After a tough last couple of results for different reasons, Enfield Town begin a run of four straight home fixtures in all competitions on Saturday by taking on last season’s playoff semifinalists, Canvey Island.

Our unfortunate defeat at Hornchurch was followed three days later by a humiliating exit to Step 5 North Greenford United in the Middlesex County Cup, albeit with an understrength team.

The side Gavin Macpherson put out was well capable of getting us through but now it’s back to the bread and butter of league action as we aim to build on what was a decent run of form before the Hornchurch setback.

 Ollie Knight is available for selection on Saturday after a three-game ban for what looks, on paper, like another tricky encounter.

The Gulls may be in mid-table and six points behind us but they have played two games fewer. Remarkably, they have not drawn a single league game, having won six and lost five.

“I’m really pleased to be back at home, it’s like having a 12^th man when the fans are singing,” said Gavin. “Enfield was never a ground I looked forward to going to as an opponent.”

“Saturday is another stern test in keeping with this league. Canvey are capable of beating anyone and have players who can hurt you if you catch them on their day. But we’re in a good position and I want to maintain that.”

Andrew Warshaw

North Greenford United 3 Enfield Town 2

 Report By Martin Bentley

Maybe it was the water. Or ley lines. Or Mercury rising in Uranus.

 No-one has managed to come up with a better explanation for Enfield Town’s inexplicable late, late capitulation to Step 5 North Greenford in the Middlesex Senior Cup on Tuesday night that saw a two-goal lead wiped out in 12 mad minutes.

This, unfortunately, has been a regular occurrence in so-called minor cup matches over the last few years, so it was particularly worrying to see a Gavin Macpherson side continue the trend in what was our first appearance in this season’s competition.

It had all started so well. Town fielded a much-changed line-up to give fringe players game time as well as a couple of experimental selections in Mickey Parcell in central midfield and Ollie Knight at left back. Academy prospect Ebraima Davies was given a start, with new signing Leo Donnellan on the bench.

We were immediately on the front foot, and rocketed into a two-goal lead in the fist 18 minutes, Lewis Taaffe finishing well from Parcell’s through ball, then adding a well-taken penalty after Josh Keeya had been tripped.

For the remainder of the half, the term “training game” was being used,  Town completely dominating possession and the visitors struggling to retain the ball for more than a few seconds.

 How that changed after halftime as slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, Town managed to lose control of the game.

One by one players started to vanish as though someone was punching buttons on a control panel though Town had a George Sykes effort disallowed and an Obi Onyeagwara shot was headed off the line.

The remarkable turnaround began on 82 minutes when  a swift breakout saw left back Rashid Springer’s cross turned in by right back Sam Brown.

By then, the ball was hardly leaving Town’s half, the hosts having started to play as if they were Cray Valley PM, and the equaliser duly followed on 92 minutes, Ryan Ewhare netting in a goalmouth scramble. Three minutes later and even deeper into stoppage time, Joe Mills won the game with a deflected effort to Adi Connolly’s left.

  Cue wild celebrations by the home side and fans, shell-shocked congratulations offered by the bewildered travelling faithful, and a general feeling of “what the **** just happened?”

A truly odd and, as I say, worrying night with only one knockout competition, the Velocity Trophy, left for Town to make a mark.

  Line-up: Connolly, Bailey, Knight, Okotcha, Coker, Keeya, Onyeagwara (Adjei-Hersey 85), Parcell (Donnellan 45), Sykes, Taaffe, Davies

Hornchurch 2 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

If ever there was an occasion to feel proud in defeat, this was surely it.

They be oft-used cliches but football is a cruel game and you sometimes don’t get what you deserve.

The faces on Town’s crestfallen players and management team following Saturday’s defeat against the unbeaten runaway league leaders said everything about how, in open play at least, we more matched our opponents’ big-name players, one of whom had played more than 100 games for Crystal Palace.

It won’t be much consolation to Gavin and the boys but the Hornchurch fans and staff conceded it was by far their biggest test of the season, Rhys Forster hardly having a shot of note to save.

None of that, however, can disguise the fact that title-winning sides find a way to win even when below-par and two almost identical set-piece goals ultimately did for Town.

