Non-League and Academy football writer

On Wednesday evening I went to see two teams from North London, in Park View FC, and their opponents for the evening Enfield Borough, at the New River Stadium, in Wood Green. This was a Thurlow Nunn League Division One South fixture (the tenth tier of English football), with the home side, Park View, going into this game in 20th place in the league standings, one place and two points above their visitors for the evening – Enfield Borough. This was my first visit to the New River Stadium, and it was a good game despite some difficult weather conditions, as it rained heavily at times. A clinical Enfield Borough side won this league match 3-0, to go above of Park View in the league table. Enfield Borough started the match quite well, and they took the lead quite early on in the game, through their number 30 (unfortunately I couldn’t find a team-sheet at the match). The Enfield Borough number 30 managed to latch onto a through-ball pass in behind the Park View defence, and he took the ball forward at pace, into the Park View penalty area, from where he finished really well off the inside of the goalkeeper’s left hand post. The home side tried to respond, and a decent effort from the Park View number eight from over 35 yards out, as he had spotted the Enfield Borough goalkeeper off of his line, went just over the goal.

Park View then had a goal ruled out for offside, before their centre-forward (number nine just missed the Park View right back’s good and inviting cross into the Enfield Borough penalty area. Park View were now seeing more of the ball, and after their number seven went forward with the ball at pace down the right flank and into the Enfield Borough penalty area, he saw his powerful effort hit the woodwork of the Park View goal. The Enfield Borough goalkeeper made a good save, and then a couple of minutes afterwards, a good move from the visitors ended with the Enfield Borough number nine volleying over a low cross into the Park View box, from close range. The Enfield Borough centre-forward (number nine) was having a good game, and impressing with his movement off the ball. He would go close to giving Enfield Borough head-coach Malik Yansaneh’s side a two goal lead, after he had taken the ball into the Park View box, before putting the ball just over the goal. The Enfield Borough number 15 hit an effort from distance, wide of the Park View goal, with half-time now not very far away.

Not long before the referee sounded his whistle for half-time, the visitors doubled their advantage. The Enfield Borough number nine surged forward down the left side of the Park View box, before having his effort well saved, although the ball wasn’t gathered by the goalkeeper. And the ball ended going to the Enfield Borough number 17, who found the back of the empty goal, from close range. Early on in the second half the Enfield Borough number nine did well to reach his goalkeeper’s long ball up the pitch, and into the Park View box, where he did well to cut inside onto his right foot with the ball, going past a defender, before seeing his resulting effort well saved by the goalkeeper. Around five minutes later the Enfield Borough goalkeeper just managed to keep out the Park View number three’s deflected effort from the edge of his penalty area. Enfield Borough would work the ball up the pitch shortly afterwards, as their number ten had his low effort on goal pushed behind by the goalkeeper. At the opposite end of the pitch, the Park View number nine and centre-forward did well to hold off an Enfield Borough defender, before attempting to square the ball for a teammate, right in front of the goal, but his teammate just missed the ball. The Park View goalkeeper then made an important save with his feet to deny Enfield Borough a third goal of the evening.

Enfield Borough’s number 17 headed an effort from a corner kick, just wide of the Park View goal, before Enfield Borough made sure of their win. Park View lost the ball around their penalty area, with the Enfield Borough number nine deservedly getting on the scoresheet, as he finished well past the goalkeeper from close range. During the final minutes of the game the Enfield Borough number 11 curled a decent first time effort from the edge of the Park View box, just wide of their goal, before Park View’s number 12 managed to get beyond the Enfield Borough defence, where he found himself through on goal, inside the penalty area. However, the Park View forward saw his very late effort saved by the Enfield Borough goalkeeper. This was a good game of football between two teams near the bottom of the league standings, but it was Enfield Borough who deserved all three points on the night. It was a bitterly cold night at the New River Stadium on Wednesday, but once again I saw another good non-League game, and at the same time I managed to visit a new ground, that I hadn’t been to before.