RYMAN PREMIER DIVISION
Att:
ENFIELD – 2 [Eyres 28.43]
SUTTON UNITED – 2 [Haworth 50. Whitmarsh 79]
Thank god for that. Another looooong season over and done with. Not that we’ll be looking back on this one with any great affection.
The only truly bright spots being Danny Bolt’s 20 goals and both the Scummers and K’s getting relegated. Ho hum.
Another annoying aspect of this season is that we’re not going to officially finish it! With Hendon’s huge fixture pile up and the member clubs not-so-cleverly voting NOT to extend the season, the U’s will end up with 41 of their 42 fixtures complete. The missing game being our home clash with the aforementioned Hendon. It seems that as the result won’t have any effect on the top or bottom ends of the table, the league has decided not to bother with it. Cool. Really makes the Ryman look like a right mickey mouse outfit though, with both clubs and League responsible for a rather farcical situation.
The normal faces assemble in the Croydon Wetherspoons along with 2 guest travellers who Bob has escorted over from Sutton. Alison & Andree deciding to see what it’s like to slum it with the pissheads rather than travel in the relative comfort of the coach or by car. I’m sure they’ll love it. No really…
Borehamwood has been Enfield’s temporary home for about the last season and a half since their somewhat unpopular Chairman flogged their old Southbury Road home without having a new one lined up. It’s a shame to see a club that was such a big outfit in the mid-80’s struggling like this. From crowds of 900+, now only on average 200 dedicated souls traipse over to Broughinge Road every other week.
Yet despite this sad catalogue of misfortune, we still can’t beat the bastards.
We jump off the Thameslink and head for the only pub in Borehamwood worth a toss. Another in the big Wetherspoons chain. A few pints later and we trot down to the ground for some enthralling last day ‘action’. Yeah right!
The U’s side has settled down in the last few weeks and it’s shown in our results. Proceedings get underway and it’s Enfield who are making the early running. We seem able to move the ball about fairly well, but lack any penetration up front. Meanwhile Tommy Dunn is doing no harm to his growing reputation at the other end, making several good stops from a number of threatening Enfield attacks. This doesn’t include the several good chances from set pieces guided over our crossbar by wasteful E’s finishing.
Our boys meanwhile mustered a couple of long range efforts, both from Whitmarsh and both straight at ex-U Kenny Addai in the home goal.
The home side took the lead after 28 minutes when a corner is floated into the box, bobbles around for a couple of seconds and is then poked home from close range by Ayres. Oh bugger.
The U’s continue to plug away with Whitmarsh and Haworth both again working their arses off, but Dunn is still the busier of the two ‘keepers. Most of the Sutton moves breaking down in the middle of the park or around the Enfield box. Then just on half time, Enfield increase their lead with an almost identical goal. A ball into the box causes a bit of confusion and Ayres nips in to nod the ball past Dunn from no more than 6 yards. Arse. I then mooch round to the bar to inform those who had sneaked off early that we’re 2-0 down.
The Enfield fans are most happy. Not with their team’s performance, but with Torquay’s. The Seagulls being 3-0 up at Barnet in the 3rd Division relegation decider. Aww, how sweet!
The U’s start the second half with 2 changes. Aligheri and Gray are on, probably to try and boost our attacking options. The gamble pays off as within 5 minutes of the restart, we’re back in the game. An excellent ball from midfield picks out Ekoku in the box. He brings the ball down onto his thigh and just as he’s about to shoot, a desperate last ditch tackle by a defender takes the ball off his toe. Thankfully, the ball is collected out wide by Whitmarsh who knocks it back accross the 6 yard box to the far post where an unmarked Rob Haworth slips the ball home.
This leads to Sutton playing with a bit more purpose. But Enfield are no means out of the contest. Dunn again having to be alert from 2 corners, both of which he pushes over the bar.
Sutton create a lot more this half, with Whitmarsh and Haworth finding themselves in excellent positions two or three times, but both are unable to deliver a decent enough finish. Then with just over 10 minutes to play, a move down the left and Aligheri fires in a cross to the back post. Whitmarsh defies his dimunutive stature by outjumping his marker and powering a header across Addai and into the far corner of the net.
From this moment on, both sides have chances to win the match, but fail to take them. And so, the season ends as it started back in August. With a draw. Kinda sums our year up really!!
We wander into the bar for the footy scores. Here we find the majority of the home support loudly celebrating. Despite a late fightback, their old local rivals Barnet have lost 3-2 to Torquay and are back in the Conference exactly 10 years after winning it. And the Enfield boys are loving it! SKY’s live pictures of the distraught Bee’s fans on the terraces is met with hysterical laughter in Borehamwood. Having said bye bye to our own local rivals this year, it’s hard not to manage a mischievous smirk as the festivities continue around us.
Then it’s back to the pub for another pint before mooching back to the station. Back in London, another beer stop is undertaken. Here we discover that one of our party (Who shall remain nameless…….eh Alison?) is surprised when we mention our draw today. “I’d thought we’d lost 2-1” she says. Not knowing the score is one thing, but being stood on the bloody terrace when the goals went in and not noticing is another!
We eventually crawl back into Sutton and park our arses in the pub for a few end of season drinks.
So, there goes another season. Boy, we bet you just can’t wait for August!!
No wait!! Come back!! We’re only kidding….
MAN OF THE MATCH : Tommy Dunn. Solid.
ENTERTAINMENT : 6. End of season fare.
TEAM : Dunn, Palmer, Horner, Boothe, Brooker, Harlow, Honey, McCormack, Ekoku, Haworth, Whitmarsh SUBS : Gray, Aligheri