Hornchurch are that kind of team, they grind you down. Keep their forwards quiet and someone else will invariably come up with the goods, in this case skipper Ryan Scott.

Yet for long periods on Saturday, it was Town who looked like the side in pole position, especially in the first half.

Josh Okotcha and Sam Youngs had early half-chances and even when Josh slipped on the rain-soaked surface at the other end, he recovered well to avert the danger.

Hornchurch had to wait for 20 minutes for their first major foray when Nathan Green powered his way through but screwed wide.

Though this was a day when Joe Payne’s long throws got little change out of a mean defence, we still looked the more dangerous team in open play.  Marcus Wyllie played in Reece Beckles-Richards whose goalbound shot took a deflection. Then the roles were then reversed as Reece’s ball into the middle proved just too high for Marcus.

As halftime approached, we so near nearly grabbed the lead, only for Ollie Muldoon, in his 100^th appearance for Hornchurch, to make a terrific goal-line clearance.

Former Towner Joe Wright was then called into action to tip a Sam Youngs header over the bar in the final action of the half.

H-T 0-0

Town again began on the front foot, Marcus narrowly missing the target on the volley when Payne, for once, went short with his throw.

We needed to bed and in and stay focussed but on 53  minutes, all our hard work was undone as Scott rose highest to convert Tom Wraight’s corner.

As we pressed for an equaliser, a rare error at the back allowed Marcus to round the keeper but he couldn’t quite force the ball home from the narrowest of angles.  Moments later he saw another effort cleared off the line (pictured).

As we pushed forward, so Hornchurch’s fitness began to tell as they threatened a second goal on the counter. So it proved yet it took an identical set piece to double their lead.

 When Ade Youssef cut inside and saw his shot deflected, Tom Wraight swung over the corner and Scott was on hand once again to power home a header with seven minutes remaining.

“We were the better side overall, no question about that,” said Gavin Macpherson after we slipped to third and saw Hornchurch extend their lead to 11 points. “But the two goals were a carbon copy, we didn’t attack the ball.”

“We knew what Scott did at set-pieces and we worked on it before so it was a massive disappointment. I don’t want to dress it up. There’s a reason why they are at the top, it’s because they do things like that.”

“They might argue they weren’t at their best but the fact is we were better. Having said that, you don’t get anything for being better unless you defend your own box and be more potent in the opposition box.”

“The boys are absolutely gutted and in a way I look at it as an opportunity missed. But in terms of desire, attitude and application, I cannot ask for any more. It tells me we are heading massively in the right direction.”

Town:  Forster; Parcell, Richmond, Okotcha, Payne;  Adjel-Hersey Onyeahwara, (63) , Youngs, Thomas (Taaffe, 84), Beckles-Richards; Sykes (Keeya 71), Wyllie

The Enfield branch of the Macmillan Cancer Charity are organising an community fundraising quiz at St Stephens Church Hall, Village Road, from 7pm on Saturday 18th November.

We are delighted that they have included ETFC Community Sports Development as one of the beneficiaries.

The quiz is in tables of six and proceeds will go to a variety of local good causes, including our own. If interested in participating or organising a team, please contact: hazyfundraiser@gmail.com

If you wish to be part of an ETFC team please contact Christine Hamilton on 07949 071587.

No guessing which game in our division has captured the imagination this weekend.

After whopping back-to-back wins against  Hashtag and Wingate and Finchley, we visit runaway leaders Hornchurch on Saturday (k-o 3pm) – the pre-season favourites for automatic promotion with a big-name squad and a manager whose previous job was in the EFL Championship.

Weather permitting, it’s first v second and while it may not quite be a free hit, we go there with plenty of renewed self-belief having hit our stride following those two agonising cup exits.

“I think we all realise this fixture is now looking like the toughest league game of the season,” said Gavin Macpherson for whom Ollie Knight serves the final game of three-match suspension. 

“Hornchurch have clearly made a massive statement this season and will be extremely difficult opposition.”

The Urchins finished second last season, only to lose to Aveley in the playoff final, and have spent big to try and improve on that.

They are unbeaten in the league both home and away and lead the table by eight points. But Gavin said from day one that he would relish pitting his wits against the best.

