Enfield Town match report
match report by Eli Haidari
It was another case of what might have been at a sunny Imperial Fields this afternoon as Kingstonian were forced to settle for a third draw in as many games with Enfield Town battling for a hard-fought point.
After conceding a painful penalty in the dying stages of the trip to Margate, followed by a spirited comeback against Wingate & Finchley, Lee O’Leary’s men just didn’t have the cutting edge to secure their first win of the season against the visiting Enfield.
Both sides struggled to get an early foothold in the game with the first real chance falling to K’s skipper Kenny Beaney eight minutes in, however, his curled effort was well watched over the bar by Enfield’s Nathan McDonald between the sticks.
Moments later controversy struck. Town’s Jake Cass found space down the left-hand side before smartly turning his opposing defender, the number 9 was unable to get his shot away and after colliding with Kingston’s Jack Strange, the striker was booked for simulation with the decision looking incredibly close to call.
Kingstonian fought back and started to assert themselves on the pitch. Beaney looked comfortable in the middle of the park and neatly found Louis Collins on the left-hand side on a number of occasions with the winger unable to pick out anyone in the Enfield box.
Kieron Cadogan’s inviting cross from the right flank just after the 20th minute expertly picked out Collins, with the number 11 unable to find the connection required to truly test McDonald.
The K’s again pushed for an opener five minutes later as nifty footwork from Cadogan on the edge of the box found Korrey Henry in space, but the forward’s fierce shot was smartly turned behind by McDonald.
On the half hour mark Thomas Gogo’s trickery down the left flank allowed him to turn a deft cross towards the back post but the onrushing Henry could not gather enough purchase, again involved in the thick of the action.
It was Enfield Town who headed in at half time the stronger of the two sides with Cass coming close on minute 40.
Town’s number 9 did well to latch on to a hopeful forward pass dispossessing Strange in the process, however Kingston’s back four remained resilient to crowd out the forward’s attempted shot which deflected out for a throw in.
Enfield Town carried their momentum from the latter stages of the first half into the second and looked the more likely to finally break the deadlock.
Kingstonian’s Rob Tolfrey was twice called into action by the dangerous Lyle Della-Verde, first getting down sharply to deny the winger from the right-hand side after the K’s had been caught out in possession by a lazy pass in the middle of the pitch.
The Kingstonian number one again stood his ground late on, this time saving well with his legs after a knock on found Della-Verde in space on the right-hand side of the penalty box.
The hosts struggled to assert themselves in the second 45 with substitute Gabriel Ajuchi’s deflected effort in the 68th minute the closest they came to truly testing McDonald.
As referee Paul Stratton blew for full time, both sides shook hands with frustration clear to see on the managers and players faces.
K’s move up to 15th in the early stages of the 2022/23 campaign and will look to get their first win on the books when they visit Herne Bay at Ramsgate’s Southwood Stadium on the 27th August with kick-off at 3pm.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Dwight Pascal, Declan Skura, Jack Strange, Tobi Ogundega, Tyrese Owen, Thomas Gogo, Kenny Beaney, Korrey Henry, Kieron Cadogan, Louis Collins.
Subs: Sean Bonnett-Johnson, Isaiah Jones (for Dwight Pascal, 81m), Gabriel Ajuchi (for Korrey Henry, 63m), Geneiro Maragh, Fumnaya Shomotun (for Thomas Gogo, 80m).
Enfield Town: Nathan McDonald, Rian McLean, Ryan Kirwan, Blaise Riley-Snow, Rian Bray, James Richmond, Lyle Della-Verde, Sam Youngs, Jake Cass, Adam Cunnington, Marcus Wyllie.
Subs: Juevan Spencer, Lewis Taaffe (for Adam Cunnington, 80m), James Dayton, Gucci Soulja-Osekanongo (for Blaise Riley-Snow, 75m), Bilal Sayoud (for Marcus Wyllie, 70m)
Attendance: 275
photo by Ollie G Monk
