Billericay Town 1 Enfield Town 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Bodies on the line, togetherness, concentration, teamwork and a fair few good chances.

This was more like the kind of away performance Town fans and management alike have been seeking against one of the division’s big hitters.

If you don’t win, make sure you don’t lose may be an obvious cliché but the way the players covered for one another in our sixth successive away game was the perfect response to Saturday’s shambolic display at Lewes.

Gavin Macpherson made four changes for the trip to Essex, with Sam Youngs returning after suspension and Josh Okotcha, Reece Beckles-Richards and Dylan Adjei-Hersey brought back into the team, all playing their part in a battling performance.

Right from the off, the Ricay manager was barking instructions from the dug-out and while the hosts will rue rushing a string of half-chances and failing to capitalise on a raft of corners, we thoroughly deserved a share of the spoils and with a little luck might even have nicked all three points against a team who will be right up there come the end of the season.

Town’s endeavour and spirit was typified after 14 minutes when the hosts seized on a rare slip by Okotcha, only for Mickey Parcell to rush back and produce a sensational clearance off the line (pictured).

Marshalled by former Towner Matt Johnson, Ricay continued to probe, largely through Bradley Stevenson and Moses Emanuel, but we looked lively and energetic on the counter and so nearly grabbed the lead on the half hour when Adjei-Hersey cut in from the right and saw his diagonal effort come back off the post straight into the gloves of Dan Wilks.

As halftime approached, Town had their best period of the opening 45 minutes as Youngs headed wide from an Ollie Knight freekick.

H-T 0-0

Gavin sent the boys out early for the second period but we had the worst possible start. James Richmond was dispossessed just inside our half and Ricay burst forward and had two bites of the cherry before we just managed to clear the ball.

Moments later, however, they took the lead as Alfie Cerulli burst through the centre of midfield and unleashed a 30-yard worldie that left Rhys Forster floundering.

This was not a night, however, when we ever looked like buckling, with skipper Scott Thomas leading by example. Three minutes later,  Beckles-Richards was unceremoniously hacked down and Youngs’ resultant penalty was too well angled for the diving Wilks.

Now it was anyone’s game. Marcus Wyllie’s quick feet produced two decent chances, one whistling just past, while at the other end  Emmanuel missed an absolute sitter and Youngs blocked another Ricay goalbound effort.

In the midst of all this, how we were not given a second spotkick is anyone’s guess as Adjei-Hersey was blatantly impeded, the referee instead awarding a corner. In fact, we could well have had three spotkicks, a first-half foul on Knight adjudged to have been  outside the box when it looked inside to many.

As the game moved into six minutes of stoppage time, Ricay increased the pressure but we held firm and had the last chance of the game when Joe Payne lashed a freekick over the bar.

Town’s starting eleven last night are unbeaten as a unit and Gavin was quick to praise them.

“We couldn’t have played much worse than at Lewes and I don’t want that to happen again,” he said. “Billericay are being talked up yet we came with a 4-4-2 to try and win the game.”

“I wanted the energy levels and application we had earlier in the season and they certainly gave me that. I may be biased but I thought we shaded it though of course I’m happy with a point.”

Town: Forster; Payne, Okotcha, Richmond, Parcell; Knight, Thomas (Soulya-Osekanongo 90), Youngs, Adjei-Hersey (Keeya 83); Beckles-Richards, Wyllie

We’re delighted that our Community Sports Development section now has a new website, showcasing the efforts and achievements of all our community teams; from our youth soccer school, to walking football, disabilities teams, and more.

We have had some good news over the last month, with Tony Gibbs recognised for his sterling services to our community section by Enfield Voluntary Action, plus three of our first-teamers joining in with our Soccer School last weekend.

And you can now read about it on our new page: https://etfc-community.co.uk/ – this can also be accessed by clicking the Community logo at the bottom of our home page. You’ll also find this badge proudly on the back of all our men’s first team shirts once again this season – a testament to the hard work that all our volunteers and players put in, across the whole football club.

The games come thick and fast and certainly don’t get any easier.

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday) we make the shortish trip to Essex to face one of the division’s big-hitters in Billericay Town, hoping to bounce back from an afternoon to forget at Lewes.

