After emerging as winners of Saturday’s top four clash with Ebbsfleet United, our visit to Enfield Town on Tuesday night posed a very different challenge. With the hosts sat 23rd in the National League South ahead of kick off, we were to be tested with a dogfight and a tricky pitch.
For a team in the relegation zone, the hosts started confidently and seemed keen to assert themselves as the game’s aggressor. Lamar Reynolds was clearly vital to Town’s chance creation, with Brennan Camp consistently drawn into duels with the winger.
The fast start from the hosts meant that our boys were forced to sit back and play on the break – but with Sam Pearson, Dennon Lewis and Kai Enslin all in the Wanderers starting eleven, we were content to do just that.
Pearson – on his first Wanderers start – looked particularly dynamic, but the biggest chance of the opening twenty minutes fell to the hosts.
Following a corner, Nino Adom-Malaki was found at the back post with space to send an effort goalwards from close range. He dragged the shot wide and Harrison Foulkes’ goal remained untested.
Moments later, Dan Pybus produced a teasing cross for Charlie Carter, which the skipper couldn’t quite convert under pressure.
From this moment on, the first half was a barrage of red and white attacks.
Town teased the home crowd with a few more corners, but couldn’t create anything of note. The early Wanderers warnings had forced the Enfield defensive line back, and we settled into a rhythm of controlled possession.
This pressure would yield a prize on the half-hour mark, when a loose ball fell to Niall McManus on the edge of the box, which allowed the midfielder to let fly. The effort was deflected by a white shirt, and completely wrongfooted goalkeeper Joe Wright as it trickled over the line. 30’ 0-1
It would take just five minutes for our Wanderers to secure a two goal lead, when Harry Pinchard whipped a perfect corner to the front post into a sea of bodies, from which Camp rose and headed home. 35’ 0-2
We would have a chance to add another before the break when Enslin was fouled in the box – giving Lewis the chance to convert a penalty. Wright did well to get a strong hand to the effort to deny us a third.
Half Time: Enfield Town 0-2 Dorking Wanderers
The second half would start with drama which reflected the end of the first. Within three minutes of the restart, Dan Pybus delivered a perfect free kick towards the back post, which Carter leapt towards and headed confidently past Wright. 48’ 0-3
The red and white army had barely finished celebrating the goal before Sam Youngs rifled a free kick home from range to immediately claw one back for the hosts. They weren’t going to lie down. 50’ 1-3
Ten minutes later, the hosts were awarded a penalty for a foul committed by Camp. Youngs accepted the invitation to make Town’s deficit just one, and converted his penalty with ease. 61’ 2-3
To the relief of the slightly shellshocked Wanderers support, our boys settled back into the game and reestablished our dominance.
It took two of our substitutes to break down the Town defence for the fourth time of the evening. Frank Vincent played a teasing ball in behind for Alfie Rutherford to run onto. Our number ten found himself with only a foot race with Wright between him and an open goal. Alfie beat the Enfield ‘keeper comfortably and poked it home into an empty net. 76’ 2-4
As we entered the closing stages, our boys grew content to sit in and preserve our lead.
With our first of three successive away games ticked off, attention now turns to Saturday’s visit to Maidenhead.
Full Time: Enfield Town 2-4 Dorking Wanderers