Match Report

MATCH REPORT

Enfield Borough 3 British Airways 6

Enfield Borough’s last game before Christmas ended in bitter disappointment as they lost an action-packed game with British Airways by six goals to three at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. As well as nine goals, the match boasted two penalties, two sending-offs and a sin-binning while it was a bad news for any latecomers with three goals scored in the opening four minutes.

With matches being called off in the professional game it was good that this game could proceed. Borough brought back Joe Mendy for his first start after three months out with injury as one of a number of changes. Also included were Brad Roberts, Malachi Soile, Richard Ennin and Craig Nelson in place of Gideon Sarpong, Hamidou
Wane, Mark Valderrama, Carl Adiku and Simon Offei. With barely a minute on the clock, Borough opened the scoring as Richard Ennin slipped the ball through to Korede Akande whose run had been timed to perfection. Akande managed to outpace his marker and calmly slotted the ball past Charlie Rose in the visitor’s goal. But the lead was short lived as Mendy misjudged a cross from the left that dropped over his head to Joel Onu who had space to control the ball and drive it past Dragos Stefanoaica. The same player scored again on four minutes when a disorganised Borough defence allowed Onu to get to a hopeful punt upfield and his improvised long range shot flew high into the top right hand corner of the net. There was nearly a further calamity on seven minutes when Mendy’s back pass was sent wide of Stefanoaica who had to run back to prevent it going into the net but in trying to control the ball he got it caught between his feet and nearly kicked it into his own goal.

With neither team appearing to have the slightest idea how to defend plenty of chances being created and it was no surprise when British Airways scored again before the quarter hour mark. One good pass down the middle split the Borough defence apart and Shaun Aaram ran through to net with ease. One minute later and a strikingly similar chance was created at the other end of the pitch. This time Kevin Mussanda was the creator, Ennin found himself clean through but his effort was blocked by the outstretched foot of Rose. Onu had the opportunity to claim a hat-trick inside thirteen minutes but shot straight at Stefanoaica while Spencer Maw found the side netting with his attempt. British Airways had a good appeal for a penalty when Aaram chose to round Stefanoaica rather than shoot but in the process was barged over by Rinidie Lokilo, but the referee waved play on. Within a couple of minutes

Borough had pulled a goal back and once more it was created right down the middle of the park. Ennin again the provider, laying the ball off for Lokilo to score. Chances became scarcer as the half closed, but the visitors did get the ball in the net through Aaram only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside. This so incensed Maw that he was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes.

At the break Wane was brought on in place of Mendy and Borough started brightly. Ennin managed to toe poke the ball past Rose but the shot lacked pace and the keeper managed to run back and dive on top of the ball before it crossed the line. Maw returned to the pitch after five minutes and was immediately presented with the ball. He ran straight towards the penalty box where he was upended by Soile. The referee awarded a spot kick which Callum Coen duly converted. Coen was then booked for a foul on Roberts that was to have consequences shortly after. But before then British Airways increased their advantage and there was more than a touch of misfortune attached to it for the hosts. A short corner was lobbed into the six yard box where Soile’s attempted clearance struck team mate

Roberts and rebounded past Stefanoaica for an own goal. Ennin tried his luck from distance before Coen clipped the striker’s heels as he embarked a run. Having grown increasingly frustrated as the game progressed, Ennin lashed out and was rightly shown a straight red card and he was followed by Coen who received his second yellow for the initial foul.

Borough wasted a great chance ten minutes from time when Darral Wopara crossed to the far post where Akande headed wide with half the goal to aim at but a minute later Lokilo was brought down in the penalty box and with Ennin off the pitch Craig Nelson stepped up to roll the ball into the net. Borough tried in vain to get back into the game in the remaining minutes and Rose parried Wopara’s shot. But any remaining hopes of a comeback were extinguished seconds into added time when Enfield conceded a free-kick midway inside their own half. The defence were caught on their collective heels as the ball was clipped forward and Kieran O’Donoghue took full advantage of their lethargy to slot the ball past Stefanoaica. Enfield continued to press until the final whistle but Adiku’s shot from outside the box was well over while Nelson saw his first shot blocked while he sent the rebound trickling narrowly wide.

A second disappointing performance in the row sees Enfield drop a place to eighth in the table and it will take a remarkable upturn in form to see them challenge for the end of season play offs. They return to action on December 27 th when they travel to Hanwell Town to face Kensington & Ealing Borough.

Team; Stefanoaica, Hinds-Cadette, Roberts, Mendy (Wane), Soile, Nelson, Akande, Wopara, Lokilo, Mussunda (Adiku), Ennin.