Actual match - Eastleigh FC v Enfield

[Outoftowner]

Bit of a traipse to get to the ground but ETFC supporters were in great voice and outshouted and out-sung the home support. The Eastleigh professionals were too fit, fast and technically skilled for our team with ex-Southampton and premiership player Hesketh, nippy left-winger, scoring a hat-trick and was pretty much unchallenged by us all afternoon. We consistently fail to deal with fast wingers in our league and unfortunately Gyebi's lack of pace was shown up yet again.

 I must say putting the sprinklers on before and at half time was un-sportsmanlike because it gave the professional team the technical edge with control and it showed because at times, especially during the first half, we failed to bring the ball under control - the ball skimming off feet and the ground.

Our marking at set pieces was pitiful and Eastleigh could have had a hatful in the first half - why can we never mark the back post properly?

So yes the gulf between the two teams was obvious but it wasn't totally demoralising. In the second half ETFC got more to grips with the game and had a number of promising attacks and should have scored from a Croker cross on the right whilst Croker should have shot rather than tried to beat a player with yet another twist. Percy had one particular super run down the right wing and perhaps should have been more positive and cut in and shot.

It wasn't one of those games when we get hammered and all the team play badly. Half the team had terrific games. Percy showed he was capable at playing at a higher level and for me was our best player. Youngs was superb trying to marshal in a central position between the defence and the midfield ( though Thomas and Maja would have been ideal with Youngs pushed up). Bray and Joseph both played well, when not strung out of position, as did big Adam Cunnington who won virtually every header he challenged for. Those players played with pride and fans should be proud of those players performances.

Onto a tough league fixture against an inform Cheshunt on the 27th December if the lurgies don't kill everyone!

[old towner]

Can I put this to  non league football , the FA Trophy was introduced FOR SEMI PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAMS to have a chance of getting to Wembley I’d say 85%-90% of the teams in the national league are professionals why are they allowed to enter. Why can’t then we enter the vase , think about it it’s the same as the trophy