As six-pointers go, they don’t come much more eagerly anticipated than tomorrow when we visit high-flying Chatham Town in a battle of third versus second.

The “Chats”, promoted to Step 3 last season and playing in front of huge crowds, are currently one point and one place behind us having played one game less.

They have only lost once at home in the league and in their last outing in midweek, on the same night we conceded two late goals to drop two points against Whitehawk, they beat Wingate and Finchley in the last minute to gain ground on us.

As if our task could not be tougher already, Joe Payne is out through suspension while a couple of other key regulars missed training on Thursday and are doubtful because of an illness in the camp.

“We’ve got one or two issues that aren’t ideal and a few decisions to make,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“I know it sounds like a broken record but this is a very, very difficult fixture. They are a club trying to step up to the next level and very quickly judging by the magnitude of their signings.”

“We are away from home on an unfamiliar artificial surface. So when you take all this into consideration it’s going to be a very challenging day. But a lot of work was done in training on Thursday and not for one minute do I think it’s a challenge we can’t overcome — even if we have to re-plan.”

After a short stay with the club, George Sykes has decided to leave Enfield Town and join Brentwood.

The management team would have preferred George to stay given his experience but he understandably wants to play regularly.

“We received an official approach for George from Brentwood and applying the seven-day rule George spoke to them and decided at this time it was best for him to move on,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“I made it clear I didn’t want George to leave but he felt he needed to get his season on track and of course I respect that. George wished Enfield Town all the very best. In turn, I wished George every success as he moves forward, we now need to regroup and probably recruit again.”

As a club we too wish George all the very best and thank him for his efforts which included one goal and one assist.

Enfield  Town 4 Whitehawk 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

If you want breathtaking entertainment and end to end action, Enfield Town is certainly the place to be at the moment.  Just not when you throw away two points.

Which is what happened on Tuesday when Town were 3-1 up, then 4-2 up, only to concede twice in the last five minutes, leaving Gavin Macpherson understandably fuming.

While we continue to score goals for fun – and invariably more than we concede — defending is beginning to become a serious concern.  

It’s still early days in terms of the season as a whole and we remain in a terrific position, notwithstanding Chatham’s late win that only increases the anticipation ahead of Saturday’s clash.

But only eight teams in the division have let in more goals than us and closing out games will now surely be a priority.

A sublime hat-trick from Marcus Wyllie would on most occasions have got us well over the line but no game in this division is a given and Whitehawk , like us, had been on a decent run of form and certainly did not come to sit back on the balance of play.

Unchanged from the win over Hastings, Town once again got off to a great start after 11 minutes  as Marcus held his run before sweeping the ball home after an excellent move down the right.

The lead was short-lived, however, the luckless Josh Okotcha diverting the ball into his own net  as he tried to keep out dangerman Charlie Walker but got it all wrong.

It galvanised Whitehawk who started to dominate possession, skipper Jack Dixon especially eye-catching, and they almost went in front when Mickey Parcell’s back header was far too weak, Rhys Forster just managing to flick the ball away in front of Walker.

At the other end, Whitehawk cleared off the line from Marcus while Sam Youngs narrowly failed to get the final touch from a freekick as he burst into the box.

Now it was Town’s turn to clear off the line as Parcell redeemed himself but both defences were looking decidedly shaky and you kind of knew there would be goals aplenty.

So it proved as Town went into a quickfire lead. First Youngs, on the counter, capitalised on a Hawks error with a fabulous hit on the edge of the box. Then Marcus doubled our lead with a trademark turn and shot.

Concentration was in short supply, however, and Dixon’s header from a corner reduced the deficit on the stroke of halftime.

H-T 3-2

Cue a halftime change from the management team as Kyle Bailey moved into defence to replace Okotcha whose partnership with James Richmond had stood us in such good stead earlier in the season.

By all accounts, Josh was distinctly peeved but these are the kind of decisions coaching staff are at liberty to take and for a while you could argue it paid off.

Within a minute of the restart, Wyllie completed his hattrick with the best of his three, shooting home from wide on the left with pinpoint accuracy (Pictured).

