Wingate & Finchley v Enfield Town

[old towner]

26 minutes ago, Bottoms Up said:

Splendid summary from Ben and Barney, both spot on.

as we can all see and very predictable too, the doom gloomers are out with multiple postings cos we lost. Who needs enemies?

We've blipped before and now have a 2 match blip. Need to dust ourselves down and get going to reignite the play off target once more with another run of positive results

My glass is still half+full and looking forward to Saturday as should every fan, player, official  and board member 

Maybe the doom groomers may be right

[The Crowing Cockerel]

1 hour ago, Bottoms Up said:

Splendid summary from Ben and Barney, both spot on.

as we can all see and very predictable too, the doom gloomers are out with multiple postings cos we lost. Who needs enemies?

We've blipped before and now have a 2 match blip. Need to dust ourselves down and get going to reignite the play off target once more with another run of positive results

My glass is still half+full and looking forward to Saturday as should every fan, player, official  and board member 

I'm sorry, BU, but you cannot expect us to be full of positivity following a loss against lowly mid-table neighbours.

The team are to be credited for occasionally giving us hope this season as they've flirted with top spot. But with that hope has come a degree of expectation. We know what they can do - so I don't think its unfair that we demand it consistently. 

[andyetfc]

10 hours ago, Benjrider10 said:

Where to start? 2-word summary: “trip hazard”. 1-word summary: nah, this a respectable forum.This match confirms what I’ve long known - I would be a useless football manager.

Got to the ground in plenty of time, looked at the team sheet and immediately thought this is good, we’re going for it. Bilal Sayoud picked from the start against (one of) his old teams so a front 3 of Faal, Cass and Sayoud. Bit uneasy about Della-Verde on the bench but if you start Sayoud, where do you fit Della-Verde in? Anyway, got a tea, had a brief wander around the ground (more on that later) and watched the warm up. Very impressive warm up, thought everybody looked well up for the game. Town supporters everywhere, must have outnumbered home supporters 3 to 1. All was well! Then we kicked off.

Right from the start the formation didn’t look right. Tried to pass it around and keep the ball. Kept losing possession. 5 minutes in, a routine shot on goal that Nathan was comfortably behind but Bray (I think) panicked, stuck out a needless foot, OG. 15 minutes in, another careless loss of possession on our RHS outside the area, Wingate worked the ball through our gaping defence and the diminutive no. 7 tapped home. 2 down - cue deep intake of breath. 

Cass and Faal ran hard but were feeding on scraps. Bayoud just didn’t fit in. Unlike the other 2 up front who have clear roles and playing styles (Mo’s rangy running, speed and deceptive skill, Cass more of a traditional target man), Sayoud seems to be more of a technician who can exploit space. It just didn’t work. Needs some proper thought and clarity on what his role is, if picked.

The only shot of note I can recall from what was a dismal first half for us was at 0-2 when Cass raced clear after a long ball over the top, had time to set himself and promptly smashed it straight at the keeper. He’ll be kicking himself. That should have made it 1-2 and if we had got to half time just 1-2 down, we’d have still been in the game (on the basis that we couldn’t be that dire in the second half as well). Alas no. Out of nowhere the Wingate no. 7 hit an absolute worldie from at least 30 yards. I was standing at the side right behind it and watched in disbelief as it soared through the night sky, swerving left to right and flew into the roof of the net Ronaldo-esque. Cue another deep intake of breath, followed by a floodlight failure right on half time.

Prayers for divine intervention failed, the floodlights on the side of the ground where I was standing remained resolutely on and after a painful 20 minutes or so watching the 8 failed floodlight bulbs slowly flicker back to life (1 every few minutes), the second half began. We started like we meant business. Sayoud got hooked at half time and on came Della Verde. The formation immediately looked better. Kept the ball, slope was in our favour (helps the mindset) and pulled a goal back after 5 minutes. Could the comeback be on? 10 minutes or so later after another good spell, we won a penalty. This would make it 2-3 with half an hour to go - comeback defo on. Not to be. Keeper saved the penalty and the follow-up rolled agonisingly wide. That was the turning point. Penalty scored, crowd roaring the players on, I think we might have scraped a draw. Not to be and we got hit on the break shortly thereafter. 1-4 and game over. Credit to W&F, they took full advantage of our woeful defending and were good value for the win. 

