Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Enfield Borough 0 Basildon Town 1

Six years to the day that they played their first ever competitive match, Enfield Borough could only mark the occasion with a single goal defeat at the hands of Basildon Town at the Maurice Rebak Stadium on Saturday. The visitors maintained their 100% start of the season in a match where they conceded possession to Borough for large periods of the game before upping the tempo and taking the control of the final thirty minutes, though Enfield will rue missed chances in the closing stages.

After Wednesday’s excellent victory over N.W.London, manager Anthony McNamee had the rare luxury of naming an unchanged line-up. The first half was lacking in goalmouth action. Basildon were getting men behind the ball, inviting Enfield to break through their packed defences. Unable to create anything worthwhile, Borough were restricted to trying their luck from long range, but their shots lacked accuracy. Walid Hassan was the first to try his luck from thirty five yards, but his shot narrowly cleared the bar. Joseph Parker made easy work of a shot from Louis Hill before the Enfield’s best chance of the half went begging. Walid Hirsi’s shot from distance was parried by Matthew Knight straight to Malachi Soile, but the defender was unable to get his effort on target.

Both teams appeared to struggle judging the weight of their passes, with the ball zipping off the wet surface which had been watered shortly before kick-off. Basildon were gifted an opportunity as Craig Nelson’s clearance hit Brian Tshibangu and fell nicely for Grant Cummings who promptly dragged his shot wide. Darral Wopara presented Hirsi with a perfect through ball but the striker’s shot on the turn was straight at Knight whilst Georgi Steed failed to connect properly with an athletic volley. The half ended with Tshibangu sending the ball well over the bar from long range.

The game meandered on in a similar format after the interval. Steed’s free-kick was narrowly off target before Basildon took control of the game around the hour mark. Rhys Fatt and Marcus Bowers combined well and the former’s low shot was saved by the feet of Parker. Borough’s keeper need two attempts to deal with Bowers’ free kick before Bradleigh Rowland laid the ball into the path of Ronnie Hobbrough. Parker saved with his feet again but Enfield failed to clear the danger and Bowers hit a cross-cum-shot that was heading for the top corner of the net until Parker acrobatically tipped it over the bar. Steed wasted a rare chance for Enfield before the crucial strike of the match arrived with fifteen minutes to go.

From a throw in, once more Borough failed to clear their lines properly and Rowlands struck a perfect shot from thirty yards that arrowed into the roof of the Enfield net with even Parker helpless to prevent this. It could have been worse still moments later when Rowlands managed to poke the ball beyond Parker, but Gideon Sarpong was back on the goal line to clear the danger. Bowers tested Parker once more before Enfield suddenly clicked into life with barely three minutes left on the clock. Wopara’s shot was dealt with by Knight before the same player threaded the ball through to Hirsi, but with just the keeper to beat, the striker could only clip the ball into Knight’s grateful arms. Their final opportunity was created by the determination of substitute Andreas Aranganathan as he won possession close to goal before setting up Hirsi, but the striker’s shot was blocked.

Manager Anthony McNamee was dejected after the game. “We lacked intensity and appeared to believe that after midweek we only had to turn up to get the win. Basildon were up for the game and relished every aspect of it while we loved having the ball but did not work hard enough when out of possession. We must use this setback as a wake-up call and stop believing that we are better than we really are.”

Borough face a tough trip to the Essex coast on Saturday when they visit Burnham Ramblers.

Team; Parker, Soile, Sarpong, Al-Asfii, Tshibangu (Rock), Hassan, Nelson, Wopara, Lokilo (Borges), Hirsi, Steed (Aranganathan).