He almost added two more, lashing the ball over after being played through by Reece Beckles-Richards, then hitting the woodwork and seeing the rebound by Dylan Adjei-Hersey saved.

What followed, however, was certainly not in the script.

On 85 minutes, Forster was adjudged to have clumsily impeded Joe Tennant and Dixon dispatched the penalty.

Still, we should have managed the game properly. Instead, right on 90 minutes, Forster found himself in no man’s land and Louis Collins delivered a masterful chip to deny us all three points.

“It was littered with individual errors and I feel sorry for Marcus in a way,” said Gavin who had strong words with the players at halftime and afterwards. “I’m quick to say when I’ve got it wrong but this one is firmly with them. “

“I don’t deny Whitehawk getting back level in the first half, they’re a difficult side. But overall we were just a giveaway tonight. The finish to the game was absolutely ridiculous.

“You see it out even if you haven’t played well but we didn’t. We’ve scored four goals at home and haven’t won the football match. The players have been doing far better than they did tonight. We must not see a continuation of that. I just hope they don’t come to regret the two points lost come the end of the season.”

Town:

Forster; Payne; Okotcha (Bailey, 46), Richmond, Parcell; Adjei-Hersey, Youngs, Thomas (Donnellan 77), Knight; Wyllie, Beckles-Richards (Sykes, 87).

Enfield Town attempt to continue their purple patch of form by taking on Whitehawk at home on Tuesday night (k-o 7.45).

Whitehawk may lie in ninth place on 20 points but they have only played 12 league games so far compared with our 15.

Shaun Saunders’ Hawks finished second in the Isthmian South East division last season and won promotion via the playoffs. They have taken to Step 3 like a duck to water and are another highly dangerous team on paper.

On Saturday they beat neighbours Lewes 3-1 to advance to the third round of the FA Trophy for the first time.

In fact they have only lost once in nine games in all competitions, a narrow 1-0 defeat at high-flying Chatham who we play on Saturday.

Town’s recent good form is a far cry from those two cup exits and it’s all down to hard work, says Gavin Macpherson.

“Last week, with the Brightlingsea game called off, we had two training sessions and worked religiously on certain aspects of our game,” explained Gavin. “When you play good sides, you have to have things worked out. My staff are worth their weight in gold.”

“We’ve got a different sort of problem against Whitehawk, and I’ll say the same against Chatham. They just keep coming and it’s important the boys remain grounded. We’re second right now but to achieve something, you have to constantly reset and refocus.”

One footnote. Our partners Cooking Champions have designated the Whitehawk game as curry night costing £8 for chicken curry and £7 for a vegetarian option.

So make sure you have an appetite!

Andrew Warshaw

A quick note to let everyone know that our away game at Horsham on Saturday Dec 9 has been postponed because of Horsham’s continuing involvement in the FA Trophy

A new date will be announced as soon as possible

Enfield Town 3 Hastings United 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

What a fantastic advert this was for Step 3 football. Two in-form sides both going for it, thrills at both ends and one team ultimately being more clinical in front of goal.

On a day when there were no top-flight professional games due to the international programme, you couldn’t really have asked for a better quality spectacle at this level.

In the end, it was the hosts who ran out deserved winners to make it four wins out of five and cement our place in second spot after a classic team display watched by almost 650 fans.

Hastings certainly played their part and may claim they deserved more on the balance of play but then so did we at Hornchurch. These things tend to even out over the season.

Such was the gloom of the afternoon that the floodlights were on after just five minutes  but there was nothing gloomy about the action on the pitch.

Rhys Forster was called into action early doors, tipping over a speculative effort from Jack Bates  as the visitors began brightly, with John Ufoah a particular threat on the left.

Rhys was forced into action again to palm away an effort from Kian Moyes, put through by a defence-splitting Bates pass.

But Charlie Grainger gradually became the busier keeper, dealing with a string of Town corners, clutching a Sam Youngs volley after Joe Payne’s thunderbolt had been blocked, then pulling off a miraculous double save to keep the score goalless just as the crowd thought we had taken the lead.

