Enfield Town match report
match report by Jamie Cutteridge
It was wet. It was cold. And for Kingstonian, it wasn’t very good. Coming off an impressive home win against Hornchurch, which made it three wins in a row, hopes were high as Hayden Bird’s side headed to North London, but despite taking a first half lead, two goals from set pieces proved Ks’ undoing.
A mixture of injuries and unavailability once again forced Ks into a changed starting lineup and depleted subs bench. With that in mind, it was no surprise that Enfield starting quickly. A poor backpass from Simon Cooper put perennial Isthmian goalscorer Billy Bricknell in on goal, but Rob Tolfrey did well to narrow the angle and block the shot. The Kingstonian keeper had to be alert again to deny Bricknell minutes later before Ks took the lead against the run of play. Their seemed to be no danger as the hosts centre half Adam Pepara had possession in his own half, but his turn towards his own goal, combined with slippery conditions put him in trouble and Corie Andrews took full advantage. The Ks’ frontman robbed Pepara, held him off, rounded the keeper and sidefooted the ball home to open the scoring minutes before half time. There was still time for Enfield to miss a golden change to equalise before half time. Ryan Blackman, who spent most of the evening trying to get his name in the referees book, failed to get his name on the scoresheet, blazing over from six yards when it was easier to score.
Despite the lead, Ks grasp on the points still felt shaky as the second half kicked off, and it took just five minutes for Enfield to level the game up. Fabio Saraiva’s foul on the byline seemed unnecessary and it came with a big punishment, as Bricknell got his head on a fine cross to equalise. With 40 minutes remaining, both sides pushed for a winner. Kadell Daniel posed the biggest threat to the hosts’ backline, while at the other end, Tolfrey was kept busy. But just as the spoils seemed destined to be shared, another free kick provided Enfield’s winner. The award of this one proved more controversial, as Percy Kiangebeni seemed to throw himself to the ground under minimal contact, but despite Ks’ protestations, the foul was awarded. Marc Weatherstone seemed to think his header had crossed the line, but Joshua McLeod Urquhart was on hand to make sure, bundling the ball home from a close range to secure the three points for Enfield.
It wasn’t the worst away performance you’ll ever see. Ks probably worked hard enough for a draw. But on a miserable evening, with some controversial officiating, it was certainly a frustrating experience.
Enfield Town: Nathan McDonald, Joshua McLeod Urquhart, Lee Chappell, Scott Thomas, Marc Weatherstone, Adam Pepera, Jared Small, Ryan Blackman, Billy Bricknell, Sam Youngs, Lyle Della-Verde.
Subs: Jeremiah Gyebi, Percy Kiangebeni (for Sam Youngs, 74m), Jonathan Muleba (for Lyle Della-Verde, 88m), Junior Mubiayi (for Jared Small, 66m), Larry Asari.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Harry Osborne, Fabio Saraiva, Simon Cooper, Ollie Cook, Tom Kavanagh, Gus Sow, Kenny Beaney, Corie Andrews, Kadell Daniel, Tom Richards.
Subs: Mason Whitnell, Omarr Lawson (for Tom Richards, 74m), Tutu Henriques, Juevan Spencer, Teo Kurtaran.
Goal scorers: Corie Andrews (38m, 0-1), Billy Bricknell (50m, 1-1), Joshua McLeod Urquhart (88m, 2-1)
Attendance: 323
