Enfield Town Ladies secured a goalless draw away to Lewes despite playing the last 20 minutes with only 9 players following two dismissals for dissent. Emma Hughes received a second yellow card after a free kick was awarded to Enfield with no further action being taken against the transgressing player, although the official was booking any Enfield player that said anything, and Kelly Hughes joined her with a straight red card for questioning the sending off. Three other Enfield players were also booked only one for a foul while the same few Lewes players constantly fouled with out any action being taken. Enfield Manger John Abbott said “It was a spirited display and even after going down to 9 players  we were still the better team and looked the most likely to score. I don’t know what to make of the official but I was not impressed with his performance.” Enfield remain 4th in the table.

 

The game began with Lewes player Rachel Dangerfield marking Enfield’s Emma Thomas closely and after just three minutes when Thomas was fouled again she reacted to it and the referee’s assistant called the referee over and had Thomas booked abusive language against the Lewes player. Thomas escaped her marker but the cross by Rebecca Laporte was cleared as she waited for it. Robyn Downie passed to Bianca Baptiste who the passed to Leanne Mabey who took the ball across the defence only to fire wide. Helen Whitton took a free kick from a long way out and her team mates all watched it as it skipped through to Jo Ayre. A Thomas free kick after she had been brought down again by Dangerfield looked a dead cert goal but a defender just managed to get a head to it as Claire Gooch was about to head it in with the keeper nowhere near.

 

A clearance hit Kirsty Spice and after chasing it to the line Spice crossed to an Enfield player who calmly cleared it. The next booking for Enfield came when Laporte asked the game to be stopped with Baptiste lying injured for a long time with the game continuing. Spice flicked a long ball on for Dangerfield who shot tamely to Ayre, A quick throw by Ayre sent Enfield away with Thomas in possession and her marker out of place but Dangerfield ran a long way and wiped out Thomas with a high challenge in front of the assistant but after playing on for a few seconds the referee decided to pull the play back and just have a quick word with the Lewes player when some referee’s might have taken a strict decision on serious foul play. When the free kick was taken by Kerrie Marlborough to Downie, Downie turned and shot across the goal. Stephanie O’Reilly crossed for Emma Millington to loop a header goal-wards but Ayre easily collected the ball.

 

The second half started with Marlborough and Spice backing in to each other as they battled for a header and the referee awarded Lewes a free kick on the edge of the area which Whitton took and after it deflected off the Enfield wall it clipped the top of the bar and from the resulting Corner Kelly Newton headed over. Thomas played a superb pass through the home defence to Fran Boggi who was tackled as she shot and the ball ended up in the hands of Lewes keeper Patricia Gower. Laporte entered the area and like Boggi was tackled as she shot with the ball bouncing to Gower. Thomas made the line and pulled the ball back towards Laporte but as she lined up a shot Lauren Harding managed to knock the ball away from her. Dangerfield cut in from the left and fired over and then Beth Lovell was booked after being fouled for questioning the referee about the number of fouls certain players were committing.

 

Spice gave Millington a chance in the area but the shot was poor and failed to trouble Ayre and the next attack saw Ayre come out of the area to clear easily as Spice tried to charge away from the defence. Thomas was fouled yet again with no further action being taken by the referee she protested and was shown her second yellow with the referee preparing to let her remain on the pitch until his assistant brought it to his attention and then he produced a straight red card to Kelly Hughes who was moaning to another player about the sending off. When the free kick was eventually taken by Marlborough it went all the way through to Gower.

 

Boggi stepped up her game and took over the roll of Thomas as well as her own and hit a low cross that was cleared as Downie tried to force it in, Boggi had a cross blocked and then played the loose ball back to Lovell who shot narrowly wide. Spice battled with Marlborough before firing over the bar, Spice shot across goal with the ball quickly played to the other end where Downie lifted it onto the roof of the net from a tight angle. Downie was booked for a tired foul which was the only booking of the game for a foul! As the game entered added time Spice came from an off side position to collect the ball and then played in Whitton for a clear sight of goal but the shot was poor and well off target. With the game now in the 5th minute of added time a Marlborough free kick into the area was knocked goal-wards by Fran Boggi but it hit Gower on the knee and away from danger as the referee blew the final whistle