The deadlock was finally broken right on halftime as Reece Beckles-Richards – finally evading having his shirt pulled – managed to fire home through a ruck of players following an Ollie Knight freekick.

H-T 1-0

Hastings were quick to respond as Ufuah rattled the bar in the first move of the second half and were soon level as Moynes rolled the ball in with a smart finish.

The U’s hardly had time to celebrate, however, before they were again indebted to Grainger, this time for a remarkable TRIPLE stop.

But even he could nothing about Enfield regaining the lead as Marcus Wyllie, running forward from an onside position, produced a wonderful first touch to bring Mickey Parcell’s ball out of defence under control and finish with aplomb.

It was perfect timing but it needed a third to put the visitors to bed and it duly arrived on 64 minutes. Two Hastings defenders got in each other’s way, allowing Wyllie to find Ollie Knight  who almost burst the net with a glorious low drive (pictured).

Hastings kept playing their football and it needed a timely block by substitute Lewis Taaffe to keep them out.

They also claimed they should have had a penalty but by now Town were smelling a fourth and almost got it, first when a Dylan Adjei-Hersey effort cannoned up and over the bar, then when Wyllie broke free again, only for Grainger to make an excellent covering stop.

“We knew it would be a very difficult game because they are well drilled and pass the ball well,” said Enfield boss Gavin Macpherson after a breathtaking encounter marred only by a booking for Payne which will keep him out of the Chatham clash next Saturday.

“At times we had to think outside the box, so to speak, and we’re not the finished article by any means. It wasn’t vintage but we’ve always got goals in us.

“Hastings are where they are for a reason, they make you work very hard especially when you’re out of possession and we needed to do our homework. I’m as pleased as I have been in any game this season because we’ve produced a performance against a very good side. I have to pay tribute not only to the players but all my management team.”

Town:

Forster; Parcell, Okotcha, Richmond, Payne; Adjei-Hersey (Donnallan 89), Thomas, Youngs, Knight (Onyeahgware, 81); Beccles-Richards (Taaffe, 81), Wyllie

For anyone in doubt, today’s eagerly awaited fixture against Hastings United goes ahead as planned

This Saturday we are at home to fifth-placed Hastings United for what is the biggest game of the day in our division.

We are anticipating a bumper crowd for this fixture with no Premier League distractions. Hastings are also one of the better supported teams in the league and usually travel in good numbers.

Despite issues relating to a possible move away from their current stadium Hastings are having a good season on the field. Under a new manager who is in his second spell, they have won their last three league games and have 23 points from 14 matches.

Their top scorers are Davide Rodari with nine goals and Femi Akinwande with eight.

“Hastings have an excellent side who have been riding high in recent weeks. They are in good form so it’s a tough test,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“Apart from North Greenford, the boys have responded magnificently to the challenge I set them following the Lewes result. I’ve been delighted with their application and desire to win football matches, the main focus for any team at this level, we need to keep going, if you don’t there are plenty of good teams who will take advantage”.

Last Saturday the Car Park was full before kickoff so you may want to arrive a little earlier than usual to use the car park.

Tickets for our forthcoming home games are available here:

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

Following a pitch inspection, tonight’s Velocity Trophy third round game against Brightlingsea Regent has unfortunately had to be postponed.

A new date will be arranged as soon as possible

Tonight we entertain Brightlingsea Regent in the third round of the Velocity Trophy, our final chance of domestic cup silverware this season (kickoff 7.45) — pending a 3pm pitch inspection.

Brightlingsea are sixth in Isthmian league north, a division below us, but the management team will be taking nothing for granted especially after our Middlesex County Cup exit at north greenford last week.

“We will give them the respect they deserve,” said Gavin Macpherson. “They are better than Greenford on paper but the team we put out was easily good enough to win that game.”

“The league may be the priority but we want to go far in this competition and try and win it. We’ll look at any walking wounded and see where we are.”

Please check later for updates