Stansted 0 Enfield 2

Essex Senior League, Saturday 4th February

I made my first trip to Hargrave Park for sometime in the first weekend in February and saw early goals from Aaron Greene and Solomon Ofori enough for league leaders Enfield to see of Stansted and grab another three points towards their pursuit of the title and promotion to Step Four of the non league pyamid. 

This was arguably the game of the weekend in the Essex Senior League, these two sides always provide spicy competitive encounters, and the two contests at Woodside Park this season have not disappointed that’s for sure, Stansted netted a 97^th minute winner in the league contest there, Enfield’s only league defeat at home all season.

And the Peter Butcher Memorial Cup tie there saw The Airportmen lead 2-0 before The Es roared back to win that 3-2, although Stansted ended up being put through as an away walkover win after the hosts had fielded an ineligible player in that contest, a rare mistake from what had been a great season for the Es, but anyway, today’s contest was expected to be tight and tense.

The hosts certainly needed the points, they are in a tussle with quite a few sides who let’s be honest are playing for the runners up spot behind who many think are champions elect Enfield, the Es are eight points clear of second placed Redbridge at kick off with a game in hand, whereas Stansted are fifth and five points off second place right now having played a couple of games more, so a win in this one would certainly help their cause.

The Es though were obviously looking to continue their domination at the top, a win could see them as much as eleven points clear of the rest, they have won seventeen of their twenty league games and have netted sixty seven times in those games too, and also have the best defensive record too, only seventeen conceded, which kind of explains why they are where they are in the division.

So, what of the sides latest form? Well, since they won at Enfield in mid-November Stansted have only lost once in the league in seven outings, which was a disappointing loss at Ilford in their first game of the new year, and they come into this one off the back of wins against White Ensign and Sawbridgeworth, both by the odd goal, so both have been narrow wins, but a wins a win as they say and they would have been more than confident heading into this one.

Since the Es lost that home game to Stansted, only one of two losses in the division all season, they had won six league games on the bounce until they were held by Halstead Town at the weekend 2-2 at Rosemary Lane in what was another game they thought they were going to win until the Humbugs levelled late on to claim a very decent point and deny the league leaders another maximum haul of points.

So what sort of game would we get here then, and who would prevail, could Stansted complete a double over the runaway leaders, or would the Es stamp their mark on this one and take themselves three more points closer towards that title that many feel is theirs to lose?

Well, after eight minutes, the visitors were already in control of this contest, going two goals up in double quick time, their first came after three minutes when Greene struck an effort from outside the box and it looked like it would be a routine save for hosts keeper James Askew, but the pitch and goalmouth had their ideas as a big bobble took the ball over the keepers outstretched hand and into the far corner.  

And whilst the hosts were still recovering from that, five minutes later Enfield doubled their lead when a shot from outside the box saw an unsighted Askew tip the ball onto the post, and with none of the defenders reacting to the loose ball, Ofori had the simple task of thumping home the rebound from close range, the hosts already had a mountain to climb, and the league leaders had had the dream start.

The Airportmen were shell-shocked but needed to get some foothold in the contest before it ran away from them as a third goal from the visitors would probably had ended this contest before it had even begun, but they really did not get going and Enfield were managing the contest and keeping the hosts at bay whilst frequently trying to grab a match clinching third.

The hosts knew that if they could pull one back they may give themselves a chance, and their only real chance of the first half was a guilt edged one as a Billy Coyne corner saw Carl Conway somehow head wide rather find the target, but this was a rare moment for the hosts really in the opening forty five minutes and Enfield were well in control as the half time whistle came.

After a nice cup of tea and chocolate cake in the boardroom, I grabbed chat with joint Stansted boss Paul Pittuck, who is recovering from his major medical emergency he suffered in the dugout at Saffron Walden on 27th December, it was great to chat with him and see him too, we are all so grateful he is still with us as it could have been so much different, I wish him all the best as he continues his slow recovery back to full fitness.

So, could his and Jon Watters side make a better fist of things in the second period, well, they didn't concede anymore goals but they never really threatened an Enfield outfit who were just managing the game so well and the hosts never really threatened a comeback at all, and with Enfield's pace in attack you felt it was more likely they would add another towards the end.

As it turned the out they did not, but it was a fairly comfortable win for the visiting side who add another three points towards their quest for the title and promotion, and on this evidence they will take some stopping now, for Stansted it was a disappointing day, they huffed and puffed a lot but just could not get anything going today, and they will need to bounce back next time out to keep their pursuit of the runners up spot going.

Full time Stansted 0 Enfield 2

So, what else happened in the division on Saturday, here are the other results.....

Clapton 1 FC Clacton 4 (A Mekhi Mckenzie hat trick helped FC Clacton to the points against struggling Clapton at The Terry McMillan Stadium)

Little Oakley 0 Romford 1 (Camilo Restrepo's 21st minute strike was enough for Romford to pick up three points at Little Oakley)

Saffron Walden Town 0 Redbridge 2 (First half goals from Ibrahim Kehinde and Tony Martin handed Redbridge the points at Catons Lane against Saffron Walden Town)

Southend Manor 0 Ilford 1 (Joe Lilly netted the only goal of the game as Ilford squeezed past Southend Manor at Southchurch Park)

Stanway Rovers 5 Sawbridgeworth Town 1 (A Joe Debll brace plus further goals from Sean Barlett, Sonny David Henry Dutton and Max Sherlock helped Rovers thrash Sawbo Town at The Hawthorns)

Takeley 3 Buckhurst Hill 0 (Kieran Southgate was amongst the scorers Takeley netted three first half goals to take all three points against Buckhurst Hill at Station Road)

West Essex 2 Barking 4 (Sam Shaban netted twice and George Okoye and Kenndi Dariri were also on target for Barking as they won an entertaining encounter against West Essex at Wadham Lodge)

White Ensign 1 Halstead Town 1 (Matthew Travell's goal grabbed a point for Halstead on the road at Burroughs Park, this after Mechack-Kisoka Asuka had given the hosts the lead)

The match scheduled to be played at Mayesbrook Park between Athletic Newham & Woodford Town was postponed due to the ground having no changing rooms available for either side following scheduling difficulties. Less said about that the better.....

Lets see how that affects the table shall we.....

Enfield continue to lead the way, maintaining their eight point cushion to second placed Redbridge who maintained their three point cushion to third placed FC Clacton, whilst Woodford now find themselves seven points off the runners up spot and Stansted now nine points away from that target now.

It's looking bleak for Southend Manor down at the bottom, and in fact it's looked bleak there for quite some time now, only a matter of time before they are relegated although by all accounts they were very unlucky in their game against Ilford, Clapton also looked in trouble too, nine points of third bottom Sawbridgeworth Town still, and you have to say the bottom two look the most likely to finish there meaning they will slip into Step Six football next season.

That concludes this blog, thanks for reading.....