Enfield Town 3 Truro City 2
Report by Andrew Warshaw
This was surely about as good as it gets. An “I was there” moment.
Two goals down, both penalties, against the form side in the division, Town plucked victory from the jaws of defeat with two stoppage-time Ollie Knight goals in a breathtaking finale that, metaphorically speaking, took the roof off the Dave Bryant stadium
Bottom of the table on New Year’s Day, Town have now plundered 21 points out of 33 to leave us eight points clear of the drop zone. Never mind a relegation scrap, that’s playoff form.
Gavin Macpherson is not one to get too high or too low until the job’s done but as trademark statements go, this was right up there. After all, second-placed Truro had not lost in the league since the end of January and were unbeaten in 10.
With Sam Youngs back in the side after the birth of his first child, Town played into a strong first-half wind but soon found themselves a goal behind with the most bizarre of penalty decisions.
Tinners dangerman Tyler Harvey was adjudged to have been pulled over and duly beat the outstretched arm of Joe Wright from the spot.
Harvey’s 22nd goal of the campaign became 23 five minutes before the break, also from the spot, when Adam Thompson wrestled Luke Jephcott to the ground.
In truth, Truro’s final-third passing had been cleaner than ours in the opening 45 minutes. Harvey was denied by Joe Wright, a goalmouth scramble kept out Connor Riley-Lowe while Tommo’s superb interception got the better of Jaze Kabia.
But instead of allowing heads to drop, Town started to give as good as they got, with Billy Leonard especially eye-catching. Youngs shot inches over, Hisham Kasimu also went close and in between Truro’s brace we had a far more realistic penalty shout when Bailey Brown was clearly manhandled in the area but incredibly nothing was given.
Just before halftime, Wright’s point blank save from Kabia kept us in it before the mother of all comebacks.
H-T 0-2
Some of the officiating had left a lot to be desired but within five minutes of the restart, Town were on the scoresheet. With virtually his first touch, halftime substitute Harry Sidwell picked up the ball 40 yards out, dribbled forward and unleashed a spectacular effort into the net.
It was just the tonic we needed and midway through the half, we were given a golden opportunity to level things up after what in truth looked like another harsh penalty call. Up stepped Youngs, only for the normally Mr Reliable to miss for the second time in a row as Dan Lavercombe guessed correctly.
It so nearly proved costly when Truro’s Luke Jephcott struck the post eight minutes from time. Instead, as the shadows lengthened and the clock ticked past 90 minutes, Ollie Knight’s deflected shot from a Harry Hawkins throw ended up in the back of Truro’s net.
It looked for all as if we had salvaged a point in the dying embers of the game which would in itself have been quite an achievement
But remarkably, it got even better. Five minutes of stoppage time having originally been signalled, the referee added on a couple more due to Kabia receiving lengthy treatment just outside our box.
To say we took full advantage is an understatement. Jack Bates, also on a sub, sent one final and particularly delicious cross into the box and Ollie turned the ball in at the back post to complete a sensational recovery and send the whole place wild — made even sweeter by the fact that St Albans and Welling both lost.
“We thoroughly deserved it today,” said Gavin after our third straight victory with seven games now remaining. “It’s a massive win. We tweaked it a bit at halftime and eventually ended up as a 3-4-3 because we had to roll the dice. I didn’t watch Youngy’s penalty but he’s our talisman and knows he has to do better. But I wouldn’t bet against him scoring the next one he gets.”
Inspired substitutions with Ollie and Jack? “Listen I’m not a genius, you just hope things come off. I told the boys to enjoy it because they’ve had enough of me rambling on after defeats about what we should have done better. But now we turn our attention to Slough next Saturday. My feet are firmly on the ground till we have achieved our goal.”
Enfield 3-5-2
Wright; Benjamin, Thompson, Hawkins; Stallard (Chukwu,60), Parcell, Brown (Knight 82), Peake, Leonard; Youngs, Kasimu (Sidwell 46)