This is Ricay’s second season back at Step 3 and they have started impressively – in the league at least after a shock FA exit to Sheppey United.

They are skippered by former Towner Matt Johnson while Bradley Stevenson and Moses Emanuel have netted a combined 16 times, aided and abetted by the likes of  Frankie Merrifield.

Like us, they have played nine league games but lie third in the table and are certain to provide formidable opposition.

This is Town’s sixth successive away game in all competitions, an unenviable scenario for any side. But a decent result at the AGP arena will set us up nicely for a return to familiar home surroundings next Saturday.

Sam Youngs is available for selection tomorrow after serving a one-match ban but Gavin Macpherson knows how tough an encounter it will be after recent setbacks.

“I’ve got players who weren’t making errors that now are and it’s been costing us,” admitted Gavin. “I have to work out why that is.”

“I’ve never had a revolving door as a manager but there comes a point, when it is consistent, where you wonder whether your players can do what you are asking them to.”

“Do I look at it and think maybe this is phase two of the season, after getting off to a pretty good start overall in phase one, and wonder if I need to being anyone in.

“We were surprisingly lacklustre at Lewes. Hopefully it’s a massive wake-up call. I absolutely feel for our supporters but Billericay doesn’t faze me. It’s another chance to pit our wits against one of the so-called big boys.”

We have laid on a minibus for Billericay departing at 4.45 costing £15 return. please email to book your seat at ramismail65@gmail.com

Andrew Warshaw

Lewes 4 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

First things first. We are eighth in the table with games in hand, this was always going to be something of a transition season and we possibly punched above our weight early in the campaign.

Having said that, there is little doubt that the wheels have come off in recent fixtures with far too many goals conceded, yesterday’s woeful  defeat on a ground that is traditionally a graveyard for us being arguably the low point of a league season that has suddenly taken on a distinctly inconsistent pattern.

Only a couple of weeks ago, we were all praising a terrific FA Cup performance at Halesowen but that has been largely forgotten by two chastening cup defeats and yesterday’s even worse display – interspersed by the much-needed midweek win at Kingstonian which should have restored our self-belief.

The fact that as well as conceding another four goals (15 in four games now) we also created so little in the opposition box at Lewes and appeared to lack leadership will not have been lost on the management team.

Is it a sudden lack of confidence? Of course we missed the suspended Sam Youngs, with Marcus Wyllie adopting Sam’s role and therefore having to play in a more withdrawn position.

But one swallow doesn’t make a summer and even Gavin Macpherson, showing his usual commendable honestly, was at a loss to explain what’s going on.

In the first half, whilst not doing a great deal with the ball, we were reasonably comfortable out of possession with a low block.

It was a disappointment, therefore, when  Lewes grabbed the lead on 17 minutes. Rhys Forster, arguably our man of the match, superbly kept out a Harvey Hughes thunderbolt but from the resultant corner Arthur Penny rose unmarked to head into the corner.

It was another of those set-piece goals that have recently proved our undoing and galvanised Lewes who should have quickly doubled their lead.  Showing terrific technique, Marcus Sablier controlled a sweeping counter-attack before playing in Ola Ogunwamide, only for Forster to pull off another fine stop, and then a third to keep out a powerful Tommy Wood strike after initially being unable to hold on to an Ogunwamide knock-down.

As Town briefly rallied, we produced two decent chances that flashed across goal but we needed more urgency, incisiveness and penetration.

H-T 0-1

Instead, it was Lewes who upped their game, shutting out any Town threats and doubling their advantage on 57  minutes, Guyana international Dean Moore making space for himself before shooting across Forster and into the bottom corner though the ball appeared to go in under Rhys’ body.

Two quickly became three as James Richmond diverted a Wood drive into his own net and Wood rounded off an impressive individual display by a superb turn and shot on the edge of the box.

 The fact that our best effort of the game came in the final minute of normal time when Nathan Harvey pulled off an excellent stop to thwart Reece Beckles-Richards (pictured) said everything about a desperate day at the office.

“I take this personally and told the players I would carry the can because I set the team up,” admitted Gavin afterwards. “But if they think that me taking ownership means they are off the hook, they’ve got another think coming because we were nowhere near it.”

