from an early booking – saw his long-range shot come back off the post.

Weymouth might have taken the lead against the run of play but for Xavier Benjamin sticking out a leg to thwart Euan Pollock but most of the danger was at the other end.

Harley Mills’ superb diagonal pass put home debutant Jake Hutchinson through on goal, only for Will Bose to save. Then, when Harry Ottoway kept the ball alive, Alfie Tuck blasted wide.

Alfie really looked the part all afternoon protecting the back three but will be conspicuous by his absence next Saturday at Farnborough after being called up by Wales under-18. Congratulations Alfie!

H-T 0-0

Town needed to capitalise on their first-half domination after letting  Weymouth off the hook but when the visitors changed their shape and threw on a flurry of subs, they made it a far more even encounter.

Clearcut chances suddenly dried up but Town were still probing and Hutchinson’s cross was played in just behind the darting Beckles-Richards.

Finally, on 74 minutes, the deadlock was broken as Reece latched on to a poor clearance and finished with aplomb.

Only now did the Terras threaten and the last 15 minutes were heart in the mouth stuff. Twice they had shots cleared off the line, one hitting their own player, the other a timely Parcell intervention.

And twice they saw headers flash wide including  right at the death when Ezio Touray somehow missed the target from the centre of the goal.

But this was a deserved win and a vital one given we have played one game more than those around us.

“We could have been out of sight at halftime,” said Gavin. “It may have looked like we were hanging on at the end but  I think largely we dealt with it.”

“Really pleased with the guys. We sat in the dressing room for an hour after Hampton cos it was so poor but today the boys really rolled their sleeves up.”

“We haven’t had too many successes but the boys reminded me that’s now two wins in three. We worked incredibly hard in training and are still in a way playing catch-up to sustain ourselves at this level. Hopefully we’re on the right track. We’re all trying to grow and Farnborough will be massively difficult. No disrespect to Weymouth but next Saturday is a step up in terms of opposition.”

Town

Forster; Parcell, Benjamin, Payne; Mills, Youngs (Smith 76), Tuck, Peake (leonard 65) , Dylan-Hersey; Ottaway (Beckles-Richards, 65), Hutchinson (Nembhard, 90)

It may be too soon to call tomorrow’s clash with Weymouth a six-pointer but there is no doubting the importance of the fixture.

Victory would taste even sweeter given the game co-incides with our Whole Club Day, a very special annual occasion bringing together all sections of the club including men’s, ladies, youth and disability.

Feel free to invite all your friends to a real family day out complete with stalls, entertainment, a raffle – and hopefully three points!

Turnstiles open at 12.30 and Town’s resident photographer Phil Davison, who is also a solo musician par excellence, will be playing an acoustic gig starting around 1.45.

One of the afore-mentioned stalls will feature special colourfully beaded ETFC bracelets hand made by 10-year-old Enfield schoolgirl Grace Pollington. Another will sell unique, exquisite personal cards (Christmas, birthday, anniversary etc) beautifully designed by loyal Town member Frances Watson. There will also be a Moradi Ouds stall selling men’s and women’s fragrances.

And there’s more. New youth section sponsor Mr Plant Hire will be present with educational vehicles for children to explore while a raffle on the members’ stall will include several exciting prizes including a signed Tottenham Hotspur pennant and a tour of the Spurs stadium for four.

All proceeds on the day will go towards our ongoing crowdfunding project.

As for the game itself, while last Saturday’s display at Hampton and Richmond was unacceptable according to the management team, nobody is in any doubt about the dangers of a repeat performance.

“We had one of the best training sessions we’ve ever had on Thursday,” said Gavin Macpherson as he looked ahead to the visit of Weymouth, who are two points behind us having played a game less. “Minds have been re-focussed and the players understand what’s expected of them.”

“It’s so important that we celebrate Whole Club Day because that is what this club is about. Everyone gets together but what people don’t see is that we interact anyway in training with the junior section on Tuesdays and Thursdays and there is also important interaction with the academy boys. We’re trying to build a pathway from the first team downwards.”  

Going back to the game, Gavin added: “I understand why people are calling it a six-pointer but any game in this league, if you don’t reach certain levels you get beaten, as we’ve experienced. You’d be foolish to look at where Weymouth are and say it’s in the bag. We need to pick ourselves up. There’s certainly an intensity in how we’ve trained. A couple of wins and we could be mid-table.”

