Hoddesdon Town return to Lowfield on Wednesday evening for the first league fixture of the club’s official 2026/27 tenancy, with Simon Riddle’s unbeaten side sitting proudly at the top of the Thurlow Nunn First Division South. Enfield Borough provide the opposition for the 7.45pm kick-off, with Town looking to build on Saturday’s excellent 2-0 victory at Burnham Ramblers and continue what has been a superb opening to the campaign.

There will be something particularly satisfying about walking through the gates at Lowfield on Wednesday night. After weeks spent operating around the cricket season, Hoddesdon Town are now officially back in residence for the football campaign, and they return to their home with the league table making particularly pleasant reading.

Simon Riddle’s side have collected 16 points from their opening six league matches, winning five and drawing one, and remain the only side in the division to have played six games without defeat. Town have scored 15 times and conceded only three, leaving them with a goal difference of +12 and a one-point advantage over both May & Baker EC and Coggeshall Town, although May & Baker have played one game fewer. It has been a remarkable transformation from the opening weeks of last season and one which has been built upon consistency, organisation and an increasingly impressive squad mentality. Saturday’s 2-0 success at Burnham Ramblers was another example, with Hoddesdon remaining patient for more than 80 minutes before Harrison Cage finally broke the deadlock and Maurice Abana added a second in stoppage time.

Hoddesdon Have Made A Solid Start To The Season

That victory extended Town’s league winning sequence to five matches following the opening-day goalless draw at Cannons Wood. Since then Hoddesdon have beaten NW London 4-0, East Thurrock Community 6-2, FC Baresi 2-1, Marcelona 1-0 and Burnham Ramblers 2-0, an excellent run made even more impressive by the fact that five of the first six league fixtures have been played away from Lowfield. The only interruption came in the League Challenge Cup against Hertford Heath, when the match was abandoned shortly before half-time with the score at 1-1. That game has no bearing on the league record, meaning Hoddesdon arrive at Wednesday’s fixture still unbeaten in First Division South football and with confidence understandably high.

Manager Simon Riddle is delighted with the start, although he is keen for his players to continue concentrating on the standards which have taken them to the summit rather than becoming distracted by the early table.

“The start has obviously been very positive and the players deserve a huge amount of credit because we’ve asked a lot of them, particularly with so many games away from Lowfield,” said Riddle. “Five wins and a draw from six is an excellent return. At East Thurrock we scored six, against Baresi we had to find a late winner, Marcelona was a really disciplined 1-0 and then on Saturday we had to keep believing against Burnham until the breakthrough finally came. That tells you something about the character in the group, but we’re only six league games in and there is a huge amount of football still to play.”

The Gaffer Is Pleased With The Start

HOME AT LAST

Wednesday also represents another landmark in the increasingly positive relationship between Hoddesdon Town Football Club and Hoddesdon Cricket Club. Traditionally, the football club has had to wait until September before returning fully to Lowfield, with the cricket club holding tenancy throughout the summer months and Town therefore beginning league campaigns with a succession of away fixtures. That situation has changed significantly as the two clubs have worked increasingly closely together for the benefit of Lowfield and sport in Hoddesdon. The cricket club kindly allowed Town to use the ground twice during the summer before the football tenancy officially began, including the memorable league victory over FC Baresi and the subsequently abandoned cup fixture with Hertford Heath.

Those occasions demonstrated what can be achieved when the two organisations work together rather than simply operating alongside one another. Hoddesdon Town would once again like to place on record its thanks to everybody at Hoddesdon Cricket Club for their cooperation, flexibility and support during the summer. With the cricket season now concluded, attention has turned fully towards transforming Lowfield from cricket ground to football stadium once again. That does not happen by itself, and a tremendous amount of work has been undertaken behind the scenes by committee members, volunteers and the ground staff to make sure everything is ready for Wednesday evening.

Particular thanks go once again to Adrian Lee and Neil Morris for their work on the playing surface, together with everybody who has helped with the many jobs required around the stadium. Moving equipment, preparing the pitch, erecting and checking football infrastructure and getting the wider ground ready for supporters all takes time, and the contribution made by those volunteers remains absolutely vital to the club.

Riddle is looking forward to finally enjoying something approaching a regular run at the club’s own home.

“Lowfield is our home and it will be great to be back there properly,” he added. “We’ve been extremely grateful to the cricket club for allowing us to get a couple of games on during their tenancy, because that relationship between the two clubs has become really positive and I think everybody can see the benefits. Now we’re officially back, we want Lowfield to become a difficult place for teams to visit. We had a fantastic atmosphere against Baresi and hopefully people will come out again on Wednesday, because this group of players has given supporters plenty to enjoy already.”

