With torrential rain all night on Friday and then all the way through Saturday morning almost every game below the Ryman leagues were postponed leaving me with the prospect of a football free Saturday or to play the sit and wait game.
This I duly did and after the completion of a successful pitch inspection I was off to the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium on the aptly named Donkey Lane for Enfield Town vs Margate in the Ryman Premier.
My first visit to Donkey Lane so as well as managing to get a game in during this bad weather spell I would also be able to get another "tick".
A fellow Dulwich Hamlet fan was also at a loose end so we arranged to meet in the Hamilton Hall Wetherspoons at Liverpool St Station for a couple of pre train pints and a catch up on all things non league.
The train stopped at all stations and 30 minutes after departing Liverpool St we arrived at Southbury Rd station with 15 minutes to spare before kick off. A quick 4 stop bus ride followed and we duly arrived with minutes to spare.
Enfield Town are into their 2nd season of using the QE II stadium and have made a decent job of converting an athletics track into a workable football ground. There is the amazing Art Deco main stand with end café which has now been converted into a bar and viewing platform. Behind each goal sits a temporary stand with terracing and the far side houses another temporary stand this time with a quantity of seats. The stands behind each goal have been moved in from the athletics lanes and make the ground quite cozy while of course still being open.
The game started at a decent pace with Enfield having more of the ball but Margate using the ball much better and looked most likely to get the first goal. After a few chances when the 'gate front line should done better Carl Rook finally broke the deadlock on 22 minutes when he lashed the ball from the edge of the area with Noel Imber in the hosts goal well beaten. 2 chances fell to the hosts to equalize before Imber made another good save to keep the score @ 0-1 as the first half ended.
Off to the bar we retreated while the teams had their half time oranges we supped pints of Enfield Best on tap at £2.80 a pint from the local Redemption brewery, handsome they were too.
Back into the daylight for the 2nd half and after a shot came back off the post Kezie Ibe was on hand to slot the ball into an empty net for 2-0 on 47 minutes. By now it was almost way traffic with Enfield chasing the game and Margate in full flow. From a corner Rook added he's 2nd when he glanced a header home for 3-0 on 63 minutes, the 'gate threatened to stroll away with the match when they were awarded a penalty. Rook stepped up to complete he's hat trick but was denied by a fine save from Imber to keep the score at 3-0.
A couple of missed changed from the hosts towards the end of the game as the referee blew he's whistle to signal full time. Enfield Town 0-3 Margate.
Time to have 1 last beer in the bar before heading off to the station for the train back to London.
My companion left me at Tottenham Hale to join the Victoria line and I stayed onto Cambridge Heath from where I got the bus to Crossharbour and the DLR back to Lewisham, home by 19.15.
Cold but content. A decent game of football, a very nice ground, another "tick" and a couple of new beers.
Til the next time.....
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