Enfield Town 1 Hampton and Richmond Borough 1
Report by Andrew Warshaw
Henry Hawkins salvaged a point for Enfield Town as another home game slipped by in the quest for a second successive survival act.
Despite another frustrating night with too little invention, Town’s performance was much improved from Saturday’s same result and we have still only lost one in seven games.
But that all-important win once again eluded us and with 12 games to go, the need to turn draws into victories is becoming all the more pressing.
With T’Sharne Gallimore on his way out of the club (Ruben Antwi-Bartlett has also left), Town had Eli Ackeson, fresh from his trial at Coventry, back on the bench in an unchanged side
Dangerous opponents despite their league position, Hampton have lost only two away games since the turn of the year as well as bringing in several experienced performers and they started in the ascendancy , particularly down their left flank.
Town, conversely, were at times so keen to get the ball away from their own third that they knocked it long without much conviction.
And on 18 minutes, they failed to communicate inside their own box and after several efforts to clear allowed Nana Boeteng to fire high into the net.
It was something of a body blow and for a while muted an otherwise enthusiastic crowd especially when Hawkins had to clear off the line to prevent a second and Luis Fernandez missed a sitter by blazing over from four yards.
As Town grew into the game, a spate of corners and freekicks ensued without any end product. The final ball just wouldnt stick though a huge penalty shout was waved away.
H-T 0-1
With Jacou Traore suffering from a tight hamstring, Gavin Macpherson took no chances and replaced him with Bailey Brown for the second half.
But it was Eduino Vaz, the best player on the pitch, who came closest early doors, skipping past Mickey Parcell before shooting wide.
Town’s lack of cohesion threatened to put us in greater jeopardy but the introduction of Billy Leonard, combined with the urgency of the occasion, suddenly led to our best period of the game.
Leonard crossed for Sam Youngs to plant a header goalwards before being deflected. And on 77 minutes we were deservedly level as a rebound from a long throw fell into the path of Hawkins who produced an exquisite finish — just as he did against Eastbourne — worthy of any striker.
With the wind in their sails, Town could have won it. Youngs nodded the ball down to Ackeson, who had injected verve and alacrity off the bench but when it mattered most knocked his effort over with the goal begging.
“The boys have given absolutely everything and we just fell short,” said Gavin for whom the on-loan Paul Appiah demonstrated an unflappable assurance at the back alongside Hawkins.
“The fans really drove us on and we are still in with a fighting chance. As regards Tosh leaving, it all happened very quickly and he decided his future lay with Bedford. We’ll have to see how Yac is in training on Thursday but we’re a bit short now in that area. As for Ruben, he wasn’t getting the game time he would have wanted and we had an honest conversation.”
Whose to know how we might have fared had this game taken place on its original date in December instead of being postponed three times. But now on to Chippenham on Saturday where the pressure on both sides will again be huge.
Chippenham have ben ekeing out results, even against the leading teams, and Gavin is in little doubt about their threat. “Trust me they can hurt you. This season is not like the last one. But we will keep plugging away. The belief is still there.”
Town
Wright; Parcell (Benjamin 80), Appiah, Hawkins, Adom-Malaki; Bullas, Traore (Brown, 46), Youngs, Knight; Andrews (Leonard 68), Reynolds (Ackeson 83)