Huge congratulations to our assistant manager, Mario Noto, who completed Sunday’s London Marathon in a time of four hours, 16 minutes, writes Andrew Warshaw.

Mario has managed to raise over £5,000 including a healthy donation from those who attended our league game against Corinthian Casuals.

The money will be split between the Royal Papworth hospital and Haven House Children’s Hospice, the former having performed a life-saving heart transplant operation on his godfather.

Mario, who had trained for the race since July, hit the notorious pain wall around the 15-mile mark when his calf started to cramp up but he was determined to continue.

“I may have torn it but I just gritted my teeth and kept going,” he explained. “I wanted the time to be a bit quicker but it was an amazing experience so I can’t be too down on myself.”

“I had all my family there and even saw a few people I knew during the race including one lad I even used to coach. Everyone got behind everyone else regardless of gender, race or anything else. There was a proper community feel about it with so many people coming out to support.

“It’ll probably take me around a week to feel my body is back to normal but I’d definitely do it again.”

Well done Maz from everyone at Enfield Town FC

Scandinavian  football fans are renowned for flying over to the UK to watch Premier League fixtures at the weekend, writes Andrew Warshaw.

But it isn’t every day they opt exclusively for the non-league game instead.

It was therefore both a surprise and a pleasure to welcome seven Danish fans and 17 Swedes for our recent 2-0 home win over with Corinthian Casuals.

Both trips were organised entirely separately and provided an international feel to the game which was also attended by two Italian supporters. Enfield Town’s reach is obviously stretching far and wide!

All the Swedish fans were members of a so-called “brothers in sport” society and supporters of first division club IFK Norrköping .

They chose to come and watch us as the first in a three-match weekend itinerary and afterwards both clubs exchanged pennants.

Gunnar Hagberg, who helped organise the Swedish trip, explained: “We go to England on a regular basis to watch football but we always tend to go to clubs like Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal.”

“This time we wanted to look for the roots of the game, to find football’s true soul, something we think has been lost in top-division football.”

Luckily for Gunnar and his friends, we just happened to be playing on a Friday night since they had already made arrangements for Saturday and Sunday.

“I checked through the fixture list and saw Enfield were playing on Friday. We couldn’t miss that instead of going out somewhere in London,” said Gunnar. “We had a brilliant time. The rain was perfect for football! We really enjoyed it and everyone was so friendly. It’s been a real treat.”

Needless to say, both the bar and the club shop did a roaring trade among our Scandinavian guests!

Although we are in step 7 of the national pyramid, Gunnar (pictured with another Swedish fan) says we could hold our own much higher up in Sweden. “I was talking to some of our coaches who came with us and they reckon Enfield Town would be the equivalent of the Swedish third division.”

“They were surprised and impressed how intense the game was.  We will definitely be spreading the word!”

Enfield Town 2 Corinthian Casuals 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

If ever the expression “job done” was appropriate, this was it.

Any club in any division would look a trifle leggy after having to play three games in six days so huge credit to the players for grinding out another three points that have pushed us to within striking distance of the top.

Players and management now deservedly have a week’s rest before the eagerly awaited FA trophy tie with Chesham, basking in the knowledge that they have responded superbly to the FA Cup debacle at Canvey Island with three straight wins and an increasingly healthy competition for places.

 This fixture was originally due to take place on Saturday at Casuals but was reversed to Friday at QEII as a result of a tree falling on the Casuals clubhouse.  As a result, Enfield played in light blue because the only kit Casuals could muster was one with white shirts.

The swirling rain hampered ball control but Town’s opener on 38 minutes defied the conditions, recent  signing Wraynel Hercules, who had missed two earlier chances,  unleashing a stunning strike (pictured) that dipped markedly at the last moment.

The goal was as spectacular as it was unexpected given what had gone before which wasn’t very much as both teams defended in depth and tried to hit the opposition on the break. A timely clearance by Ruben Carvalho prevented Adam Cunnington pouncing on a whipped-in Andre Coker cross while a trademark Joe Payne long throw was almost turned in.

As for the visitors, Elijah Simpson fired just wide while Rian Bray’s interception prevented Mohamed Diallo from getting in a shot.

H-T 1-0

 Soon after the break, Casuals appeared to have a decent penalty shout waved away, only to concede a spotkick themsleves on the hour. Coker was bundled over by Benjamin Checklit and got up to confidently double our lead.

Andre almost made it three, spooning over the bar from six yards, while substitute Lyle della-Verde’s run and shot whistled past the post.

