Bishop’s Stortford won a huge game in the race for promotion from the Pitching In Isthmian League to National League South by comprehensively completing a league double over Enfield Town on Saturday.
Ryan Charles scored the first midway through the first half and earned the penalty that Frankie Merrifield converted three minutes after half time in a 2-0 win that leaves Blues unbeaten in seven and with only one defeat in 22 in the league.
Stortford move to within a point of second-placed Town and level on goal difference in the Premier Division. Leaders Worthing, who visit the R&D Advisors UK Stadium next Saturday (Feb 19), stretched their lead to five points after a 2-0 win at Merstham.
Manager Steve Smith kept the same XI that started the midweek 3-0 win at Potters Bar Town for the match in front of a crowd of 754 at Donkey Lane.
Blues skipper Ryan Henshaw rose highest from the match’s first corner, finding only Enfield Town keeper Nathan McDonald’s gloves at the back post.
Lyle Della-Verde’s free kick hit the wall before Sam Youngs floated in a cross in but over ex-Blue Jake Cass’s head at the back post.
Charles made the breakthrough after 22 minutes from Merrifield’s pass with his ninth goal of the season. He drifted in off the right wing into the box and shot low into the middle of the goal. McDonald got a hand on the shot but could not keep it out, with defenders unable to clear the ball as it bounced towards goal.
Billy Cracknell cleared after Mo Faal got his feet tangled and miscontrolled a through ball, before Johnville Renee’s cross was met by Ben Marlow’s head, but McDonald saved.
A Marlow free kick was knocked down by Anthony Church – making his 150th Blues appearance – into Billy Cracknell’s path, but he fired wide from 15 yards.
Percy Kiangebeni’s cross from a short corner was headed away and Blues goalkeeper Jack Giddens punched clear the follow-up corner kick. Nathan Smith’s clearing header fell as far as Marlow, who volleyed at goal but McDonald got down well to save.
Giddens saved a long shot from Della-Verde. He then rushed out to clear a long ball, but Faal blocked his kick, but the sweeper keeper recovered well to clear the second time.
Charles nearly doubled the lead on the stroke of half time, but McDonald kept his team in it with a low save.
After 48 minutes, Jonathan Muleba fouled Charles in the box and referee Harry Wager did not hesitate in awarding a penalty. Merrifield stepped up and dispatched it calmly into the bottom right corner, sending McDonald the wrong way, for his 14th goal of the campaign.
Della-Verde fired wide from the left side of the box and Youngs headed over the bar from Della-Verde’s corner. Substitute Jonny Giles, who came on for Marlow in first-half injury time, crossed to Charles in the middle but McDonald claimed the bouncing ball.
Della-Verde could not hit the target and fired over the bar on the half-volley, and Merrifield fired wide from 25 yards from a Giles lay-off.
Youngs was unmarked and would have hoped to at least test Giddens from six yards out from a left-wing cross but headed over. Substitute Adam Cunnington – who replaced Cass with 25 minutes left – shot on the turn but saw his effort blocked, and the follow up cross went behind.
From a long throw off the left wing, Jerry Gyebi headed over and Merrifield forced a close-range save from McDonald after pouncing on a defensive mix-up.
Faal ran down the left channel with Blues defenders expecting an offside flag which did not come, and Giddens cut down the angle and saved with his legs, before a goal-bound header from Cunnington was easily saved, as Stortford preserved a third clean sheet in four and a vital win.
Before what is expected to be their largest home crowd of the season against Worthing next saturday, the Blues travel for the third sucessive match to Haringey Borough on Tuesday (Feb 15).
Enfield Town: McDonald, Muleba, Kirwan (Sayoud 68), Thomas (c), Smith, Gyebi, Kiangebeni (Taaffe 76), Youngs (booked 59), Cass (Cunnington 65, booked 90+3), Faal, Della-Verde. Unused subs: McLeod, Nichols.
Blues: Giddens, Church, Robbins, Henshaw (c), Marlow (Giles 45+1), Harris, Merrifield, Renee (booked 61), Jack Thomas, Charles (Peters 85), Cracknell. Unused subs: Edwards, Haines.
Attendance: 754
ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
(games played, points, goal difference)
- Worthing 29, 64, +35
- Enfield T 30, 59, +29
- Blues 30, 58, +29
- Lewes 30, 56, +26
- Hornchurch 28, 52, +23
- Folkestone 28, 51, +26
- Kingstonian 29, 49, +6
Credit: Source link
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