Full-time: Enfield Town 2-1 Chelmsford City
Chelmsford City suffered a late defeat to Enfield Town at the Dave Bryant Stadium in their first away trip of 2025.
Sam Youngs scored both the hosts’ goals and the latter of Youngs’ brace cancelled out Cameron James’ 89th minute equaliser.
Robbie Simpson introduced new signing Harry Barbrook from the beginning, with the Ipswich Town loanee taking the place of the injured Sam Oguntayo at left back. In attack, Kalvin Kalala was handed his first National League South start since November while recent arrival Finley Wilkinson was one of five named on the substitutes bench.
The opening 45 minutes of the game were largely uneventful, with both teams struggling to carve out clear opportunities. Enfield Town had the first real chance of the game in the 14th minute when forward Jake Hutchinson connected with a cross from the right, but his effort hit the post and rebounded to safety.
Chelmsford City, meanwhile, had decent spells of possession as the half progressed but struggled to discover the cutting edge needed to break down the Towners’ defence. Both sides headed into the break goalless.
The second half was more of an open contest, with both teams having goalscoring opportunities. Chelmsford City came close to taking the lead in the 63rd minute when goalkeeper Rhys Forster spilled a long-range shot from Ruaridh Donaldson. Debutant Wilkinson, who was introduced as a 54th minute substitute, was first to react, but his follow-up effort went behind for a goal kick, much to the frustration of the visitors.
Four minutes later, Wilkinson was involved again, this time squaring the ball to fellow substitute Glenn McConnell, whose powerful shot was well saved by Forster.
Gavin Macpherson’s side began to grow into the game during the final 20 minutes and increased the pressure on City’s backline. Towners substitute Amaru Kanuda fired a warning shot when he turned inside the box and forced City goalkeeper Ted Collins into a smart save.
The hosts made their increasing pressure count when they broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute. The Clarets failed to clear Billy Leonard’s cross from the right flank, and the ball dropped to Youngs at the back post, who made no mistake from point-blank range to give Enfield the lead.
City responded in the 89th minute when McConnell’s corner from the left was clinically guided into the net by James, who used his chest to direct the ball into the goal and level the score to make it 1-1.
With seven minutes of stoppage time added, the match seemed to be heading for a draw, but City’s recent unbeaten run was ended in the fifth minute of injury time. Lennon Peake’s wide free kick found the unmarked Youngs inside the penalty area, who rose highest to head home the winner and complete his brace, leaving Chelmsford City with nothing to show from their trip to North London.
The defeat leaves the Clarets with work to do ahead of next weekend’s away trip to Bath City.
Enfield Town XI: Forster (GK); Parcell (C), Thompson, Tuck, Benjamin (Kaunda 62′), Hawkins, Brown, Youngs, Peake, Leonard, Hutchinson (Chukwu 84′).
Unused substitutes: Smith, Adjei-Heresey, Payne.
Yellow cards: Benjamin 24′
Chelmsford City XI: Collins (GK); Barnum-Bobb (James 75′), Appiah, Edwards, Barbrook; Penney, Donaldson (Bland 87′); Crichlow (Williams 69′), Ruff (C) (McConnell 45′), Kalala (Wilkinson 56′); Hyde.
Unused substitutes: none
Yellow cards: none
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