Enfield Town 3
Concord Rangers 0
Concord Rangers' 2023/24 Isthmian Premier Division season began in defeat with Sammy Collins' new-look side being blown away 3-0 by Enfield Town.
Concord started the game brightly but it proved to no avail as goals from Reece Beckles-Richards, Sam Youngs and Marcus Wyllie secured a convincing three points for the Towners.
This game was Collins' first league match as Beach Boys manager and it nearly got off to the perfect start after less than a minute - but the woodwork kept the visitors at bay.
Young striker Harrison Day was able to spin away from his man and unleash a shot that cannoned back off the post.
This was the closest that Concord would come to a goal all game and just past the half hour mark Enfield took the lead.
Wyllie was able to wriggle away from Ben Steward and he flashed a delivery across the face of goal to the back post where debutant Beckles-Richards was on hand to tap home from close range.
This was the 28-year-old's second goal in as many seasons against Concord following his Boxing Day penalty against Rangers for Cheshunt last term.
Three minutes after taking the lead things got even better for Gavin Macpherson's side as they doubled their advantage through Youngs.
Concord could only clear the danger as far as the edge of the box where Youngs was on hand to drill the ball into the bottom corner and give Enfield some breathing space going into half time.
In the second period it was the hosts' turn to hit the woodwork early in the half when a fierce Jake Cass strike, from a long Joe Payne throw, struck the post.
Following on from this the rest of the game was pretty quiet at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium up until the 88th minute when the hosts sealed the three points.
Wyllie picked Steward's pocket and broke away through on goal. The youngster then cut inside and slotted the ball beyond Lamar Johnson and into the bottom corner for his fifth goal in Enfield colours and his first on home soil.
The Towners still had time to try and add gloss to the scoreline in injury time, but found Johnson in their way with the Saint Lucia international getting down well to smother a Dylan Adjei-Hersey shot at his near post.
A first opening day defeat since 2017 for Concord means they end the first game week in the relegation zone. On top of this the Beach Boys wait for a competitive away win goes on with Rangers not winning on their travels since March.
Meanwhile a first home win since February for Enfield means they are now eight games unbeaten on opening day with the Towners not losing on the first game week since 2015.
Collins' men are back in action on Tuesday night with their first home game. Newly promoted Hashtag United are the visitors to the Aspect Arena.
ATT: 455
Enfield Town: Forster, Payne, Thomas (Bessadi 89'), Okotcha, Richmond, Youngs, Cass (Birch 73'), Wyllie, Velasco, Beckles-Richards (Soulya-Osekanongo 74'), Adjei-Hersey
Goals: Beckles-Richards 33', Youngs 36', Wyllie 88'
Yellow cards: Cass 22', Youngs 71'
Concord Rangers: Johnson, Ige, Hudson, Simms, Steward, Modeste, Carter, Cue (Temple 58'), Day (Gardner 75'), Locke (Albon 54'), Littlejohn
Goals: None
Yellow cards: Simms 12', Temple 59', Johnson 71'
By Nathan Williams
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