“We were never going to spend masses of time with the ball but the manner of the goals we conceded were alarming because it’s not what we’ve done all season. At one point we had one of the meanest defences in the league. It’s hard to explain quite frankly but now I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. I thought I knew my players but they seem to be proving me wrong at the moment.”

Town: Forster, Parcell, Payne, Thomas (Onyeagwara 62), Coker, Richmond, Knight (Beckles-Richards 64), Sykes (Soulya-Osekanongo 85), Keeya, Wyllie, Birch

Enfield Town embark on the second of three successive away games tomorrow Saturday with a visit to the uniquely named Dripping Pan to face Lewes, one of our bogey teams.

Sam Youngs misses out due to a one-match suspension but Wednesday’s win at Kingstonian will certainly have boosted morale for what should be a highly entertaining fixture in front of a big crowd at one of the most popular away fixtures despite it being among our less happy hunting grounds.

Lewes have had a mixed start to the season and lie 13^th in the table but like us have only played eight games because of cup commitments.

Significantly, they have only lost once at home in the league and ran Hornchurch close in a 2-2 draw earlier in the campaign.

Goalscoring has indeed been their forte on home soil, running in 10 in the last three games — two in the various cups and one in the league.

With so many games to come in such a short space of time, Gavin Macpherson and the management team need as many fit players as possible

With Sam missing tomorrow and Ollie Knight for three games after Billericay, Gavin is still cautiously optimistic.

“Of course you don’t want to be without either but it gives others a chance to go and stake their claim for a place but I suppose the proof will be in performances and results without them,” he said.

“I’d urge the players coming in to take the chance and really give me problems with selection as we move forward. As a manager, it makes your job harder, but in truth it’s what you want because it tells you everyone is hitting the correct levels.

“There hasn’t been a lot of rotation so far. However that now needs to be a consideration based around keeping people fresh. Non-league football is different to it was 20 years ago and players get through an awful lot of work now so it’s important as manager I keep my options open and make adjustments accordingly.”

Just a reminder that the club will be running a coach that will be setting off from the QEII at 10am, with a door-to-door service to the Dripping Pan and back costing £20. Tickets are available below: 

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/coach4/coach-travel-to-lewes-fc-

Kingstonian 2 Enfield Town 3

Report by Glyn Smith

After dominating for 75 minutes,  10-man Enfield Town survived a late comeback from a spirited Kingstonian side to pick up three crucial points as we returned to league action following a sobering week of cup football.

At a wet and windy Imperial fields, Town had Ollie Knight sent off with a straight red – the second consecutive game we have had a player dismissed – but managed to hang on and move up to fourth in the table with games in hand.

Kingstonian featured ex-Towner Tom Collins in their starting eleven whilst Town began the game with two changes from Saturday’s FA Cup exit at Cray Valley PM, Ekow Coker and Louis Birch replacing Kyle Bailey and Reece Beckles-Richards.

After being very much on the front foot on a slick surface, Enfield took the lead in the 16^th minute. Kingstonian failed to clear their lines following a corner and the ball fell to Marcus Wyllie who stroked it home with a trademark finish. Although Tolfrey hadn’t been troubled up until that point the lead was fully deserved.

One nearly became two a few minutes later as Sam Youngs’ low drive from the edge of the box was deflected and saved low down by the K’s keeper.

Enfield continued to dominate possession, with Kingstonian restricted to long balls as they tried to release their pacey forwards.

H-T 0-1

The second half started much as the first ended, with Town in charge. Tolfrey saved from Wyllie who had been put through by Youngs before Town went two up in the 52^nd minute. A good move ended with Youngs finding Keeya, who turned his marker and fired home from the edge of the box.

Kingstonian responded with a low shot saved by Forster and Town’s third then came six minutes later. A cross from Mickey Parcell ended up in the six-yard box, Keeya’s initial effect was saved by Tolfrey, but the ball bounced straight back and ricocheted into the net with Keeya taking the congratulations.

After replacing Youngs, George Sykes produced a good finish from a pass from Payne, but the goal was disallowed as he had strayed into an offside position.

