Enfield Town 1 Hornchurch 2
Report by Andrew Warshaw
When you give two quick goals away before laying a glove on the opposition, you have a proverbial mountain to climb.
Which is sadly what happened on Tuesday when we played far better overall than when we knocked Hornchurch out of the FA Trophy on penalties 10 days ago yet ultimately left ourselves with too much to do.
Apart from the first 20 minutes, we were arguably the superior team and scored a fantastic goal. But not for the first time we struggled in the final third and missed a great opportunity to climb off the bottom of the table.
Surprisingly given his comments on the morning of the game, Gavin Macpherson went with the same starting lineup as against Dorking but it soon became apparent there were fitness issues.
Dylan Adjei-Hersey tweaked a hamstring in the warmup and was replaced by Mickey Parcell. Then Christian Scott had to come off after 17 minutes and gave way to Billy Leonard — by which time we were already two goals down.
Liam Nash had already shot narrowly wide for the visitors after Christian was punished for holding on to the ball too long when they took the lead on 11 minutes. Christian was again at fault as former Towner Manny Harvest beat him too easily and his effort flew past Rhys Forster via a headed deflection.
Before we could recover, we suffered a second blow four minutes later. Chief Urchins dangerman Myles Weston, who recently joined them from League Two Bromley, put in a great delivery and Nash darted unopposed into the area to head home.
Cue a clearly struggling Scott being replaced by Leonard and two almost became three when another pinpoint Weston assist saw Forster get a hand to Nathan Bertram-Cooper’s header and push it on to the bar.
At the other end, Ruben Shakpoke, seeking his first Town goal but needing to time his runs more effectively, latched on to a ball over the top but fluffed his second touch.
But at least now we were starting to gain a foothold in the game and reduced the deficit on 38 minutes following a good spell of pressure.
Parcell and Sam Youngs exchanged passes and when the former played a gorgeous ball through the heart of the Hornchurch defence, Lennon Peake finished beautifully with a shot across goal (pictured).
With the bit between his teeth, Lennon stung the hands of Mason Terry from long range but Hornchurch were still capable of exploiting our mistakes and Nash went close after Alfie Tuck was dispossessed 35 yards from his own goal.
H-T 1-2
Now the game was finely poised. Parcell flicked out a vital leg to thwart what might easily have been a Hornchurch third but thereafter Town were the side who looked the more likely.
Leonard rode two challenges before lashing over whilst what looked like a clear penalty was waved away as both Peake and Joe Payne seemed to have their legs taken when trying to convert Xavier Benjamin’s cross.
Yet despite pushing for an equaliser, we simply couldn’t find enough movement off the ball or quality in the final and were left to rue that opening period and now have the small matter of Torquay on Saturday.
“The result doesn’t reflect the game in any shape or form,” said a clearly frustrated Gavin. “It reflects maybe the first 15 minutes when we never got out of the traps.”
“I’m absolutely seething because the better team has lost and we’ve contributed to our own downfall by gifting them two goals. Their bench were clock-watching for the last 15 minutes. But unlike at step 3 when you can be two goals down and come back and win the game, at this level teams are much better at what they do.”
Gavin conceded we must start to offer more of a threat going forward. “I’m fed up with saying it but I’m working my socks off trying to address this. I know it’s not even halfway through the season but I’m not going down that road. Points are just as important now as they are in April and we need them.”
Town
Forster; Benjamin, Thompson, Cox; Parcell (Hutchinson 87), Scott (Leonard 17), Tuck, Youngs (Whittaker, 93), Payne; Peake, Shakpoke (Beckles-Richards 60)