It's the next round of the FA Youth Cup. Having been to this ground to see the landlords Brimsdown Rovers in the FA Cup earlier in the season, I hadn't expected to be back so soon!
On walking into the car park I see we have travelled in style on a big team coach. Now presumably you can offset this against the gate, as this is an FA competition, but after th officials & other match day expeneses have been knocked off I would have thought that this is a loss shared. For a Club that's supposed to be so skint I cannot fathom how we afford a fancy coach for this tie. But there you go. What do I know? I'm only a supporter.
So here I am, in a confident mood, even though the 'non-league grapevine' says that Enfield Town are not a bad youth side. On arriving some of the home fans have long memories, from the old Isthmian days when they supported Enfield FC, before they walked away to form Town. Several come up and say hello to me, and chat. They were old adversaries of ours in supporters' football, and as a result we got on really well with them. Somewhat embarrassingly I haven't a clue who I'm speaking to. My memory is not as good as theirs!
I pop in the bar, and I notice an old football shield on the wall, which hadn't caught my attention on my last visit. I've never heard of the competition, presumably a local Essex/east London based one. Engraved wirh ' Surburban Northern Intermediate League' it states 'founded 1921'; with the last winners with their name on it being a team called Claptonians. The Brimsdown tea bar is shut. I would guess they have an agreement with them to run their own one on Town matchdays. There is one inside the ground, but it's only hot drinks & sandwiches, none the traditional substantial greasy fare like hot dogs, burgers & chips, which Brimsdown Rovers had of a high standard when I saw them a few weeks earlier.
The game is a real end to end one, both sides going for it, & at some pace. But we are tearing them apart when going forward, even though they're not a mug side, & despite our dominance I'm happy with a lone goal lead, a low shot that beat the keeper from.
Ten minutes into the second period our lead was 'doubled' but disallowed for another non-existant challenges on the home goalie. The referee appeared to let it stand, but dithered, changing his mind after whingeing from the Enfield players. Justice was done five minutes later when we scored a totally legitimate effort. Two more were added as a much fitter young Hamlet side took control as the game wore on. Nyren Clunis finished with a hat-trick, with the other goal coming from Roy Odiaka, our hat-trick hero of the previous round
He must have impressed the watching Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United & England star who was a Peckham boy, & close mates with Gavin Rose. He helps to fund the ASPIRE Academy, & it's great to see him manage to get to a game. Until he was pointed out I hadn't noticed him, but word got round. His attempts at being incognito didn't quite work, despite him 'hiding' under a grey hoodie. But fair play to people for letting him get on with just watching the match & not pestering him for autographs and photos. I'm sure he would have realised that goes with the trappings of fame, but it was good that people stepped back, didn't hassle him & allowed him some quality privacy while watching the Dulwich Hamlet Youth Team!
While I was well pleased with our performance I hope someone can have a word with Aaron Scott, our number two. Two second half incidents stick to mind. In one he was poleaxed in the middle of the park, but after a little lie down & realising the referee had allowed play to continue, he jumped up and jogged off in a recovery that Lazarus himself would have been proud of. A little later he was fouled, & to be fair he was cuaght, but the resultant squeal sounded like a who pen of pigs in unison. It did its job though, as the culprit got booked as a result. All in all a bit embarrassing, if I may so so.
We even had the luxury of allowing Louis Baldwin to stick a late consolation past us. And despite us knocking four past them I can't finish without mentioning their keeper Jason Holmes who showed real promise. It's hard to put him at fault for any of the goals, if anything he was let down by his defenders for some of them. His positioning was good, he was confident & had that natural self belief that is the mark of good keeper. I'd be surprised if he doesn't go on to be their first team keeper before long.
We're in the hat for the next round, actually pre drawn, but you know what I mean. If I were to say we are at home to the winners of Chelmsford City & Halstead Town it doesn't have the same ring to it. Football wise this was a superb job done, & once again, like Uxbridge the round before, the opposition were no pushovers despite the scorelines.
When I got back to Liverpool Street I jumped on a bus round to Liverpool Street for my train home. I flashed my travelcard & sat near the front behind the driver. I have an 'old fashioned' paper one, not the new fangled Oyster thingys. One chap hopped on & swiping his Oyster beeped funny. The driver called him back & he tried again, with the same noise, which meant he had no credit on his card. The driver quite correctly & politely told him that he would have to top it up & refused to let him travel for free. The indignant suit told him; "I've got money, I just haven't got any cash!" as he sheepishly got off the bus with the rest of us laughing away at him. Talk about 'icing on the cake' after a great win!
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