Enfield Town 0-2 Dorking Wanderers

[Tally Ho]

0-2. (89)

Sub : Peake on, Brown off.

[Tally Ho]

Sub : Hutchinson on, Youngs off. (90+3)

Full time : 0-2.

[Towningaround]

Dorking weren’t actually that good but if you play with no ambition at all you can expect nothing.

Gavin had the benefit of a late kick off and could see the state of play by half time in respect of St Alb and Welling picking up points and chose to wait until 12 mins to go to put another forward on….but chose to take a forward off (at this point I’m laughing) and revert to his tried and tested go to sub of taking a forward off and putting Sam up front….

Just a little ambition at 1-0 may have been enough. 

Btw neither were penalties and both should’ve been booked for diving and both were deservedly missed. 

You get what you deserve in football and St Albans will get out of it and Welling will go down fighting….meanwhile we’ll go down with 8 defenders on the pitch kicking it as far as we can whilst needing a win to stay up. 

Clown show 🤡🤡

[Nobster180]

1 hour ago, Tally Ho said:

Sub : Bates on, Chukwu off. (65)

PENALTY to Town.

Missed.

I had a bad feeling about this penalty as I called the dorking miss from the spot as joe wright is unbelievable from penalties (sure he saved 3 against Maidstone over the two games  in the fa cup back in the day , anyway was right behind the goal and wow, I wish I could wipe it from my memory as it was ridiculous, why on earth would anyone try that at any level of football because if it doesn’t come off, it doesn’t look great does it, I’d be mortified if I done that in the back garden against my son,

[ETFC2001]

It’s just really child like from Sam, in such an important time in our season. You’d expect a person with his experience to lash it into a corner like he normally does.

He’s having an amazing season and kept us in games at times, but he might have just cost us a massive point in the dogfight.

Wasn’t that impressed with Dorking either to be honest, we just love to roll over for clubs to do what they want and we’ll just sit back and take it.

 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Sam's penalty sums up our season - completely brainless. It was the kind of thing you might attempt when the team is 4-0 up with 5 minutes to go. FFS, we were 0-1 midway through the second half! It was without a doubt the worst panenka attempt I have ever seen. Regardless of Sam's general performance, if I were manager I would be docking him his week's expenses on the basis of that attempt which will justifiably be all over social media very soon!

We needed a manager who could bring in players who were good enough for Step 2. The failure to bring in a striker capable of scoring the goals to keep us up is completely on Gavin. By the 80th minute we had no recognised centre forward on the pitch, and a right back who has been pushed into a defensive midfield role.

I will be very surprised if we pick up another point this season, and I blame the board for showing a lack of awareness and courage - similar to that consistently displayed by the management team.

[No bull Towner]

Was interesting to say the least. Sam may have got us out of trouble before but today his bullshit, show off, nonchalant attitude towards a pen leveller should get him dropped....inexcusable!! That loss is on him. Joe pulled off a couple of saves plus the pen save (but that was more he dived but it luckily hit his leg when put down the middle) but he then cost us with a poorly hit rushed clearance out wide goes straight to Dorking who had all the time in the world to shoot at an empty goal as I think my aunt with her zimmer frame could have got back quicker than Joe!! It's looking like we just don't care anymore

[Towningaround]

I’m not excusing the penalty…..I took pens and I’ve been a manager and pens get missed all the time…..all I would say is there’s a way of missing that’s more acceptable than other ways and with 15 mins to go that’s not a good way to miss. 

The loss isn’t on Sam however, but it does show that when he’s not scoring he’s not contributing much else….this obsession the manager has of throwing him up front each time we’re losing with 15 mins to go, is like U8s football where you stick the best player up front in any game your losing…

No this loss, much like most of the lost points this season is on the manager. His tactics and in game management has been so poor so often it cannot be anything other than out of depth lack of ability. 

This said isn’t assembled on a shoestring. There’s quite a healthy budget and there are players in this squad that have manager has failed miserably to get the best out of…over and over again. 

Parcell is a defender and to play him so regularly in midfield when there are perfectly good midfield players on the bench and a lack of outright defenders on the pitch, borders on dereliction of duty. 

We can talk about poor strikers all day long, but Gavin has kept signing them and continuously failed to get the best from any of them. They’re all better than they have been allowed to show in this system under this manager. 

I’ve shown my preference many times on who I think should be first choice strikers but the fact is Gavin has mismanaged all of them. I firmly believe that had Hutchinson not been bombed out 55 mins after saving Gavin’s job at Tonbridge that he’d have 10 goals by now…I also firmly believe that the only strike partnership we’ve seen all season that actually performed and worked like partners was Chukwu and Hutchinson….Gavin broke it up just when they started to look promising and hung his hat on the guy who jumped ship the minute a few extra quid came his way only to come back cap in hand when the money dried up at Farnborough. 

You get back what you’ve put in. 

