(Essex Senior League) 18th August 2001

Basildon United (1) 2 Doyle 27, 60 (both pens)
Enfield Town (2) 3 Riley 10, 40; Quinn 89

Match Report by Peter Coath, Enfield Town FC Press Officer.

Enfield Town kicked off their inaugural season, and their first ever competitive match, with a well deserved victory over a determined Basildon United side this afternoon. Town got off to a good start and moved forward to threaten twice within the first three minutes but they soon discovered that their opponents were capable of breaking quickly through the long ball.

Kevin Riley put Enfield Town ahead after only ten minutes, being well placed to volley home after United 'keeper Terry had dropped the ball following a Nicky Morgan corner. Ricky Antoine went close to doubling the lead only two minutes later and in the nineteenth minute John Ridout saw his dangerous back-header well held by Terry.

Basildon found themselves level in the twenty-seventh minute when Referee Kreyling awarded them a penalty after Town captain Bradley Brotherton had handled, albeit unfortunately, on the goal line. Doyle sent Hall the wrong way from the spot-kick. Enfield Town soon gained the upper hand again and Riley went close before grabbing his second, and restoring the lead, in the fortieth minute. Once again a Morgan corner caused mayhem in the penalty area and Riley tapped in from inside the six-yard box.

The second-half saw much of the same, with Basildon having good possession but being caught on the break on several occasions. Ricky Antoine blasted over in the forty-eighth minute but there were few clear cut chances after that until Doyle grabbed a second equaliser for the home side with his second penalty of the match, coming on the hour after Brotherton was adjudged to have fouled.

Town Manager Jim Chandler threw substitute Brad Quinn into battle seven minutes later, the diminutive Nicky Morgan coming off. Basildon also made some changes, with Bird and White replacing Hickey and McCarthy. The winning goal came in the eighty-ninth minute from a flowing counter-attack. Smart advanced down the right flank and his precision cross found substitute Quinn, rising unchallenged to power home a majestic header.

United's Bird was dismissed in stoppage time, being cautioned for a foul on Ridout and then again for dissent. Manager Jim Chandler said afterwards, "It wasn't the best of performances but we got the three points and that's what really matters. It was a bit of a culture shock for some of our lads out there and they've learnt that they can't always dwell on the ball. But at least we sent the supporters home happy and, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about".

Enfield Town: Hall, Smart, Negus, Snowden, Brotherton (capt), Morgan, Watson , Ridout, Clarke, Antoine, Riley. Subs Quinn (for Morgan 67 mins) , Byrne, Seller. Booked: Snowden (36 mins), Antoine (66 mins).

(League Cup; Group A) 21st August 2001

Sawbridgeworth Town (1) 1 Campbell 42
Enfield Town (2) 2 Ridout 12; Clarke 24

Match Report by Peter Coath, Enfield Town FC Press Officer.

Enfield Town made it two away wins on the trot tonight, as they opened their league cup campaign with a gritty performance at Crofters End. Enfield Town Manager Jim Chandler made one change to his starting line-up from Saturday, bringing in Brad Quinn for Nicky Morgan, and his team got off to a flying start again with John Ridout heading home the opening goal from a Stuart Snowden long throw in the twelfth minute. Ridout almost doubled his tally two minutes later but his low shot was tipped around the post by Tillotson in the Sawbridgeworth goal.

Enfield Town maintained the initiative and both Riley and Clarke went close before Clarke added the second goal in the twenty-fourth minute, powering home a low shot from the edge of the box after a good break from Ronnie Watson. On the half-hour mark Watson was carried off injured after an uncompromising tackle from Szajewski, Gary Byrne being his replacement, but the balance of power remained in Enfield Town's favour.

Negus and Clarke were both causing the home defence problems now but Sawbridgeworth grabbed a lifeline in the forty-second minute when substitute Rob Campbell outpaced the Enfield defence to latch onto a long, hopeful pass and despatch a low drive beyond Hall and into the corner of the net. The visitors had further chances to increase the lead before the interval but it was a different story in the second half as the home team came out fighting for the equaliser. Both Campbell and Nixon went close but Andy Hall kept his goal intact.

