Concord Rangers 0 Enfield Town 1

Report By Martin Bentley

Enfield Town extended their unbeaten run to an impressive nine games with victory at Concord Rangers that fully merited the description ‘hard-earned’.

The win also took Town back into third place in the League, with their recent form suggesting that a play-off place should now be comfortably within reach.  

The evening did not, however, start well, with players and supporters alike being delayed by some horrendous traffic congestion on the road leading onto the Island.

 The game eventually kicked off slightly late and Town enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the first half. Shots on target were at a premium at both ends, with only a Marcus Wyllie header and a Sam Youngs long-ranger troubling home keeper Mason Terry.

The remainder of Town’s efforts, from Lewis Taaffe, Ollie Knight and Wyllie all ended up sailing harmlessly over the bar.

 For the home side, pacy striker Bryan Ifeanyi troubled the right side of Town’s defence all night, although their best chance fell to Montrell Deslandes, who fluffed his shot horribly wide after Town had failed to deal with a high bouncing ball.

  H-T 0-0

Town continued to dominate possession after the break, again without troubling Terry unduly as the home defence, marshalled by the dominant figure of Mert Apat, coped comfortably with most of our efforts.

Wyllie drove a shot inches wide from Knight’s cross and Youngs had a header well saved but clear-cut chances remained at a premium.

A string of corners and Joe Payne’s long throws were putting the home side under increasing pressure though and Town finally cracked it after 69 minutes when Mickey Parcell’s left-wing corner was met by a Youngs header into Terry’s left-hand corner.

Two minutes later Wyllie slalomed into the box and rolled a shot against the post but Town were unable to kill the game off and found themselves under pressure in the closing minutes, when an increasingly desperate home side threw the proverbial kitchen sink at them.

Rhys Forster was twice forced into action to deny Emmanuel Martin from distance and Harrison Day from close range, but Town succeeded in clinging on for an invaluable three points, especially given the nightmare run of games ahead.

“We made desperately hard work of it if I’m honest,” said Gavin Macpherson, who bemoaned the horrendous traffic congestion that left the team precious little time to prepare.

“When it’s only 1-0, the opposition will feel they’ve got a chance.  They went four up top and Reece had to be called into action late on.  We should have put it to bed earlier but it would have been a travesty if we hadn’t won the game.”

Town: Forster, Parcell, Payne, Thomas, Tanner, McKenzie, Adjei-Hersey (Cass 67), Youngs, Taaffe (Beckles-Richards 88), Wyllie (Alves 90+2), Knight. Unused: Hippolyte, Okotcha