Hoddesdon suffered their 19th postponement of the season on Saturday, when once again bad weather left the scheduled playing surface unsuitable for football, and another game having to be rescheduled into an already jammed fixture list.

That game against Newbury Forest has been rescheduled for Saturday the 13th of April, meaning the original game against NW London will now be played on Tuesday the 2nd of April.

All of this means that Hoddesdon head into the Tuesday evening game against Enfield Borough with fresh legs and hungry for another three points. This game was originally due to be played at Lowfield on the 20th of January but was inevitably postponed due to bad weather.

Our opponents were established by former Brimsdown management team Marvin Walker and Aaron Archer in 2016 and joined Division Two of the Spartan South Midlands League. After finishing third in the division in their first season, they were promoted to Division One. At the end of the 2020–21 season the club were transferred to Division One of the Combined Counties League and find themselves in the Eastern Counties Division 1 South for the current season. They currently ground share with Wingate & Finchley at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. The club – one of the three in the pyramid with Enfield in their name – hope to return to the borough in the near future. Enfield-born Michael Duberry is a club ambassador after a 20-year professional career that included Chelsea and Leeds United. This season the club launched a post-16 academy in partnership with CONEL College and expanded its youth programme to cover U13 to U18 boys.

Enfield Borough currently sit second bottom in the table, 4 points behind Hoddesdon and having played three more games than us. Their league record reads played 32, won 7, drawn 8, lost 17, amassing 29 points, scoring 54 and conceding 80. Their away record thus far makes for unpleasant viewing, playing 19, winning 2, drawing 3, losing 14, scoring 25 and conceding 57. Indeed, Borough hold the unenviable record of least league wins on the road this season.

There is however cause for optimism for the away team in as much as much as their last outing was an impressive 3-3 with high flying Harlow Town. Goals from Sachon Lawrence-Edwards, Ezra Grant-Bolt and a late, late Darral Wopara header, overturned a 1-0 half time deficit and claimed a crucial point against one of the leagues big boys. You can watch highlights of that game at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, including all six goals HERE.

Our visitors however are under no illusion about their current precarious position.

Programme notes from that game vs Harlow read "Since the last set of notes was written we have played twice and suffered identical 3-2 defeats at the hands of May & Baker and Tower Hamlets. It seems that no matter how many goals we score at one end, we somehow are able to concede more than that number at the other. Since Christmas, we have played 9 games, scored 19 goals yet conceded 26, gathering 7 points in the process. Our league position is starting to look very perilous as clubs like Hoddesdon Town and Park View have experienced a major upturn in performance whilst we have been unable to gather enough points to reel in those clubs, such as Southend Manor and Barkingside, who have been struggling recently. It is not that we have necessarily played badly in games, but have been unable to maintain a level of performance for a full ninety minutes and have let a number of leads slip through our fingers. Should we eventually be relegated, we will have no one to blame but ourselves..'

Hoddesdon too, have seen their fair share of being unable to turn good performances into points this season, although that wasn't the case the last time these two sides met.

Dion Laughton made an instant impact when he scored what is believed to be the fastest goal by a debutant after only 48 seconds. The Lilywhites kicked off and, after passing the ball across the back twice, they broke down the right and Dion was set free for a run on goal which ended with him chipping the ball over the body of the advancing keeper. After this, though, the hosts – playing at Wingate & Finchley’s ground – picked up their game and began to have the better of the play. Gradually, however, the Lilywhites clawed their way back on top and deserved their second goal when it came in the 33rd minute. Pressure on the home goal resulted in a succession of corners that finally bore fruit when Jack Riddle took advantage of a melee in the six-yard box to head home from close range. A good move up the left involving Narcis Filipe and Connor Bolton set up Dion Laughton for a shot from just outside the box. His fierce drive struck the inside of the post and deflected into the goal for his second of the game. This three-goal buffer only lasted three minutes, however, as some indecisive defending, following a cross into the box, allowed a soft reply from Wilberforce Ocran. There were to be no more alarms, though, and the Lilywhites added a fourth in added time when Man of the Match Jack Riddle found space for a free header at the far post from a Connor Bolton corner from the right, meaning Hoddesdon left the Maurice Rebak Stadium with all three points in a dominating 4-1 win away from home.

Enfield will undoubtedly prove a tougher test this time around, fighting for league survival.

Marco Magunga represents their biggest goal threat with an impressive 11 goals in 18 games for the club in all competitions. Only Ocran Wilberforce comes close to challenging Magunga with 8 goals in 9 games, but he has not featured for the Borough in the last seven games, last being seen during the 9th of January's 2-1 home defeat to Newbury Forest. Kyle Finlayter-Lynch is a loyal ever present, having made 30 appearances for the side this season, including 5 goals for the club. Our opponents have used 56 players this season but Finlayter Lynch and Samuel Aggrey-Adams appear to be reliable generals for manager Andi Hoxha. Hoxha himself has been in the job for less than three months, taking over from the departing Malik Yansaneh and stepping up into the hot seat from his previous role as assistant manager. Yansaneh stepped aside due to increasing work commitments just before Christmas and it appears that promoting Hoxha was with the intention of keeping continuity within the dressing room, putting their faith in a man who has been around the squad for sometime and keeping a settled side on the pitch.

You can follow Enfield Borough on Twitter/X HERE

For Hoddesdon, much has been made of a recent of their recent upturn in form, undefeated in the league in their last six games and now sitting 7th in the form table. A string of excellent defensive performances, midfield creativity and sharpness in front of goal, means that the Lilywhites have managed to climb the league table and currently occupy 18th place. However, the job is not done and Simon Riddle's men need to continue to build points to move them further to safety. A resurgent Park View have put some good results together of late and Hoddesdon could all too easily be dragged back into the bottom positions if they do not convert their games in hand. Home games have rather bafflingly been an issue for Hoddesdon this season, with just two league wins all season at Lowfield, against Burnham Ramblers and Hackney Wick respectively. Hopefully the lads can add a third on Tuesday evening.

A home team thart cant win at home against an away side that can't win away might make for an entertaining game or a complete stalemate!!

Kick Off on Tuesday is 7:45pm and the clubhouse bar and tea bar will be open, serving hot and cold refreshments. Sample our draught range at the bar, with Spanish favourite Cruzcampo Lager, Greene Kings delicious Ice Breaker IPA and Inch's Apple Cider at the taps.

Entry
Adults £8 / Concessions £5 / Under 12's £2

Youth team players can gain FREE access with up to two parents when wearing their Youth Team shirt.

We accept Cash and Card at Lowfield (excludes American Express)

Enjoy the game.

#COYL