At this stage Town were cruising and seemingly set for an easy victory, but the game changed with 20 minutes remaining.

Zack Chislett of Kingstonian was booked for a heavy challenge on Knight on the halfway line but six minutes later Knight received a straight red for returning the favour.

In truth the first challenge could have warranted a red by a less lenient referee but the Kingstonian players’ reaction to Knight’s challenge probably influenced him to produce a red for Knight.

There then followed five minutes of madness. Jude Mason pulled a goal back in the 79^th minute, shooting high into the net as Town failed to clear a free kick. Two minutes later a shot from just outside the box by Rudy Allen took a deflection off Coker to totally wrongfoot Forster and nestle in the net.

K’s tails were now and truly up, and they exerted huge pressure on Town, who were restricted to isolated break outs. Luckily though, Kingstonian were unable to produce any clear-cut chances and the last action of note was Forster receiving a yellow card for taking too long over taking a goal kick.

“Really pleased with our performance coming off the back of Saturday’s disappointment,” said Gavin Macpherson afterwards. “I thought we were excellent in difficult conditions and credit to the players, they responded superbly in so many different ways. I didn’t see that scoreline at 70 minutes. In truth we looked like we’d run away with it. We played some really good stuff and looked more like the Enfield I want us to be. As manager, you want to see a reaction but you also want to see that our identity is still part of the process of winning football matches.”

 Gavin was distinctly unhappy, however, at the sending-off.

“I’m disappointed with Ollie’s response after being heavily fouled and clearly it helped change the direction of the game. But the important thing is he learns that we need our best players on the pitch and I’m sure he will do that. Initially I thought it looked harsh but if you’re deemed to be out of control you always run the risk of being sent off.”

“At this stage I’d rather be 4th than 14th but it’s still early days. We’ve got some difficult games coming up and we should look forward to those because some are against the clubs making huge statements in this league and in all honesty where the pressure really lies. With our magnificent support behind us and the team wanting to maintain a good return in the league, we should look forward to having a go.”

 Enfield Town – Forster, Parcell, Payne, Thomas ( Soulya-Osekanongo 79), Coker, Richmond, Knight,Youngs (Sykes 66), Keeya,  Wyllie (Adjei-Hersey 83 min), Louis Birch.

After the nightmare scenario of being knocked out of both main cup competitions within a week, Enfield Town resume their league campaign tonight (Wednesday) with a visit to Kingstonian hoping to get back to winning ways.

The game is the first of three successive away encounters, with Lewes and Billericay to come – an extremely tough programme as we look to bounce back following the gut-wrenching FA Cup exit at Cray Valley PM.

Because of our FA cup commitments, we have slipped to eighth in the table but have a number of games in hand on our rivals – this being one of the rearranged fixtures. Victory would push us back up to fourth and into the playoff places.

Gavin Macpherson kept the players on the pitch for a good 20 minutes at fulltime last Saturday and will expect a strong reaction against a side currently in the bottom three but who won their last home league game comfortably and recently went to Hastings and knocked them out of the Trophy.

Cup-tied last Saturday, recent signing George Sykes will available for selection at the start of a challenging period for the entire squad, with six league games in 16 days.

Just a reminder for travelling fans that  Kingstonian play at Imperial Fields where they groundshare with Tooting and Mitcham.

Just a reminder about an unmissable evening with  Gary Mabbutt and Ossie Ardiles, two legends of the game, up close and live at Butlers Bar.

Relive the glory days of Tottenham Hotspur as we bring together two of the greatest players in the club’s history.

You’ll have the chance to meet and greet Gary and Ossie, hear their stories and ask them questions in a Q&A session.

When: Thursday 19 October at 7.30pm

Where: Butlers Bar, Enfield Town FC, Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, Donkey Lane EN1 3PL

Book your tickets, priced £35, on the following link for a night filled with entertainment, nostalgia and humour.

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/legendsnight/an-evening-with-spurs-legends

Cray Valley PM 5 Enfield Town 2

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Gut-wrenching, devastating, massive missed opportunity.

Just a few of the words to sum up Saturday’s inglorious FA Cup fourth qualifying round exit at Cray Valley PM when, for the third time in eight years, we missed out on making history by reaching the first round proper.