At the other end Dequane Wilson-Brathwaite brilliantly cleared of the line as Casuals tried to respond while Mohamed Diallo’s bullet header whistled narrowly wide.

The visitors will rue a string of crosses being dealt with efficiently by Town’s defence which was arguably the best part of our game on the night.

“Not the best of games but they’re the sort of fixtures you just have to dig out,” said Andy Leese. “Especially in our position – three games in six days effectively. We weren’t at our best tonight but we’ve done what mattered. And kept a clean sheet.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Wilson-Braithwaite, Bray, Payne; Hercules (Sayoud, 68), Thomas, Youngs, Dayton (Della-Verde, 75); Coker (Wyllie), Cunnington

Enfield Town 2 Horsham 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town followed up Saturday’s confidence-boosting win at Margate with three more points to leapfog Horsham and move into fifth place in the table.

Tuesday’s fixture was the re-arranged game that was postponed because of the death of the queen and we took full advantage against another of the pre-season playoff hopefuls.

Horsham have stuttered somewhat after a fine start to the campaign but play the game the right way and had their moments against an unchanged Town.

But on clearcut chances, we were well worth the win and could go even higher if we can make it three in a row against Corinthian Casuals on Friday – a game that has been switched to QEII after a tree fell on the Casuals’ club house but for which we have precious little recovery time.

Enfield started the game with a bang and should have gone in front straight from the kickoff. Wraynel Hercules was played in down the right but panicked somewhat as he advanced on goal and put his shot on the running track.

But on 12 minutes we went in front when a cross into the box was only half-cleared  and Andre Coker shot low into the corner for yet another early-season goal.

The Hornets managed to fashion a number of promising positions without being able to supply the final touch and on 26 minutes our lead was doubled.  Coker’s shot was well saved and Adam Cunnington (pictured) — a tower of strength all evening, dribbling past fullbacks, turning goalkicks into corners —  forced home the rebound.

In the final action of the half, Lucas Rodriquez curled a 20-yard freekick over the wall but Nathan McDonald was on hand to make an excellent save.

H-T 2-0

The second half was just a couple of minutes old when Horsham, hit by a lengthy injury list, halved the deficit. Jack Mazzone whipped in a fierce low cross and Rian Bray, in trying to clear, only succeeded in knee-ing the ball into his own net.

Suddenly Horsham gained a new lease of life and started to winning second balls. Mazzone  narrowly cleared the bar from 25 yards and the defensive side of our game, so improved in recent matches, was frequently called into action.

But still we had the better chances – four in particular. When Sam Youngs took advantage of Michael Beeney’s punched clearance, his goalbound chip seemed certainly to make it 3-1, only for Tom Day to rush back and produce a miraculous  goal-line clearance.

There was more to come in the shape of substitute Bilal Sayoud who had three golden opportunities in quick succession to add to his sublime strike at Margate.

First, he struck a freekick fractionally over. Then, in the dying moments, he probably should have done better when pulling his shot narrowly wide, and got even closer by striking the post as Horsham pushed forward.

“In the first half we smothered them in midfield and they couldn’t get out,” said Andy Leese. “2-0 is an awkward scoreline and we started the second half exactly as we did at Margate.”

“At times we then had to dig in. There were some tired legs. We are running harder than we’ve ever done to get to where we want to be but it’s taking its toll on one or two.  I have to give a  special mention to Cunns for yet another outstanding shift. I’m absolutely delighted with the outcome. We don’t have much recovery time before Friday and may have to freshen things up but then we have a full week.”

Town:

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Hercules, Thomas (Soulya-Osekanongo, Youngs, Dayton (Wyllie, 79); Coker (Sayoud, 67), Cunnington.

Additional Reporting By Martin Bentley

We can now confirm that our away game with Corinthian Casuals, originally set for Saturday, has been switched to   Enfield because of a problem with the Casuals stadium where a tree recently fell on the clubhouse.

The game will be played at QE II stadium this Friday, ko 7.45, instead of Saturday.

Before then, Horsham are the visitors on Tuesday. They are currently fifth in the table two points ahead of Town but have played a game more.  

Their most recent result was a 0-2  home defeat to Bishops Stortford. Only one win in their last five but will provide a stiff Test for Town. 

Match Tickets are available here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/match3/enfield-town-vs-horsham-

Margate 2 Enfield Town 5

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Anyone leaving the ground after 20 minutes at Margate yesterday – or even at halftime for that matter – could not possibly have imagined how the game would pan out.