“They have made some excellent signings but we’re in a good place and the boys are working hard,” he said. “It’s a big test but one that we’re really looking forward to, every game is a challenge in this league.”

Andrew Warshaw

Wingate and Finchley 1 Enfield Town 4

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Whisper it quietly, Enfield Town are up to second in the table.

In an almost carbon copy of how Saturday’s game unfolded, Town ultimately demolished a slick and highly capable W and F side on Tuesday night with another cracking second-half display.

In front of crowd of 300 – a large majority supporting the Towners (including a heavily strapped but slowly recovering Jake Cass) – we had things far from our own way in the opening period before improving massively to give our hosts a Halloween fright.

Having said that, we got off to a perfect start on eight minutes. Scott Thomas launched a powerful downfield header that was collected by Marcus Wyllie whose delicious cross-field ball into the box was coolly dispatched by Reece Beckles-Richards against his old club.

Marcus almost added a second with a trademark strike that whisked past the post but Wingate, pleasing on the eye and using their pace, gradually gained a foothold and probably deserved their equaliser on 26 minutes on the balance of play.

Ruben Carvalho, a box of tricks in midfield, found an extra yard of space and fired in a shot that Rhys Forster could only push into the path Elliot Long who duly converted the rebound.

Town were perhaps fortunate not to go behind when Sam Youngs, tracking back, was dispossessed near our own goal-line but this time Carvalho screwed the ball wide of an open goal.

In an end-to-end finish to a highly watchable half, Marcus had another effort clawed to safety by Blues keeper Ben Goode.

H-T 1-1

Wingate’s wide and central midfield players had given us plenty to think about but after the proverbial half-time team talk, we looked a different side – just as on Saturday – as we upped our pressing game and went for the jugular.

On 54 minutes, Dylan Adjei-Hersey’s cross from the right found Wyllie who found the tightest pocket of space between two defenders and managed to get his shot away for his 10^th league goal of the season (pictured).

Now Town were firmly in the ascendancy.  George Sykes, making his first league start, stole in at the back post to convert a Joe Payne freekick for his first Town goal before Goode was forced into a smart save from a Beckles-Richards drive.

With seven minutes left, Town put the icing on the cake with what initially looked like an own goal by  former Towner Ben Frempah, only for it to later be awarded to Youngs whose goalbound header had taken a deflection.

After 10 goals in two games, next up the small matter of runaway leaders Hornchurch on Saturday but we go there with plenty of self-belief.

With a somewhat croaky Gavin Macpherson preserving his voice, the after-match analysis was provided by Steve Conroy.

“We knew we had to be on our game because they move the ball well but we were a bit loose in the first half,” said Steve. “They made it hard for us but the distance between our units was far too big.”

“We weren’t getting nearly close enough to them and they were dictating the ball. But second half we squeezed the pitch, nullified their strengths and went on the front foot which is how we like to play.”

Town:

Forster; Parcell, Richmond, Okotcha, Payne; Adjei-Hersey (Taaffe, 90), Thomas, Youngs (Onyeagwara, 84), Beckles-Richards; Wyllie, Sykes (Keeya, 74)

 Following a triumphant return to home soil on Saturday, Enfield Town are back on the road again tomorrow, Tuesday (7.45 ko), with a short trip to neighbours Wingate and Finchley.

Only two points separate the teams, both having played 11 games, and although Wingate were beaten at home by Dulwich Hamlet last Saturday, prior to that they were in strong league form, winning three on the bounce including a 6-2 demolition of canvey island.

Gavin Macpherson will certainly not let the boys sit on their laurels following our own six-goal feast at the weekend, especially since a trip to runaway leaders Hornchurch follows four days after the Wingate fixture.

Ollie Knight misses the second of a three-game ban while Louis Birch is again missing for medical reasons.

But Saturday’s thumping win over Hashtag will hopefully give the team plenty of confidence going into what is invariably a spicy derby.

“I’m fully respectful of Wingate because they have been causing teams problems,” said Gav. “They have a lot of pace in the side which is hard to combat. They play an open system which on the one hand is get-atable, if you like, but it also causes the opposition some thinking and we’ll need to be on our guard.”

Enfield Town 6 Hashtag United 3

Report by Andrew Warshaw

After six successive away games in all competitions, Enfield Town returned to familiar surroundings on Saturday and did so in style, smashing Hashtag for six including a Sam Youngs hattrick.