I could go on and on with stats and figures and examples of just how poor sone decisions have been but it’s pointless now. He ain’t gonna change.

Next week is a must win away at Salisbury and we will go back to Chuks and Hish up front and his 352 formation with defenders in midfield and defenders at wing back and I can’t see us winning….if we’re a goal down with 10 mins left Sam will move up front, Mickey  will stay in midfield even if we need to gamble and Hutchinson will come on in the 98th minute when her have a throw in near our own box!

[The Crowing Cockerel]

I agree that Gavin will revert to his preferred formation - with Rhys back between the sticks (- Joe Wright did pretty well in the circumstances), and Lenon looks like he may be back on the left pretty soon.

I am frustrated at the uninspiring squad Gavin has assembled - and lets not forget that this is actually the best its been all season. As a club, we should be staying up in this division this season, given the quality of the other sides at the bottom. You then look at the Isthmian Prem and think: we're probably going to have our work cut out making the top 5 there next season. It feels like a wasted opportunity right now.

...and then I think of that Panenka again......!!!!!

 

[TULACH ARD]

"Dorking weren't actually that good"...agreed...but still looked like they were in a training game against us!

Penalties: LEATHER THE BALL AS HARD AS YOU CAN!!! Nobody can ever criticise that approach surely?

[ETFC2001]

I’m really racking my brains trying to understand why Sam has even tried that. Perhaps in-front of the Dorking camera crew he wanted his moment over the point we desperately needed. He’s been an amazing servant to the club and he’s been amazing this season in games and kept us in some but it’s nothing sort of disgraceful what he tried in such a desperate time at the club.

I’d go as far to say it would be an absolute catastrophic failure of a season on the players, management, and board if we don’t stay up. An absolute disaster of a season. Sure, we’re little old Enfield Town who is in their highest league ever and may be punching above weight in infrastructure. I get that. But let’s not forget how many missed opportunities we have had this season to get points on the board and we’ve capitulated. Several times. 

[No bull Towner]

35 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

I agree that Gavin will revert to his preferred formation - with Rhys back between the sticks (- Joe Wright did pretty well in the circumstances), and Lenon looks like he may be back on the left pretty soon.

I am frustrated at the uninspiring squad Gavin has assembled - and lets not forget that this is actually the best its been all season. As a club, we should be staying up in this division this season, given the quality of the other sides at the bottom. You then look at the Isthmian Prem and think: we're probably going to have our work cut out making the top 5 there next season. It feels like a wasted opportunity right now.

...and then I think of that Panenka again......!!!!!

 

Rhys won't be back for Salisbury as concussion protocol keeps him out until Hampton he said on commentary today  

[No bull Towner]

1 hour ago, Towningaround said:

I’m not excusing the penalty…..I took pens and I’ve been a manager and pens get missed all the time…..all I would say is there’s a way of missing that’s more acceptable than other ways and with 15 mins to go that’s not a good way to miss. 

The loss isn’t on Sam however, but it does show that when he’s not scoring he’s not contributing much else….this obsession the manager has of throwing him up front each time we’re losing with 15 mins to go, is like U8s football where you stick the best player up front in any game your losing…

No this loss, much like most of the lost points this season is on the manager. His tactics and in game management has been so poor so often it cannot be anything other than out of depth lack of ability. 

This said isn’t assembled on a shoestring. There’s quite a healthy budget and there are players in this squad that have manager has failed miserably to get the best out of…over and over again. 

Parcell is a defender and to play him so regularly in midfield when there are perfectly good midfield players on the bench and a lack of outright defenders on the pitch, borders on dereliction of duty. 

We can talk about poor strikers all day long, but Gavin has kept signing them and continuously failed to get the best from any of them. They’re all better than they have been allowed to show in this system under this manager. 

I’ve shown my preference many times on who I think should be first choice strikers but the fact is Gavin has mismanaged all of them. I firmly believe that had Hutchinson not been bombed out 55 mins after saving Gavin’s job at Tonbridge that he’d have 10 goals by now…I also firmly believe that the only strike partnership we’ve seen all season that actually performed and worked like partners was Chukwu and Hutchinson….Gavin broke it up just when they started to look promising and hung his hat on the guy who jumped ship the minute a few extra quid came his way only to come back cap in hand when the money dried up at Farnborough. 

You get back what you’ve put in. 

I could go on and on with stats and figures and examples of just how poor sone decisions have been but it’s pointless now. He ain’t gonna change.

Next week is a must win away at Salisbury and we will go back to Chuks and Hish up front and his 352 formation with defenders in midfield and defenders at wing back and I can’t see us winning….if we’re a goal down with 10 mins left Sam will move up front, Mickey  will stay in midfield even if we need to gamble and Hutchinson will come on in the 98th minute when her have a throw in near our own box!

