Non-League and Academy football writer

Enfield Borough’s latest home fixture was against Lymore Gardens, on Saturday afternoon at Wingate & Finchley FC. Enfield Borough started this Thurlow Nunn League First Division South (step 6) match in 15th place in the league table, after eight matches played. Lymore Gardens started this game in seventh place in the table, after eight matches played. Lymore Gardens won this match 4-1.

Lymore Gardens took the lead in the third minute of Saturday’s game, from a set-piece. With defender Papa Ndiaye meeting Dylan Roberts’ well delivered corner-kick into the Enfield Borough box, before heading the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Andrew Zambrano’s goal, 1-0. And after a fast start to this game from Lymore, things almost got even better for Lee Benjamin’s side soon after play had resumed. As Malik Donaldson’s quickly taken throw-in had found the run of James Ikotun down the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area. The Lymore forward was pretty much through on goal, but from a tight angle, his low side-footed effort would go narrowly wide across the face of the goal.

Enfield Borough had certainly improved in their all-round play as a team, before Lymore Gardens had made it 2-0 around the half hour mark. For their second goal of the afternoon, Sertan Kirman would put the Enfield Borough goalkeeper under pressure on the edge of his penalty area, winning the ball and just helping the ball on to James Ikotun. And from 18 yards out he would curl a low effort into the empty goal, 0-2. Enfield Borough did go on to respond in a positive manner, and following a good through-ball pass to Kevin Moreira inside the Lymore box, the Enfield Borough number 10 was fouled by Ben Joao, resulting in a penalty being awarded to the home side. With Anas Aouimer going on to slot the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Michael Doyle’s goal, 1-2.

After that goal on the stroke of half-time, into first half additional time Enfield Borough came very close to drawing level. Monet Ollivierre’s perfectly weighted through-ball pass had found the run of Wilson Chingoka, who rounded the goalkeeper inside of the Lymore box. From an acute angle, Wilson Chingoka’s resulting low effort was destined for the back of the net, but for an excellent goal-line clearance by James Smith, to get the ball clear just in time.

Early on in the second half a well worked Lymore move saw the ball worked down to Sertan Kirman inside the Enfield Borough box, and from close range the Lymore midfielder would hit the ball into the side-netting of the goal. The second half would, for the most part, play out to be closely contested, before Lymore finished the game in style by scoring two very late goals. Firstly though, Olu Durojaiye would nod the ball wide at the back post of Michael Doyle’s goal, after meeting Mustafa Huseyin’s corner-kick delivery. 

Then, and following some influential Lymore substitutions, including the introduction to the game of Wisley Baltazar. The Lymore substitute would brilliantly control Papa Ndiaye’s long lofted pass out to the left flank. He would then hold off a defender really well before passing the ball across to James Smith, on the edge of the Enfield Borough box. His whipped effort on goal came very close to making it 3-1 to Lymore, with the ball hitting the underside of Andrew Zambrano’s crossbar, with the goalkeeper then gathering Joe Arnold’s effort on the follow-up.

Lymore were then awarded a late penalty. As Wisley Baltazar passed the ball to James Smith down the left flank, who in turn would whip a good low cross to Joe Arnold inside the penalty area. Arnold’s first time effort was powered against the crossbar, but then a couple of moments later the same player was fouled just inside the box, as he had attempted to retrieve the ball – penalty to Lymore! The clinical Wisley Baltazar would calmly step up to power the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-3. And then with little time left remaining in this game, Lymore Gardens would get a fourth goal. A lovely and skilful turn with the ball inside Enfield Borough’s final third would then result in the consistently impressive Lymore player threading a good pass into the path of Joe Arnold, down the right-hand side of the home team’s box. From where the Lymore substitute would do well to slot the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-4.

This was a good and competitive game of football this afternoon. Lymore started the game really well, but Enfield Borough got back into the game well, and for much of the second half it was difficult to predict how this game would finish. Yet it was Lymore Gardens who would finish this game in real style, with some influential substitutions helping them to add a further two goals, to make sure of the win and the three points. For Enfield Borough, my player of the match today was their captain, Wilson Chingoka, despite competition. For my overall player of the match, I’m going to name Mr consistent, James Smith as my player of the match, after an influential all-round performance from the Lymore midfielder. 

Team-sheets/match-day squads:

Enfield Borough: 

(1) Andrew Zambrano 

(2) Celeany Filho

(6) Olu Durojaiye

(5) Patrick Campbell 

(3) Jadon Anderson 

(8) Monet Ollivierre

(20) Tyrese Sibanda 

(4) Wilson Chingoka 

(10) Kevin Moreira 

(11) Anas Aouimer

(9) Alejandro Cardenas

Substitutes:

(18) Joshua George 

(15) Brooklyn Robinson 

(19) Mustafa Huseyin

(17) Muhammad Limbada 

(22) Jordan George 

Lymore Gardens:

(1) Michael Doyle 

(6) Ryo Brown (captain)

(2) Ben Joao

(17) Gaston Mendy

(24) Papa Ndiaye 

(7) James Smith

(33) Sertan Kirman 

(10) Malik Donaldson

(14) James Ikotun

(21) Dylan Roberts 

(11) Tyrique Peters

Substitutes:

(26) Wisley Baltazar 

(5) Will Smallshaw

(24) Joe Arnold

(23) Kirk McPherson

(25) Stanley Green