Friendly bunch in the tea hut and good natured banter from the home supporters (c/w whiffs of wacky-baccy from a small group who spent most of the second half taking the pi** out of Percy). But I have to say that the ground itself is awful. Pitch was excellent so no complaints there but 3 sides of the ground were so narrow, you couldn’t call it terracing. It was just 3 narrow and uneven steps all the way round. So narrow behind 1 of the goals that it was blocked off. Add to that the irritation of the 5 a side training pitches squeezed in on the far side, followed by inevitable “ball on main pitch having flown over fence”, the highlight of the second half was seeing both Enfield and Wingate players launch said balls in the vague direction of Barnet. I know clubs at our level need to maximise income but please, don’t book the 5 a side pitches during home matches. Donkey Lane was White Hart Lane in comparison. I’m not familiar with the ground grading req’ts for our league but don’t know how Summers Lane ticks all the boxes. One big trip hazard and boy, did we trip ?

 

Thanks for the report Ben. However, it’s really a shame that you finished off criticising the W and F set up. What they have is the best, at the moment, in their eyes. How they manage their income generating schemes is up to them. It wasn’t long ago when we were putting up fencing before and after every game at Brimsdown. Yes, we’ve come a long way, but our place is not perfect, even though a lot of hard work has gone into getting us to where we are at the moment.

[Bottoms Up]

53 minutes ago, andyetfc said:

Thanks for the report Ben. However, it’s really a shame that you finished off criticising the W and F set up. What they have is the best, at the moment, in their eyes. How they manage their income generating schemes is up to them. It wasn’t long ago when we were putting up fencing before and after every game at Brimsdown. Yes, we’ve come a long way, but our place is not perfect, even though a lot of hard work has gone into getting us to where we are at the moment.

People are more touchy about our valid criticism of opponents facilities than our own team ??? You couldn’t make it up.

Wingates facilities are dangerous and has poor lighting to see where you’re stepping, a total H+S hazard, some areas should be cordoned off.

Our team have given us hope and an unexpected expectations (say that after a couple of pints ?) but I don’t recall Worthing fans throwing hissy fits when losing to Cheshunt, Carshalton or Margate, or indeed Lewes to East Thurrock , Kingstonian and Drawing with Brightlingsea.

We need a positive bounce back starting with Saturday if our ground survives the rainfall and winds 

 

[Raingod]

WOW lots of debate on the forum which is nice to read!

I almost didnt make it last night - was at standstill on the M6 near Birmingham and sat nav said 748 arrival .. but managed to get in for 730 ..

Just the one change - and I thought it was right to start Bilal who would be up for the battle against his old club - and to be honest would have given him longer than 45 mins ..

First half was pretty poor - a neutral would probably have thought that Enfield the promotion chasing team were in blue - but we did have a few chances - Cass closed down a defender well to be clean through that would have made it 1-1 ... and there was another good chance too .that was straight at the keeper ..

2nd half we went to a back 3 with wingbacks and it did shore us up - we played better and got an early goal ..

perhaps its time to give Cass penalties after another miss by Mo - 

Overall not good enough on the day but we are still in a great place ..

.. As a derby, Wingate were up for it, and Wethers and Hatton would have been wound up for it - their cup final!

.. I think after 2 poor games in a row, the management team need to shake up the line up for Leatherhead - teams will be watching us and learning how to play against us  - on paper it should be 3 points so I would like to see some attacking intent  - maybe like the Bowers at home approach when Taffe and Coker were wing backs!

Anyone know where Cunnington was last night?

I would like to see Mo more centrally again closer with Cass too ..

And I still say we need  a top drawer centre half that is comfortable taking possession .. other teams are far more comfortable passing around the back than we are .. though would this be the rigtht time to introduce one?