We simply hadn’t been at the races, didn’t get close enough to the opposition, especially in midfield, and Towners fans feared the worst.

But as the old cliché goes, goals change games and once we levelled for the second time on the Kent coast, there was only going to be one winner as the hosts collapsed in spectacular fashion.

Missing the likes of Lyle Della-Verde (still suspended) and Jake Cass (injured), the fact that we managed to score five – albeit one an own goal – backs up the theory that we have goals all over the pitch despite Mo’s departure.

And there were a stack of positives, with Adam Cunnington simply outstanding in the air, a hungry Andre Coker again looking like a new player and an excellent debut on the right wing for Wraynal Hercules.

But it was an ominously worrying start.

Not once, not twice but four times in the opening period,  we escaped by the skin of our teeth as Margate came charging out of the blocks, prompted by their captain Ben Greenhalgh who actually has a Champions League medal on his CV.

It was no surprise when they took the lead on 22 minutes, Cameron Brodie rifling home from 20 yards after pouncing on a loose ball.

Our response was immediate with our first effort on target and a stroke of good fortune. Hercules mishit a cross-shot, bamboozling the Margate keeper who saw the ball squirm into the net at his near post.

Coker almost gave us the lead with a sublime strike that clipped the top of the bar but Margate had certainly been superior in the opening half.

H-T 1-1

We needed to up our game but within two minutes of the restart, we fell behind again as Greenlagh’s low, left-footed freekick was touched home by Harry Hudson.

But instead of capitalising on their chances, Margate  again left the door open at the back and Joe Payne, who had another fine game, was left unmarked to lash home our second equaliser.

Now the whole pattern of the game changed as the momentum switched. Within a minute, James Dayton’s excellent cross was side-footed home by Coker to put us 3-2 up  and as the home defence panicked, Hudson’s own goal gave us a fourth.

The best was still to come courtesy of two substitutes.  On 79 minutes, Marcus Wyllie showed great control to set up Bilal Sayoud for the sweetest of curling efforts (pictured) that had the purists purring.

There was still time for Nathan McDonald to make a flying stop from Greenhalgh but by then we were out of sight and celebrating a well-earned, hard-fought three points that can only boost confidence.

It’s not easy replacing so many quality players and although we may not look totally settled yet, we are now sitting in seventh with back-to-back home games to come, starting on Tuesday against Horsham.

“I thought we were dreadful for the first 25 minutes,” conceded Andy Leese. “It was a hard-earned 5-2 win but I thought the way in which we saw the game out was top class.”

“If you look at their results at home we knew it would be difficult down here. But really pleasing to come away  and score as many goals as we did. That 35 minutes in the second half we were excellent. We are slowly getting back to how I want us to play.”

Town

McDonald; Spencer, Bray, Wilson-Braithwaite, Payne; Dayton, Thomas, Youngs, Hercules (Wyllie 72); Coker (Sayoud, 78), Cunnington (Urquhart 81)

We are excited to announce that we have signed former Brentford B winger Wraynel Hercules who featured prominently in our recent friendly against Beaconsfield

You may remember Wraynel, who has also played for Barnet under-18s and is still only 20, scored twice against us for St. Albans in pre-season

“Wraynel has been working with is in training and gives us another option up front with his direct style and pace,” said Andy Leese.

“He’s been in the professional game at Brentford, he’s a local boy, he’s young and we think he can develop with us.”

Welcome, Wraynel

Tomorrow we make the trip to Margate hoping to avenge our last-minute defeat in the corresponding fixture last season.

Margate are currently 14th in the early-season table with eight points from six games.

Last Saturday they bowed out of the FA Cup losing 1-2 late on at Dulwich Hamlet in front of a crowd of 1,725.

 In the League their most recent result was a 4-0 home win against Herne Bay.

You can purchase tickets here

https://margatefc.ktckts.com/event/mar2223h05/margate-v-enfield-town

The club are laying on a coach for Margate, Departure Point: QEII Stadium, Donkey Lane, Enfield, Middx

Departure Time. – Leave 10,45. a.m. SHARP

Cost: £18.00

For Bookings please contact Les Gold on 07979 727563

– lesgold@enfieldtownfooballclub.co.uk

Casuals Switch

There is a possibility next weekend’s fixture may be moved to Enfield because of a problem with the Casuals stadium where a tree has fallen on the clubhouse.

 The favoured option by both clubs is that the game is moved to the QEII Stadium next Friday 30 September , but we are currently waiting for the League to sanction this change. Obviously we will let you know as soon as we can.