Town came back into the game with a quarter of an hour to play and Clarke was denied twice in the space of a minute, through a point-blank save from Tillotson and then an excellent tackle in the penalty area by Szajewski. The home team rallied in the closing stages though and after seeing a shot bounce off his own post Hall was again the busier 'keeper, making three good saves in the last five minutes to secure the victory.

Although pleased with another win on the road Chandler was rightly concerned with his team' s second-half performance tonight, and admitted that it was a case of going back to the drawing board after seeing them nearly undone by a spirited Sawbridgeworth comeback.

Enfield Town: Hall, Smart, Negus, Snowden, Brotherton, Antoine, Watson, Ridout, Clarke, Quinn, Riley. Subs; Morgan (for Antoine 45), Byrne (for Watson 32), Seller.

(Essex Senior League) 25th August 2001

Burnham Ramblers (0) 0
Enfield Town (1) 1 Snowden 54 (pen)

Enfield Town maintained their good form in the Essex Senior League with another win away from home at Springfield Road. Jim Chandler gave debuts to Volcan Gundogdu, new signing Jamie Morris and Danny Snowsill, on loan from Billericay Town.

Enfield Town started brightly, and could have been a goal up in the opening quarter hour as Jamie Morris teased the Ramblers defence for a corner - Snowsill heading just wide. Lee Smart incoured the wrath of the referee for a late foul and Clarke also for disputing a decision, both being yellow carded for their troubles. Town continued to dictate the play with Clarke in particular causing all kinds of problems in the Ramblers defence and ex Enfield midfielder Morris showing why his signing this week was so welcomed by fans and management alike.

Town lost the initiative towards the latter stages of the first half and the home side created their own chances with Danny Greaves (son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur and England forward Jimmy Greaves) calling Andy Hall into action in the opening seconds of the game and creating enough chances on his own to worry the Enfield Town defence. Indeed, Greaves came close to putting Burnham Ramblers ahead close to half time, but Andy Hall saved well at the foot of the post.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute. Hall kept out a shot from Steve Dobson on the goal line and Morris, still causing panic in the home defence, was pulled down in the opposition penalty area. Snowdon blasted home the awarded penalty to give Enfield Town a lead that they thoroughly deserved

Burnham's only remaining chance came in the closing fifteen minutes through Hughes, whose effort was cleared off the line by a combination of Hall and Smart.

Enfield Town: Hall, Smart, Gundogdu, Snowden, Brotherton, Negus, Morris, Snowsill, Clarke, Antoine, Riley. Subs; Quinn (for Antoine 51), Allen (for Riley 66), Morgan (for Morris 69); Bookings: Smart, Clarke

(League Cup; Group A) 28th August 2001

Saffron Walden Town (0) 0
Enfield Town (4) 5 Alleyne 13, 45; Clarke 16; Smart 21 (pen); Morris 71

Danny Alleyne made his debut in a crushing of hosts Saffron Walden Town, keeping Enfield Town top of group A in the League Cup. The match was over as a contest as Town sailed into a 3-0 lead in the opening 21 minutes, with Alleyne, Smart and Clarke underlining the visitors dominating play with three goals between them.

Three players scored debut goals for Enfield Town. Alleyne was the first in the thick of the goalscoring action, netting his first for the club with only 13 minutes on the clock as he blasted home. Clarke, not to be outdone, tore the home defence to ribbons before notching the second minutes later. The bells were ringing inside and outside Saffron Walden players' ears with the aid of the local St Mary's Church!

On 21 minutes it was 3-0, with Lee Smart taking over penalty taking responsibilities after Jamie Morris was upended in the box. That was his first for the club as well. With Town now running rampant, Alleyne made it four on the stroke of half time from a Morris cross.

The only surprise was that it took till the 71st minute to make 5-0. Morris again being involved as he also scored his first goal for the club from an acute angle past a bemused keeper.

Enfield Town: Hall, Smart, Gundogdu, Quinn, Brotherton, Riley, Morris, Snowsill, Clarke, Alleyne, Negus. Subs; Morgan (for Gundogdu), Byrne (for Alleyne), Idaewor (for Clarke)