We should still make the play offs comfortably - something BQ never did as we were always chasing at the last minute ..

Yes we are having a mini blip - but if we can secure 2nd we guarantee home fixtures in the play offs -- I think Worthing are too far ahead now, but we should be aiming for 2nd in my view ..

It is about coming into form at the right time ..  

.. special mention to the fans who sang throughout - 

.. and at the final whistle I noticed Super Capt Kirby in the crowd - was great to see him (I did suggest he comes back to orgasnise the defence ...!)

 

Yes agree the ground is dangerous but used to it now ..!

Thought a missed opportunity not priniting a programme - ...

 

Up the town!

 

[Out_Of_Towner]

Still reeling from this disappointment , Not sure why Andy persists in letting Mo take the pens . Surely someone else has to step up now We need to sign a leader in the defence to organise and bark out Instructions , I don't see much of that happening right now .  I thought we had got out of jail when the lights went out but alas they flickered back on . Nice try to whoever sneaked in and flicked the switch lol.  Yet again we seem to be falling apart on the run in . All too often this happens year after year and I am getting very concerned that those clubs who have games in hand right down to Chestnuts in 10th   may overtake us if we are not too careful . At least we have relegation fodder in two of the next three games to set matters right . .   A word about W & F … I agree with the comments of concern about the safety and I wonder what the point is of having ground graders  who obviously turn a blind eye  for whatever reason and to be honest I am tired of lesser clubs  like this just getting in our way. There always seems one or two somewhere.  Anyway 3 easy points  tomorrow C O Y Towners .

[Crusty Lee]

In terms of other teams I'm only a bit nervous of Hornchurch and Folkestone right now. Not only are they close on points but they are backed up with their goal differences which could be crucial. Common wisdom says it's better to have points in the bag. Best of luck to Cheshunt winning their 5 games in hand in a tiring, busy run-in. I'd rather be us.

After what Stortford did at Haringey, anyone else think maybe we did better than we thought against them, as hard as it was to watch? Be interesting to see what Worthing make of them tomorrow.

If we can get a grip on the game from kickoff I think we'll do ok. Some games we've also been good with our pressing. Don't give 'em time to think on the ball. Keep the ball down. Don't panic in defence and just thump the ball aimlessly to the opposition. Occasionally it's the right thing to do but not as often as we do. With this wind the game might start in Enfield and end in Brightlingsea! COYT!

[Steph]

Benjrider 10 said, " But I have to say that the ground itself is awful. Pitch was excellent so no complaints there but 3 sides of the ground were so narrow, you couldn’t call it terracing. It was just 3 narrow and uneven steps all the way round."

The Finchley ground is dangerous especially night and I would not agree to be safety officer at their ground.

Though I have to say it seems to have improved since last time I was there, The crumbling terraces seem to have disappeared in front of the stand though as I said above the ground is still dangerous.

[Bottoms Up]

On 18/02/2022 at 18:30, Out_Of_Towner said:

Still reeling from this disappointment , Not sure why Andy persists in letting Mo take the pens . Surely someone else has to step up now We need to sign a leader in the defence to organise and bark out Instructions , I don't see much of that happening right now .  I thought we had got out of jail when the lights went out but alas they flickered back on . Nice try to whoever sneaked in and flicked the switch lol.  Yet again we seem to be falling apart on the run in . All too often this happens year after year and I am getting very concerned that those clubs who have games in hand right down to Chestnuts in 10th   may overtake us if we are not too careful . At least we have relegation fodder in two of the next three games to set matters right . .   A word about W & F … I agree with the comments of concern about the safety and I wonder what the point is of having ground graders  who obviously turn a blind eye  for whatever reason and to be honest I am tired of lesser clubs  like this just getting in our way. There always seems one or two somewhere.  Anyway 3 easy points  tomorrow C O Y Towners .

‘Yet again we seem to be falling apart’ 

When have we been in the top 5 with 11 games remaining and fell apart before???