Enfield Town 1 Uxbridge 1 (Uxbridge win 9-8 on penalties)
Southern Premier South Uxbridge, with only two competitive defeats so far this season, sent a strong squad to the Dave Bryant Stadium and were ultimately rewarded with a shootout success in the Middlesex Senior Cup second round and a home tie against North Greenford United in the quarter finals.
Town’s starting XI included just two from Saturday’s trip to Horsham – Bayley Brown and Billy Leonard — and just like in the London Senior Cup, albeit with a different finale, Gavin Macpherson’s makeshift side couldn’t get beyond the first hurdle against lower-league opposition.
A crowd of 169 witnessed a competitive game, which was both entertaining and scrappy in equal measure in different patches. The stand-out performer on the night was Town Academy youngster Eli Ackason – in at the last minute for Avan Jones (toe injury) – who covered nearly every blade of grass and was deservedly named Town’s man of the match.
Club captain Mickey Parcell returned to the side following his suspension and on this occasion was used primarily in the middle of a back four alongside Ruaridh Donaldson. Tommy Wood played as a lone striker for the majority of the game while Uxbridge’s central defenders were also familiar to the home fans – former Towners Bernie Tanner and Kyle Bailey.
After a number of chances at both ends, around the half hour mark the visitors’ on-loan keeper Laurie Shala came rushing out of his area to bring down Wood, but the referee only issued a yellow card as there were covering defenders.
Uxbridge took the lead with a fine goal in the 34th minute. A sweeping move down the Town right ended with Ada Okorogheye playing in George Moore, who finished impressively past Adi Connolly.
Three minutes later, an eye-catching run from Ackason ended with a foul on him in the box by Bailey. Wood stepped up and was relieved to see his penalty creep over the line via Shala and the crossbar.
Half-time: Enfield Town 1 Uxbridge 1
The second period was disrupted by regular substitutions from both sides. Uxbridge probably had more chances, including Cole Brown hitting the bar, but Shala produced the save of the night to deny Jack Bates who had unleashed a powerful drive in the closing stages.
After 90 minutes of endeavour the game went straight to penalties. What turned out to be the winning penalty was netted by keeper Shala past his opposite number Connolly.
While Town are now out of three cup competitions, with a huge FA Trophy fixture to come at Harborough on Nov 15, Gavin said after last night’s game that was pleased with the overall performance given the line-up.
“We had seven or eight academy boys in the squad and they all massively played their part especially when several more senior players had to come off,” he said
Town: Connolly; Lambert (Opuku), Parcell, Donaldson (Hawkins), Cann; Leonard (Oliveira), Ackerson, Brown, Bates, Knight; Wood (Bullas).
Penalties scored: Hawkins, Bates, Opuku, Bullas, Brown, Knight, Cann, Ackason, Missed: Parcell, Oliveira.
KB