AW

The club can announce today that we are regretfully parting company with club captain and defensive midfielder Scott Thomas.

Scott, who made 185 appearances and won the players’ player of the season award in 2019-20, has been a stalwart of Enfield Town since July 2019, and has played a significant role in the progression of the club, not least our promotion to Step 2.

As the public face of the club among the playing staff on and off the pitch, he has served us with great distinction and the parting of our ways represents the end of an era.

“I would sincerely like to thank Scott for what he has done for this club, the pinnacle lifting the trophy that secured our promotion in May”, added manager Gavin Macpherson. “It’s the hardest football conversation I’ve ever had to have. Scott has been at the club for many years, and I know you will all join me in paying tribute to his time at Enfield Town.”

We wish Scott all the very best for the future and would of course welcome him back as a guest any time.

Hampton & Richmond 4-0 Enfield Town
Report by Martin Bentley

It was a case of one step forward, two steps back for Enfield Town, as they were comprehensively beaten at the Beveree by a lively Hampton & Richmond side. Town’s performance was in dramatic contrast to the previous week’s narrow victory at Bath, with Town never really in the game at all.

Gavin Macpherson opted for an unchanged starting eleven, with new signings Alfie Tuck and Jake Hutchinson named as substitutes, together with the returning Harry Ottaway.

Town’s afternoon got off to a disastrous start after just three minutes, when Hampton were awarded a penalty following Carl Mensah’s ill-judged challenge on the leggy Bunmi Babajide. Captain James Roberts sent Rhys Forster the wrong way from the spot, and Town’s proverbial mountain to climb got a little bit steeper.

The half then developed along familiar lines, with the home side enjoying the lion’s share of possession, with Town successfully snuffing out the majority of their attacks. Babajide somehow missed on 27 minutes when clean through on goal, while Town only succeeded in carving out a couple of half-chances. Three minutes before half time, Town were awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal. Harley Mills curled the ball against keeper Ted Curd’s right hand post, with the ball then rolling across the goal to hit the left hand post before being cleared. Truly, if it wasn’t for bad luck, we’d have no luck at all.

The second half opened in similar vein, although the only chance of note was a Mauro Vilhete effort that flashed wide. The home side doubled their lead on 59 minutes though, Jake Gray netting a rebound from a Forster parry. At this point Gavin decided to reshuffle the back with a triple substitution, giving debuts to Tuck and Hutchinson, as well as introducing Ottaway to make a twin-pronged forward line. The increased physical presence up from did at least give Hampton a bit to think about, and Tuck hit a shot wide after Lennon Peake’s cross was only half cleared.

The chances were still coming at the other end however, with the outstanding Mickey Parcell having to react quickly to clear a loose ball after Roberts’ low shot was parried by Forster. The inevitable happened as Town chased the game, and Roberts added a third after 77 minutes, and completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to complete a thoroughly miserable afternoon for the travelling Towners.

At least the rain stayed away.

Team: Forster; Parcell, Mensah, Tanner; Adjei-Hersey, Leshabela, Youngs, Leonard, Mills; Beckles-Richards, Peake

Subs: Tuck (for Youngs 65), Ottaway (for Tanner 65), Hutchinson (for Beckles-Richards 65), Benjamin (for Mensah 78), Payne (for Peake 83)

We are delighted to confirm the signing of centre-forward Jake Hutchinson from Worthing.

A dynamic, physical number nine, 22-year-old Jake came through the academy at Colchester United before embarking on loan spells with Tonbridge Angels and Eastbourne Borough, where 14 goals in 29 appearances earned a U’s recall before netting a further four goals in the National League with Aldershot. He spent the second half of last term north of the border with Scottish side Scottish side Queen of the South, from whom he moved to Worthing at the beginning of this campaign.

“I’ve made no secret of wanting to add in the forward area, especially after recent departures”, said manager Gavin Macpherson. “Jake will give us a different option, he’s a goal scorer and that is something we certainly need; he’s really excited about playing for Enfield Town. I’d like to thank Worthing FC and Chris Agutter for making this as seamless as possible. We welcome Jake to the club.”