THE VISITORS

Enfield Borough arrive in Hertfordshire occupying 18th place in the First Division South table with four points from six league matches. Their record currently stands at one victory, one draw and four defeats, with five goals scored and 13 conceded. The table, however, should not encourage any complacency. Borough produced their first league victory of the campaign with a 3-2 home success against Athletic Newham on August 29, while earlier in the season they drew 1-1 away at FC Baresi and also pushed May & Baker hard in the League Challenge Cup before a 3-3 draw eventually ended in a penalty shoot-out defeat.

Their latest completed league fixture came at Stansted on September 5, where they were beaten 3-0. Before that they had lost 3-0 at May & Baker and 2-0 at Marcelona, while their opening fixture at Burnham Ramblers ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat. Enfield’s results therefore tell the story of a side capable of causing problems despite a difficult beginning. Five of their six league games have been played away from home, another factor which perhaps provides additional context to their position in the table.

The Visitor's Recent Results

The Panthers were formed in 2016 by former Brimsdown management duo Marvin Walker and Aaron Archer. They initially entered Division Two of the Spartan South Midlands League and finished third in their first season, earning promotion into Division One before later moving across the non-League pyramid. At the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign Borough were transferred into Division One of the Combined Counties League. After one season there, they moved again and joined the Eastern Counties League Division One South, where they have since competed alongside Hoddesdon. The club originally played at Enfield Town’s Queen Elizabeth II Stadium before moving to the Maurice Rebak Stadium in Finchley, where they groundshare with Wingate & Finchley. Current manager Olumide Durojaiye therefore brings his team to Lowfield looking to arrest an inconsistent start and claim what would undoubtedly be one of their biggest results of the campaign so far.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

The clearest attacking threat in the Enfield squad has been Eidanas Pravackas, who leads their scoring charts with three goals from seven appearances across competitions. Anthony Wilberforce McDonald has scored twice from only three appearances, while Huseyin Mustafa has also contributed two goals in five outings. Those numbers should ensure Hoddesdon’s defence receives another proper examination, but that defensive unit arrives in outstanding form. Town have conceded only three times in six league matches, with consecutive clean sheets now secured against Marcelona and Burnham Ramblers.

Eidanas Pravackas Has 3 In 7 For The Visitors

Captain Jack Gibbs has been at the heart of that resilience and was again named star player following Saturday’s win at Leslie Field. Blesson Asekolenga continues to provide strength and composure alongside him, while Liam Nugent has enjoyed a hugely impressive opening to the season behind a defensive unit which has proved exceptionally difficult to break down. At the other end, Connor Bolton remains Hoddesdon’s leading scorer with five goals from seven appearances across all competitions. His influence extends beyond the goals, however, with his running, delivery and ability to carry the ball into dangerous areas repeatedly creating openings for those around him.

Blesson Asekolenga

Harrison Cage has now moved onto three goals after his crucial breakthrough at Burnham, while Gibbs himself has three. Maurice Abana opened his account with Saturday’s late second goal, adding another scorer to a squad which has already demonstrated that goals can come from numerous different positions.

Blue Gallagher continues to provide creativity and control in midfield, Freddie Wilkinson has led the line with energy, and the depth available to Riddle has repeatedly been important late in matches. That competition for places will become increasingly valuable as the fixtures continue to arrive throughout September.

Blue Gallagher

Riddle expects another examination on Wednesday despite the contrasting league positions.

“Enfield have some dangerous individuals and if you look through their results there have been games where they have been very competitive,” he said. “Their position doesn’t change our preparation at all. We have to approach every opponent with the same respect and make sure our intensity is right from the first minute. We’ve put ourselves in a lovely position, but staying there requires hard work. We want to play with confidence, we want to entertain people at Lowfield and we want to keep improving, because there are still areas where I know we can get better.”

LOWFIELD365 – TIME TO RENEW

With football officially returning to Lowfield, supporters are also reminded that Lowfield365 memberships from last season may now have expired, meaning this is an ideal time to renew for the new campaign. Membership entitles holders to up to 20% off their round at the Lowfield bar, with memberships available either online through the club shop on the Hoddesdon Town website or directly at the bar.

Social Memberships Are Available To Purchase Or Renew

The benefits extend well beyond Lowfield itself. The Lowfield365 scheme includes discounts with a growing collection of local business partners around Hoddesdon, including restaurants, barbers, timber merchants, estate agents and many other businesses, meaning membership can quickly pay for itself while also helping support the club and the wider local community.

Find out more about the scheme by clicking HERE

Wednesday therefore promises another excellent night at Lowfield as the league leaders return home looking to protect their unbeaten start. Hoddesdon have momentum, confidence and a growing belief around the group, but Enfield Borough arrive with nothing to lose and plenty of motivation to upset the early-season pace-setters.

Hoddesdon Town v Enfield Borough takes place at Lowfield on Wednesday 9 September, with kick-off at 7.45pm. Admission is £8 for adults, £5 concessions, while all under-16s are admitted FREE. After five away league games from six, Town are home, officially back in residence and sitting at the top of the table. Now the challenge is to make Lowfield count.

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