The only surviving fixture in the division because of weather-induced postponements and a raft of FA Trophy games, Town made it count by producing a scintillating second-half blitz to move up to third in the table, which we’d all have taken at this point of the season. Or any point for that matter!

Draw specialists Tag had only lost once in the league this season – at runaway leaders Hornchurch – and made us work for our openings in a relatively even first half.

Reece Beckles-Richards (pictured, celebrating) broke the deadlock on 28 minutes with a glorious strike from just outside the box after switching the ball from left foot to right having been played through by Obi Onyeagwara, making his first start for Town as Ollie Knight began a three-game ban.

In truth, however, there was little to choose between the sides at the interval with three ex-Towners in the visitors’ line-up, one of whom, Percy Kiangebeni, was a constant threat throughout the opening period in central midfield.

H-T 1-0

There was no hint of the goal fest to come, the less so when Greg Halford levelled from the penalty spot just after the break, Rhys Forster adjudged to have impeded Misha Djemaili when he actually got to the ball first.

It was a distinctly soft award but within four minutes we restored our lead, Marcus Wyllie collecting a Town corner and bending a beautifully executed shot inside the far post.

From then on, everything Town touched turned to gold…and goals.

Right on the hour, Tag keeper Ted Curd got a hand to a Sam Youngs header but was beaten for sheer power and three became six during a blistering 15-minute spell.

On 75 minutes, Josh Keeya ran on to a woefully short backpass from Matthew Wooldridge but when the Tag defender appeared to redeem himself with what looked a fair challenge, the referee awarded a second dubious spotkick, this time for Town. Youngs, as almost always, made no mistake for 4-1.

Town weren’t finished yet, saving the best till last.

On 86 minutes, Wyllie produced an early contender for goal of the season, turning on the proverbial sixpence and almost bursting the net with a 35-yard screamer, surely one of the best individual strikes ever seen at Step 3 level.

Town’s sixth was almost as memorable, a wonderful team goal finished off by a magnificent curling cross from Dylan Adjei-Hersey and a sumptuous finish from Youngs to collect the match ball.

With three points easily in the bag, a crazy game got even crazier right at the death when we took our eye off the ball and conceded twice, first from a corner, then a 25-yard effort from former Town favourite Kiangebeni. They gave a modicum of respectability to the scoreline but for Tag were far too little, far too late.

“At halftime, I gave them a bit of rocket because they were not doing what they were supposed to do,” explained Gav.  “We were far too deep and far too strung out between the various units which allowed Hashtag to pass the ball through our lines.”

“But I’m not surprised how they reacted because there are goals all over this team. It’s the reverse of last week at Lewes when I held my hands up. We’re a management team who know what we’re doing and once the players came with us today, we looked like a different side. Having said that they were deflated to concede those last two goals.”

“Our standards have to be there from first minute to last but we’ve entertained the fans and I’m delighted about that because we’ve been a bit up and down in recent weeks.”

Town

Foster; Parcell (Bailey, 68), Okotcha, Richmond, Payne; Beckles-Richards (Sykes, 82), Youngs, Thomas, Adjei-Hersey; Onyeagwara (Keeya, 58), Wyllie.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we entertain draw specialists Hashtag United (3pm kickoff), hoping to mark our return to home soil with three points following a positive display in midweek at Billericay.

Isthmian North champions last season, Tag were promoted to Step 3 and are currently 12^th in the table, three places below Town

Hashtag’s 11 league games this season have produced no fewer than seven draws including last Monday against high-flying Chatham

The fact that they have only lost once in the league, at runaway leaders Hornchurch, suggests they will be a highly competitive unit.

Unfortunately Ollie Knight starts a three-game suspension against Hashtag but after six straight away games in all competitions, Gavin Macpherson is delighted to get back to familiar surroundings.

“It’ll be difficult without Ollie obviously but we have scope in wide areas and are not short of options,” said Gavin. “It gives someone else a chance to come in and stake a claim.”

“It’ll be great to be at home again, it seems ages. But again, good opposition. We have to reach our levels every game no matter who we are playing.”

Andrew Warshaw

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