(Ryman Premier League) 6th December 1997

Enfield (0) 0
Kingstonian (0) 1 Noah 79

Of course, this game was more to do with who would take the hot seat at Southbury Road than the game of football itself, and this is reflected by the fact that there are only a number of notes on my notepad. I have scrawled down the fact that St. Hilaire forced a save from the Kingstonian keeper on five minutes, and the fact that the new issue of TGTLS News shifted more than half of the available units in a couple of hours, due to the sterling work of Jim Cantle (who will be appearing on Thames News this coming Tuesday night (9th December).
Then I have Lee Endersby having a great effort saved, plus Paul Moran's excellent volley five minutes from time which followed on from Noah's 79th minute winner for the visitors.

(Ryman Premier League) 13th December 1997

Enfield (0) 2 May 56; Tucker 86
Hitchin Town (1) 1 Barr5

Not the best of times to sit down and write a match report, this. Nothing to do with the football... Enfield overcame a few jitters to squeeze past the boys from Hertfordshire - it's just that this is the second time that I have written this. I will in future make sure of what I am deleting.

Just a few notes then: Pape was still out of the side. This was in no small matter due to the fact that his father had died recently. There is actually some speculation that he is moving to Aldershot Town quite soon to be reunited with George Borg. Don't rule out this possibility, but also remember the fact that the other side of the coin is that a new manager looks at the players before deciding who is or isn't out of favour.
Hitchin took and early lead before new manager Gary Calder had even the chance to take his seat in the dugout. The visitors could even have extended the lead, but for Well's fine double save towards the end of the half.

May quickly restored normality by heading home a Venables cross at the start of the second half. Enfield were by now creating a number of chances, but it was not till the last ten minutes that the ball was in the back of the Hitchin net again. However, the goal was disallowed at the insistence of referee Ward. With four minutes to go the game looked destined for a draw. However, up stepped Tucker to head home, cueing wild scenes of celebration not seen at Enfield since it was announced that Caffrey's was on tap in the social club.

(Ryman Premier League) 20th December 1997

Bromley (2) 3 Griggs 26; Sharman 38; Tompkins 56 May sent off 76
Enfield (0) 1 Moran (pen)77

Enfield's first venture away from Southbury Road in absolutely ages. Nearly a month ago to this date we were at Aylesbury watching Westley's side taking on Phillips' side. Both managers have relinquished their managerial positions - Phillips still blocks the sunlight from the visiting fans behind the goal at Aylesbury, and Westley... well, we don't really know where he has gone!
Enfield have now acquired the services of Lee Williams from Grays Athletic. The twenty-year-old was on the subs bench, and the news at the top of the team sheet is that Andy Pape is now back as No 1, though Bromley's tannoy announcer was probably having a sly dig by referring to our keeper as Andy Pap.
Enfield's boozy supporters were still wishing a merry Christmas to one and all when the Enfield defence gifted Bromley the first goal. By all accounts it was a Pape howler, and Bromley's supporters were getting rather animated in their celebrations, whooping and cheering - milking the moment for all it was worth. Either Bromley have been having a poor moment of it lately, or Enfield are regarded still as a team to beat.
Bromley's second came from a left wing cross that was headed home via the crossbar by Sharman. More over the top celebrations behind the goal that bore no relation to being two up on a mid-table Ryman League side, and at the break there were the obvious references to Enfield's current league form as the supporters changed ends. All quite sad really.

Bromley quickly increased their lead after the break after springing the offside trap. Pape blocked the first shot, but was unable to deny Tompkins adding the third.
Enfield were better than this scoreline would suggest. Gagen, the man in the middle, was having another of his off days in charge of an Enfield fixture, managing to annoy both sides supporters simultaneously. Such is his ineptitude that when Bromley's David May handled inside his own area, most were not even expecting a card of any sort to be shown for what looked like a bookable offence. When May moved away, it appeared that he had escaped unpunished, by Gagen produced a red card and the Bromley defender did not stop running till he got to the dressing room. Moran stuck the penalty away with the minimum of fuss, and there was a little over ten minutes to salvage a point.
Williams had by now made an appearance from the bench, and was quickly involved, setting Leroy May up for an effort on goal. May was also involved in a little scuffle with Wietecha, the opposition keeper, after going in with a foot after a save. Wietecha reacted, and the result was a booking for the Enfield forward, but nothing for Wietecha's response.

(Ryman Premier League) 27th December 1997

Enfield (0) 0
Boreham Wood (3) 3 Samuels 5; Robbins 43; Marshall 45

A game of three headers that produced goals. The first from the right, the second from the left, and the third which must have bounced sixteen dozen times before being turned in off the head of another Ex E who returned to Southbury Road too score.

I used to wonder what it was like for the opposition fans as Enfield used to turn in win after win in this league. Today I saw just what it was like to see life from the other side, as Enfield turned in as abysmal a performance as any other in this difficult season. When the supporters start to cheer chances made by their forwards in a derisory manner, that is when things are bad. For the record, there were four attempts by Enfield that were dealt with by Martin Taylor in Boreham Wood's goal.
Taylor spent the majority of the game as an observer, and must have been impressed as Samuels quickly established a lead for the visitors, due as usual to Enfield's weakness from crosses into the box. It was the same old story at the end of the half as Robbins beat Pape at the far post, quickly followed by Marshall converting in first half injury time when any number of defenders could have cleared the ball to safety.

The first shot on goal by the Blues got the biggest cheer of the day, closely followed by the reaction to Leroy May's swallow dive in search of a hopeful penalty. To say that he was miffed at the suggestion that it was a dive would be akin to saying Doncaster Rovers look in a little trouble this season.
And to make matters worse, who should turn up for the game but the Prince of Darkness himself, Graham Roberts. A sighting of Roberts at Southbury Road is usually the sign that a player is either soon to be on his way west, or that another ex-E is coming back. Also, the side invariably plays worse after a visit. Couldn't really get any worse at the moment on the pitch! Personally, there ought to be a clause that ex managers are not allowed to revisit, other than as opponents. He was spotted too late in the day for us to have any fun, but he sure skirted off quick at the end as the crowd gave vent to their displeasure at yet another home defeat.
So it's off to Dagenham & Redbridge next Saturday... and another of our old boys who bangs in the goals since leaving.