ENFIELD TOWN 2 CHESHUNT 3
Ryman League Division 1 North
Tuesday 9th September 2008

Harry England reports........

An entertaining game against local rivals Enfield saw The Ambers come away with all three points after coming from behind twice. Dave Wattley started on the subs bench against his old club, whilst Michael Deane was suffering from injury.
 
'Town' opened the scoring before many had even taken their seats, as Mitch Hahn scored from a rebounded Jeff Hammond effort. It became apparent after five minutes that the referee would be giving Cheshunt nothing, as Mark Gradosielski was booked for a late challenge, unworthy of a booking so early in the game. However, five minutes later he saw a half-volley just wide of the Town goal. Just minutes later he had a free-kick, which went just wide from 20-yards.
 
Enfield had a golden opportunity on seventeen minutes, but Ellis Remy's shot was brilliantly turned over by Harry Ricketts in The Ambers' net. It was Cheshunt piling on the pressure though, and Mervin Abraham chested a ball down brilliantly, and looked to have scored as he coolly rolled his shot under the 'keeper, only for Mitch Hahn to save the day and clear off the line.
 
Town had a Rudi Hall header cleared off the line by Glen Parry in the twenty-second minute from a corner, before they hit the post seconds later. A cross came in from the right, but Luke Marshall saw his effort strike the upright and go out for a goal-kick. Captain Mervin Abraham played a superb through-ball to put in Daniel Bradford, but his shot hit a defender and rolled into the goalkeeper's hands. Matt Keogh couldn't quite get a heavy enough touch on a corner, before the referee shambolically denied a blatant backpass.
 
Cheshunt got themselves back on level terms at long last in the thirty-third minute, as Daniel Bradford finished off a move started by lively winger Danny Bleach.
 
Some entertaining stuff happened in the late part of the first-half, as Gary Schillachi made a stunning clearance off the line, twisting his body to hook the ball out, then Ashley Taylor-Forbes saw an effort blocked by a last-ditch Simon Tickner challenge. In stoppage time, Mitch Hahn saw his thunderous shot just wide across the face of goal, before the referee blew the half-time whistle.
 
HALF TIME
 
Rio Alderton was booked early in the second-half for his foul of Gradosielski, and three-minutes later the referee became a hate-figure for Ambers fans after he ONLY booked David Bastien for a horrific foul, taking the legs from under the Cheshunt man. The referee was once again at the cenre of attention moments later, as he disallowed a Gradosielski header for, what his signal could only be interpreted as, a push in the area; of which everyone else seemed oblivious to.
 
Cheshunt were dominating, searching desperately to take a lead, and it looked like Ashley Taylor-Forbes would be the one who scored, but Jean Willis was equal to his effort.
 
Mitch Hahn scored again, in the fifty-fifth minute. He saw his first effort blocked well by a defender, but it fell kindly to him, and he launched his shot spinning into the top-corner, an unstoppable goal. Hahn was searching for his hat-trick, and he hit a hopeful 40-yarder , before Cheshunt countered and levelled the scores. Daniel Bradford was put through by the impressive Mark Gradosielski, and he coolly slotted the ball under the opposing goalkeeper to make it 2-2.
 
Reece Prestedge had a good chance ten minutes after the equaliser, as Danny Bleach sent him off down the left, but he hit his shot thundering wide of the mark. Thirteen minutes from the end, Cheshunt grabbed the final goal of the game. Jason Willis dropped a shot from a goalmouth scramble, and Danny Bleach was the fox in the box who pounced to jab the ball home.
 
The only other things to note was the disappointing punch-up at the end of the game, which resulted in Rio Alderton being dismissed for throwing punches at people, although it must be noted that he was dismissed for a second-yellow, not a straight red. There was also shouts for a penalty after Mervin Abraham was fouled, but it was obvious what the answer would be: no.
 
Cheshunt: Ricketts, Schillachi, Parry, Keogh, Dobson, Gradosielski, Taylor-Forbes, Prestedge, Bradford, Bleach, Abraham (c)
Subs: Williams, Whincup, Harrison, Judge
 
Enfield: Willis, Harvey, Bastian, Campbell, Tickner, Alderton, Hahn, Hall (c), Hammond, Remy, Marshall
Subs: Mitchell, Wattley, Dauti, Jones, Dooling
 
Attendance: 249