Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Hilltop 1 Enfield Borough 1

Enfield Borough’s last away match of the season saw the club return with a well-earned point taken from Hilltop, the team likely to finish the season in runners-up spot. Fielding probably the youngest and most inexperienced defence in the club’s history, they managed to overcome a harsh sending off and came back from a goal behind to get a share of the spoils.

Only two days after the disappointing reversal to Berks County, manager Anthony McNamee named an eleven with minimal changes, Anish Sharma and Rinidie Lokilo replacing Michale Mullings and Ejsi Krasniqi respectively. This meant that Enfield fielded a goalkeeper and defence with a total age of 82, four aged sixteen and Malachi Soile the veteran at 18!!. Despite the pitch at Hillingdon being watered right up until kick off and having a healthy covering of grass, the surface was very bobbly and not conducive to good football and both sides struggled to create anything of note. Indeed the first noteworthy incident came after twenty two minutes and was the booking of Ilyas Ismail for diving on the edge of the Enfield penalty box. However, this appeared to inject some life into the match as Brad Roberts battled his way through two challenges down the left wing and centred to Lokilo. With his back to goal, Lokilo managed to swivel and shoot but his weak effort was blocked. Borough kept up the pressure and Ben Kipa got his head to a right wing free-kick, his downwards header bounced up and was heading under the crossbar until it was diverted away from danger by Cem Temur in the home goal. Shortly after a corner kick was headed goalwards by Craig Nelson, Temur parried but the ball fell to Simon Offei whose shot was also saved by the keeper. Enfield did get the ball in the net soon after when Walid Hirsi collected Darral Wopara’s chip over the Hilltop defence and the striker found the corner of the net only to see the assistant referee had his flag raised for offside. That ten minutes of action was all that the half had to offer with Borough keeper Harry Green a virtual spectator.

Green was the first keeper called upon after the interval when he had to deal with a shot from the overlapping Ayoub Izogouln that was driven into his body. The break appeared to have come at the wrong time for the visitors as Hilltop kept play down in the Borough half and had it not been for the awkward bounce that had already deceived Malachi Soile, Mahamud Mohammad could have done better with a shot which he scuffed wide of the goal. If Green had been idle during the first half, he was now being kept busy and he had to be off his line swiftly as Mohamed Hashim broke clean through. Hashim tried to create room to get in his shot but only succeeded in lifting the ball over the bar. Green saved in quick succession from both Dualeh Ali and Zakariya Mohamed before the major talking point of the game happened on sixty two minutes.

Adam Pollock’s misplaced pass presented the ball to Hashim who was clear with Kipa just behind him giving chase. As the players approached the edge of the penalty box Hashim hit the deck with Kipa’s hands appearing to be on his back. The decision to send off the sixteen year old seemed harsh, but he was the last man and it was a clear goal scoring opportunity. Salt was rubbed into the wound when the free kick was curled directly into the net by Mohammad, beyond the reach of Green who had taken a small step to his right and could not get the necessary spring to dive to his left and lay a hand on the ball. Borough reorganised by bringing on Hamidou Wane in place of Lokilo and within five minutes they had drawn level. Hirsi’s corner was cleared back to the taker, whose cross was hung up to the far post. Wopara headed back into the goalmouth where Nelson, falling backwards, managed to acrobatically steer the ball past Temur who got both hands to it but could not prevent it from crossing the line. With twenty minutes remaining Hilltop came closest to breaking the deadlock when Anas Izogouln drove in a shot that smashed against the crossbar and bounced away to safety whilst Michael Panford’s volley flew across the face of the Enfield goal. But Borough managed to see out the match and collect a well-earned point.

Manager Anthony McNamee was delighted with the performance. “That was an excellent display against a good team. Everyone played their part and this shows what we can do. If we had played this well in recent games we would have picked up points, no doubt about it, but this should now be our benchmark for the rest of the season and beyond”

Borough are at home on Saturday when they entertain Eversley & California at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, kick off 3pm.

Team; Green, Sharma, Roberts, Pollock, Soile, Kipa, Nelson, Wopara (Kadiru), Lokilo (Wane), Hirsi, Offei (Ogodon).