Non-League and Academy football writer

I was in attendance at Wormley Sports Club on Monday night, for this Thurlow Nunn Eastern Counties League Division One South, Enfield derby fixture between Brimsdown FC and Enfield Borough. This fixture was both club’s penultimate league fixture of the season. Brimsdown, a club who have really impressed since earning promotion back to step 6 last season, started this game in ninth place in the league. With the away team (Enfield Borough) finishing the season in great form, and they started this game in 13th place in the league. This match finished 4-0 to Enfield Borough, as they won their seventh league match in a row. Enfield Borough would manage to create the better chances during the early stages of the game. Following a long pass during the opening 30 seconds of the game, Zola Melo hit an effort on the bounce from the edge of the Brimsdown penalty area, over their goal. Around five minutes later a cross into the Brimsdown box found Darral Wopara, whose low effort on the Brimsdown goal was stopped and cleared well off the goal-line by Brimsdown defender David Ogbechie. There had been a good start to the game with a good intensity from both sides. Not long after Darral Wopara had a low effort saved by Brimsdown goalkeeper Samuel Thomas, after meeting Kyle Finlayter-Lynch’s cross into the Brimsdown box, Enfield Borough took the lead in the game.

The opening goal of the game came from an Enfield Borough free-kick, from around 25 yards out from goal from Darral Wopara. The Enfield Borough player’s powerful effort on goal was saved but not gathered by Brimsdown goalkeeper Samuel Thomas, with Zola Melo able to finish into the goal on the follow-up from close range, 0-1. The first chance of the second half came for Enfield Borough, with the impressive Rory Connolly-Harding hitting an effort over from the edge of the Brimsdown box, after travelling inside with the ball from the left flank. A couple of minutes later Brimsdown player Dylan Krikler managed to get to the ball inside the Enfield Borough box, with the away side unable to get the ball clear. However, Dylan Krikler’s effort, which was on target, was well blocked by Enfield Borough player Femi Araba. As the second half progressed it started to become similar to the first half, with Enfield Borough being dominant and creating a good amount of chances. Following some good technique from Rory Connolly-Harding inside the Brimsdown penalty area, as he volleyed an effort wide of their goal after connecting with a good cross, Connolly-Harding would then go close to getting a goal.

After Rory Connolly-Harding had managed to reach the ball on the left-hand side of the Brimsdown penalty area, he managed to get an effort away on goal, but it was well saved and closed down by goalkeeper Samuel Thomas. From the resulting corner kick, which had been taken short, Enfield Borough would then go onto double their lead in the game. With Kyle Finlayter-Lynch getting on the ball on the left flank, before delivering a fine cross into the centre of the penalty area to pick out Enfield Borough defender Luke Bailey, whose good headed effort found the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. Enfield Borough would continue to look the more likely side to score the next goal of the match. Shortly after Idries Turay had been able to work an effort (there were a number of defenders surrounding him) on the right side of the Brimsdown penalty area, which had went wide of the goal, Enfield Borough would get their third goal of the game. The goal/chance arrived after an initial effort inside the Brimsdown penalty area had been blocked by a defender, with the ball then sitting up for Sam Olanipekun inside the box, and he was then able to emphatically volley the ball into the goal, 0-3.

Following an Enfield Borough free-kick which had been taken quickly, defender Luke Bailey would hit an effort over the Brimsdown goal from the edge of their penalty area. In the resulting minutes Brimsdown player Bertug Seyhan (he was probably Brimsdown’s most influential player on the night) would have an effort from the edge of the Enfield Borough box, which was saved by their goalkeeper (Dren Hoti), before Enfield Borough got a very late penalty kick. The very skilful Rory Connolly-Harding went on a clever run with the ball into the Brimsdown penalty area, before being brought down by a defender, with the referee pointing straight to the penalty spot, to award the penalty. Connolly-Harding would elect to take the resulting penalty, but his powerful low effort was well saved by the outstretched Samuel Thomas, before Connolly-Harding was able to finish into the goal on the follow-up, 0-4. 

This was obviously not a great night for the Brimsdown team, who didn’t really get going against the inform visiting side. However, Enfield Borough are a team who are capable of beating any team in this league on their day. They played some good football, and they were clever in what they did on the ball, and it was a good team performance from Enfield Borough. Despite it being a good team performance, I thought that Rory Connolly-Harding was the player of the match, and particularly in the second half he made a really good impression on the game. He went on some really good and skilful runs with the ball from the left flank, and he was unpredictable in his dribbling style. Connolly-Harding would win a penalty and also score a goal, against Brimsdown.