A clinical second-half performance saw Clapton CFC wrap up their fourth win in a row to move up to second in the Eastern Counties League Division One South table.
However, the result was nowhere as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Enfield Borough took the lead in new manager Olu Scott’s first game in charge, and the game was still on a knife-edge at 2-1 going into injury time.
Clapton’s first half was sluggish with James Briggs’ set-pieces providing the main attacking outlet. One free-kick curled just over the bar, another heading for the top corner was kept out thanks to a fabulous diving save. Corners, too, were testing Enfield, with one scrambled off the line.
However, Clapton’s defence looked susceptible to the pace of young home side’s forwards. After several warnings – including a Borough goal ruled out for offside – the deadlock was broken in the 38th minute. A Clapton attack broke down on the halfway line, allowing Enfield to launch a lightning-quick counter-attack that ended with a simple finish for their number 21.
It was the first goal Jack Francis and his defence had conceded in over five hours of football. Just as CCFC looked set to head into the break trailing, parity was restored with the final kick of the half. James Briggs launched a 40-yard free-kick high into the mixer, and defender Sam Cook rose highest to power a header home for a fifth goal of the season.
Clapton emerged for the second half with renewed vigour and Julian Austin and Korahn Gayle both went inches away from taking the lead. In the 65th minute, the pressure finally told. The Enfield defence failed to clear and the ball fell to Andre Odeku, who composed himself and fired his ninth goal of the season.
As the clock ticked towards the end, the game opened up with Enfield looking for an equaliser and Clapton needing to make the game safe. In the end the latter happened, with substitute Louis Brown slotting the ball through the Borough keeper’s legs to make it 3-1 in the 92nd minute.
The icing on the cake arrived in the 96th minute with the final kick of the game. Following a scramble in the box, debutant Will Miller pounced on a rebound, picked his spot and smashed home the fourth. A moment of quality from the former professional footballer.
Next up, it’s another away day on Saturday at FC Baresi, who groundshare at Ware FC. Then on Tuesday, a home East London derby against our nearest rivals Barkingside.