That wasn't a regular miss though was it? That was trying to show boat in front of the cameras at a time when we are fighting for our lives! If he had taken it like he normally does and wellied it into a corner then the game might have played out very differently. People lording Sam like he's the messiah and saviour of the club is what's made him believe he's it and a bit and think he can play silly buggers today. So yes he is to blame today in my opinion.

[Towningaround]

Quite a few of Sams penalties have gone down the middle or not far off it. He chipped one centrally v Torquay if I remember and he also nearly missed his in the penalty shootout out v Hornchurch and the keeper just couldn’t get a strong enough hand on it….

What I’m saying is every penalty that goes in is a good one and each one that’s missed is a bad one…he’s scored a 7 this season so law of averages says he misses one soon….I’ve seen really poor penalties go in where the keepers gone the wrong way and it’s “a cool head” and he SENT the keeper the wrong way….and I’ve seen really well struck ones heading for the corner that are saved…..the fact is the keeper often just guesses.

Today the keeper had done his homework. Sam has gone down the middle often enough for him to make it worthwhile delaying where he dived and he gambled on “wait and see”…it paid off.

Today’s penalty wasn’t the recurring theme that’s resulted in so many lost points from winning positions or so many lost points where we failed to even “have a go”….thats on the management. 

I do agree to a degree on the attitude that he’s a little untouchable…but fans have been as guilty of inducing that as much as the management that refuses to take him off until the 94th minute even in games he’s not affecting, are.

But to be fair to Sam, without his goals (and many of them have been penalties) we’d be mathematically down already….

[ETFC2001]

25 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

Quite a few of Sams penalties have gone down the middle or not far off it. He chipped one centrally v Torquay if I remember and he also nearly missed his in the penalty shootout out v Hornchurch and the keeper just couldn’t get a strong enough hand on it….

What I’m saying is every penalty that goes in is a good one and each one that’s missed is a bad one…he’s scored a 7 this season so law of averages says he misses one soon….I’ve seen really poor penalties go in where the keepers gone the wrong way and it’s “a cool head” and he SENT the keeper the wrong way….and I’ve seen really well struck ones heading for the corner that are saved…..the fact is the keeper often just guesses.

Today the keeper had done his homework. Sam has gone down the middle often enough for him to make it worthwhile delaying where he dived and he gambled on “wait and see”…it paid off.

Today’s penalty wasn’t the recurring theme that’s resulted in so many lost points from winning positions or so many lost points where we failed to even “have a go”….thats on the management. 

I do agree to a degree on the attitude that he’s a little untouchable…but fans have been as guilty of inducing that as much as the management that refuses to take him off until the 94th minute even in games he’s not affecting, are.

But to be fair to Sam, without his goals (and many of them have been penalties) we’d be mathematically down already….

I think it’s the way he misses though. Look all missed pens are the same, they don’t count as goals but I think there’s a difference between aiming for the middle of the goal and purposely trying a panenka in-front of a few cameras for YouTube.

Sam has been a great servant for the club and I’ve even said this season he could have a shout in the TOTS if we stayed up and it’s completely inexcusable today but what can we do? He’s key to what we set out to do before a ball is kicked.

There’s only so much blame you can put on the penalty though. It just simply wasn’t good enough today. We can say we wasn’t expecting a result etc because it’s a club who’s on their way to promotion but I’m sick of hearing that 12 games left of the season. We should approach every game the same no matter the team in my opinion. Obviously you have to make tactical decisions based on how a game is going but it just looked like we was going through the motions a bit.

 

[4wembleyfinals]

Although I have retired from making posts to the forum I still avidly read those of others. It is quite obvious that there is a lot of discontent from many subscribers for whom I have a lot of empathy. Even from a distance I cringe when reading some of the clubs official reports.

I must say I still stand by my comments at the beginning of the season recording the Board's decision to give up Wyllie, before having a planned replacement, would come back to bite them!!!! Also it that it could be the catalyst of future failings in playing results to come. 

One other thing I am still awaiting receipt a copy of a summary of he AGM's minutes which all members are entitled to have. Other than how wonderful the new stand will be!!! No doubt this has occupied most of their thinking. Rather than how can we climb the league table. Has anyone seen such items??

Now back to sleep zzzzzz

Edited 22 hours ago by 4wembleyfinals

[djwilf]

Did Gavin give his interview after the game yesterday?

[dwhe]

If anyone who hasn't seen the much mentioned penalty, here it is with highlights thanks to DWTV, I could see what he was trying to do, just not enough power.

[Towningaround]

59 minutes ago, djwilf said:

Did Gavin give his interview after the game yesterday?

No, we lost.

[No bull Towner]

13 minutes ago, dwhe said:

If anyone who hasn't seen the much mentioned penalty, here it is with highlights thanks to DWTV, I could see what he was trying to do, just not enough power.

We all saw what he was trying to do which was not doing what he should have done. Take him off pens for acting like a ....beep....to knock him down a peg or two