To say we didn’t get the rub of the green with some of the decisions is an under-statement, having been denied at least one stonewall penalty at a crucial time and ending up with 10 men after Sam Youngs was sent off.

Virtually anything that could go wrong did go wrong and now, in the space of seven days, we are out of both main cup competitions.

Gavin Macpherson was magnanimous enough to apologise to the hoardes of travelling Towners fans who turned the occasion into virtually a home tie. And the fact we would have been drawn away at Charlton Athletic makes the pill even more bitter to swallow.

Yet few in the crowd of 579 could have imagined at halftime that we would be on the end of such a sobering scoreline, having twice gone in front.

Marcus Wyllie got us off to the perfect start after just six minutes, lashing home a half-volley to finish off a lovely move involving Mickey Parcell and Ollie Knight.

James Richmond almost doubled our lead with a bullet header and there was a stroke of good fortune about Cray’s equaliser, Kyrell Lisbie’s scuffed effort finding the corner of the net.

Moments earlier Rhys Forster had made a point-blank save from Lisbie who posed problems for us all afternoon until limping off injured.

Indeed, crosses from both flanks ultimately proved to be our downfall but we were arguably the better side in the first half and on 31 minutes we were back in front courtesy of Reece Beckes-Richards’ turn and shot.

 Once again we were pegged back, however, though in highly controversial circumstances.

Instead of adding on the allotted four minutes, the referee somehow decided on six and with the last action of the half, the ball was recycled from left to right and back again, Lisbie rising to nod into the far corner. To make matters worse, Gavin was booked for protesting at the amount of time added on.

H-T 2-2

It totally changed the respective dressing room moods and the second half was a different story as the Millers stormed out of the blocks, stretching us in wide positions, dominating midfield for large periods and twice testing Forster before Matthew Vigor’s left-foot drive crashed against our crossbar.

When Lisbie limped off soon afterwards, we might have hoped to re-impose our advantage.  Far from it.

Parcell saved us with a last-ditch block when a goal seemed certain and the home pressure soon told,  Freddie Parker firing beyond the helpless Forster.

As we rallied, Sam Youngs and Beckles-Richards both went desperately close before substitute Dylan Adjei-Hersey was blatantly up-ended in the box, only for the obvious penalty to be waved away (pictured).

Youngs’ dismissal for a second yellow on 85 minutes shattered our hopes and the tie was effectively settled when Parker fired home  from close range.

Our misery was then compounded in stoppage time as another cross found Adam  Coombes who slid in to tuck away number five.

Just as against Chesham in the Trophy when we conceded four, we were largely undone by crosses and Gavin now has a job on his hands raising morale ahead of two away league games in the next six days at Kingstonian and Lewes.

“I’ve got so many complaints about what happened in the game but it’s not why we lost and I want to apologise to the fans who travel in their numbers,” said Gavin who kept the players on the pitch for a good 20 minutes afterwards. “Believe me, I’m super gutted.”

“There were some poor performances and some of them have to have a hard look at themselves. I include myself in that because the buck stops with me.  I know how much it would have meant to this football club.”

“The game was always going to run away from us once Sam got sent off but we had two stonewall penalties, one with Josh in the first half and the other at a crucial time in the second when even their bench were grimacing thinking it was going to be given.”

“But that’s no excuse and I have to look the supporters in the eye and say I’m sorry for us falling short. It was nowhere near good enough.”

Forster, Bailey, Payne, Thomas, Richmond, Knight, Youngs, Wyllie, Keeya (Adjoin-Hersey 65), Beckles-Richards (Onyeagwara 80), Parcell.

We are thrilled to finally announce our first fixture in the Fenix Trophy, with our opening match at home to Danish side BK Skjold; the current tournament holders.

We will welcome the Copenhagen-based club to North London on the evening of Tuesday 28th November 2023, with the return game – as well as our two fixtures against Llantwit Major – likely to take place in early spring 2024.

Tickets will be released in due course… in the meantime, we hope you are looking forward to European Football in Enfield as much as we are! We will bring you any further updates on the tournament as soon as we confirm them.