MATCH REPORT
Enfield Borough 1 Cove 2

Enfield Borough equalled the club record of five consecutive defeats when they lost at home to Cove on Saturday. Whilst Cove have improved since the teams met in early September, this loss illustrates how badly Enfield’s form has tailed off in the past six weeks as the succumbed to a team that they beat by six clear goals in their earlier meeting.

Borough maintained a pretty settled starting eleven with only Noor Mbaza and Craig Nelson coming into the side in place of Anish Sharma and the injured Korede Akande. On paper this game never promised to be a classic with the hosts on an awful run of form and the visitors being one of two teams who were starting to get cut adrift at the bottom of the table. The first quarter of an hour reflected this as neither team created anything of note. It was somewhat appropriate that the first chance came as a result of a misplaced pass from Gavin Hinds-Cadette which presented Sean King with a great 2-on-1 opportunity but the striker opted to shoot when his team mate was better placed. Cove appeared happy to get men behind the ball and form a big yellow wall that appeared difficult for Enfield to break through. However this near miss was enough to spur Borough into action and they immediately opened the scoring when Simon Offei was picked out on the right side of the attack and he outpaced his marker before slotting the ball past keeper Josh Woodley. Having gained the lead, the hosts were quick to try and give it away as possession was lost on the edge of their own penalty box but Jamie Connor’s speculative lob was punched clear by Dragos Stefanoaica.

Nearly everything that Enfield created was through Offei who appeared to have had a weight lifted off his shoulders after scoring his first goal for nearly three months. Cutting in from the wing, Offei passed to Walid Hirsi whose shot was blocked. The ball looped up in the air and Rinidie Lokilo managed to get his head to it but with insufficient force to trouble Woodley. Offei’s next effort was a solo one with a shot from distance that bounced awkwardly in front of Woodley, but the keeper’s handling was immaculate. When presented with a free-kick some thirty yards out, Darral Wopara placed his shot just inside the left hand post, but Woodley got down well to push the ball around the post. The keeper made a priceless intervention as Offei’s cut back from the byeline was heading straight for the unmarked Lokilo and the final action for the first half saw Offei collect a pass from Mbaza, shift the ball onto his favoured right foot but fail to hit the target with his shot.

Having dominated the first half chances without having the goals to show for it, Borough continued to press for more goals after the resumption. In a carbon copy of the first half, Wopara’s centre was intercepted by Woodley as it headed towards Lokilo and Juan Olave scuffed his shot having been set up by Offei. All the visitors had managed to create was a far post cross that Connor rose to meet but his header was off target. However that changed in the fifty-sixth minute when Ben Toye gained possession midway inside the Borough half and headed for goal. No one put in a meaningful challenge as Toye made his way into the box before slipping the ball under the diving Stefanoaica. This setback appeared to puncture any confidence that Enfield had gained through holding the lead and all the doubts and insecurities that had built up during their recent poor run resurfaced. Josh Stepney’s weak shot did not test Stefanoaica but Toye’s effort from the edge of the box required the keeper to produce a diving save. Hirsi created a chance for himself as he chased a ball into the corner before beating his marker and heading along the byeline, but his shot from a tight angle was parried by Woodley.

Borough had been careless with possession throughout the match and with twenty minutes to go they were given a final warning as they messed up a free-kick on halfway. Richard Bennett tried to take advantage of the lapse but his chip landed in the grateful arms of Stefanoaica. But the ball was immediately handed back to Cove and this time Borough were punished as Toye drove in a low shot that beat Stefanoaica’s dive and nestled in the back of the net. Having appeared to be in control of the match for so long, Enfield looked unlikely to be able to get back on level terms and it was Cove who threatened to score again. Stefanoaica denied Bennett with his left foot while Stuart Lochray wasted a great chance when set clean through with only the keeper to beat, but he rushed his shot badly. Hinds-Cadette was robbed of the ball by Bennett but Stefanoaica again came to the rescue whilst Borough’s best opportunity came in the closing seconds when two debutants, Adam Pollock and Darius Ogodun, combined, but the latter could only divert the ball into Woodley’s hands.

Manager Anthony McNamee was left frustrated by the result. “We were in complete control of that game and should have had it won by half-time. I believe that a second goal would have finished this match as a contest. But individual errors are costing us dearly and confidence is low. We just need a lucky break or something to go for us to change our fortunes.”

Borough are at home again this Saturday when they entertain Sandhurst Town at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, kick off 3pm.
Team; Stefanoaica, Mbaza, Wopara, Hinds-Cadette, Soile, Adiku (Pollock), Offei, Nelson, Lokilo (Ogodon), Hirsi, Olave (Sarpong)

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