“Thank you for the welcome,” added Jake upon signing for the club. “I’m really excited to be here; after speaking to Gav and him telling me about the club and the way he works I was set on signing! I’m a striker who will put in 100% every game and wants to score goals, so as long as I work hard for the team I’m sure the goals will follow.”

Welcome, Jake!

Enfield Town head to Hampton and Richmond Borough on Saturday buoyed by last weekend’s gutsy win at Bath that ended a lean streak of results and pushed us a couple of places up the table.

Although the Beavers are in the bottom half of the table, every team in the division are proving stiff opposition but another favourable result can only build confidence and momentum.

“We were positive even before the win at Bath but we weren’t getting the results some of our performances perhaps deserved,” said  Gavin .

With a back three now very much our likely formation going forward, Gavin is looking for another solid display to round of the month and then hopefully a rewarding October points haul including against some of the sides in and around us.

“We always believed we could win games but what Bath showed us maybe were the levels we have to maintain to do just that, particularly defensively,” added Gav.

Tomorrow’s fixture has been brought forward from February with both teams now having a free Saturday after being eliminated from the FA Cup.

“We know winning one game doesn’t guarantee you points in future weeks but everyone is working extremely hard to drill into the boys what we need to do,” Gavin explained. “Hampton will be fully of energy and we will have to be on our mettle once again.”

AW

We are pleased to announce the addition of central midfielder Alfie Tuck on a short-term loan from Queens Park Rangers.

Alfie, 18, is eligible for this weekend’s trip to Hampton & Richmond, and joins us until January 2025. A Wales youth international, he has been with QPR since the age of nine and signed his first professional deal with the club in July, participating in the senior team’s pre-season tour.

‘”Alfie is a quality player who is very well thought of at QPR”, added manager Gavin Macpherson. “I’m sure our supporters will give him a very warm welcome; it’s important his loan spell proves beneficial for Enfield Town, Alfie and QPR. I’m excited he’s at the club.”

Welcome, Alfie!

Bath City 0-1 Enfield Town
Report by Martin Bentley

A Billy Leonard goal early in the second half was sufficient to give Enfield Town their second victory of the season against a well-organised Bath City side. The win has taken Town up two places to 21^st in the Vanarama National League South, which, although irrelevant at this stage of the season, has at least made it possible to peep at the League table without wincing!

Gavin Macpherson changed both formation and personnel for this one, with a recall for Bernie Tanner into a back three, and Carl Mensah and Harley Mills both returning to the starting line-up. Reece Beckles-Richards also made the starting line-up in place of the injured Harry Ottaway.

There was almost a nasty shock for the 100-odd travelling fans when the home side’s Scott Wilson had an effort disallowed for offside in the 3^rd minute, but chances for Bath were very much at a premium. At the other end, Town managed a Lennon Peake header that flew wide and a Sam Youngs shot from distance that was parried by home keeper Jose Casa-Grande. The home side’s dangerous winger Elliott Frear managed two late efforts, the first bulging the side-netting, the second parried by Rhys Forster.

The second half almost saw Bath break the deadlock after 53 minutes when Ewan Clark cut into the box from the right, but Forster rocketed off his line to parry Clark’s effort. Four minutes later, Town hit the jackpot. Dylan Adjei-Hersey curled in a cross from the right onto the head of Billy Leonard, whose precise header beat Casa-Grande to his right. Bath almost conjured up an immediate reply when the industrious Latrell Humphrey-Ewers had a powerful effort tipped over by the heroic Forster, who played despite dislocating a finger in training the previous week.

Still chances were coming Town’s way; Mills shot wide on 63 minutes and Peake over the bar seven minutes later. Although Bath continued to dominate possession, no more clear chances came their way in the last half hour. The game concluded with Town displaying a slightly surreal formation, with four centre-backs on the field, and defensive midfielder Jack Smith playing as a lone striker. Town dug deep to secure the points late in the game, with stellar performances from Forster, Carl Mensah and Micky Parcell in particular. All in all, a wonderful day out, and a highly satisfying three points.

Team: Forster, Parcell, Mensah, Tanner, Adjei-Hersey, Leshabela, Youngs, Mills, Peake, Beckles-Richards, Leonard

Subs: Smith (for Beckles-Richards 74), Thomas (for Peake 88), Payne (for Mills 88), Nembhard (for Leshabela 90+2)

Unused sub: Benjamin