Towners put on stunning second-half performance

ISTHMIAN PREM

ENFIELD TOWN 6 HASHTAG UNITED 3

By Andrew Warshaw

After six successive away games in all competitions, Enfield Town returned to familiar surroundings  and smashed Hashtag for six including a Sam Youngs hattrick.

The only surviving fixture in the division because of the weather, Town made it count by producing a scintillating second-half blitz to move up to third.

Draw specialists Tag had only lost once in the league this season – at runaway leaders Hornchurch – and made the hosts work for their openings in a relatively even first half.

Reece Beckles-Richards broke the deadlock on 28 minutes with a fabulous strike from just outside the box but there was little to choose between the sides at the interval.

Indeed, when Greg Halford levelled from the penalty spot just after halftime, it looked like the next goal might settle it.

But Town had other ideas. Marcus Wyllie quickly restored their lead by picking his spot when Tag failed to clear a corner and from then on, everything  Town touched turned to gold.

Tag keeper Ted Curd got a hand to a Youngs header but was beaten for power and on 75 minutes the points were in the bag when Youngs sent Curd the wrong way from a dubiously awarded penalty

The hosts still weren’t done yet. Wyllie produced surely one of the best goals ever seen at this or any other Step 3 ground by almost bursting the net from fully 35 yards. Then Youngs finished beautifully for number six.

With the game won, a crazy ending saw an own goal by Kyle Bailey and a 25-yard strike from former Towner Percy Kiangebeni pull two back but it was far too little far too late for a shell-shocked Tag.

STAR MAN: Sam Youngs (Enfield) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★