Enfield Town dropped points for a second successive Isthmian Premier Division game after they were held to a 2-2 draw by struggling Brightlingsea Regent.

Brightlingsea took the lead through Jake Turner’s penalty, but goals in each half from Sam Youngs and Lyle Della-Verde looked to have turned it around for Enfield. However, Romario Dunne struck again for the visitors to secure a share of the points.

Town were without their two biggest goal threats this season after Muhammadu Faal completed his move to Football League side Bolton Wanderers and Billy Bricknell missed the game through suspension. Ken Charles and Kezie Ibe started in their place.

The first attack of the game went Enfield’s way and they were unlucky to not take the lead from it when Della-Verde shot into a crowded penalty area and the ball was hacked away.

However, only 11 minutes had elapsed when Brightlingsea were handed the opportunity to take the lead as Nathan McDonald brought down Jerry Kamanzi in the area, earning a yellow card for his troubles.

Turner stepped up to take it, and he scored emphatically to put the visitors in front.

Enfield stepped things up in the hunt for an equaliser but they were denied twice by R’s keeper Charlie Turner, who got down well to Joe Payne’s effort and also parried away a fierce drive from Della-Verde.

However, there was nothing he could do about the eventual equaliser which arrived on 25 minutes. Payne’s long throw caused a scramble in the box after Turner could only punch it clear. Marc Weatherstone’s effort in the ensuing melee was clawed off the line, but the ball was eventually forced home by Youngs from close range.

Neither side could say they really took a hold of the game and flowing moves were at a premium, perhaps not helped by the swirling wind around the stadium. The best chance for either side to take the lead into the break fell to Town, but Della-Verde’s low cross from the right managed to evade everybody.

The second half continued in a similar vein to the first, with both teams pressuring each other but nothing really coming from their respective attacks.

Della-Verde and Charles both fired wide for the home side when well-positioned, but it was a rare moment of quality from the former that handed Enfield the advantage.

Ryan Blackman was needlessly brought down on the edge of the area by Matt Cripps, and Della-Verde stepped up to curl a wonderful left-footed free-kick beyond Turner into the corner with just 11 minutes to go.

That should have been that, but Brightlingsea showed their battling qualities and within five minutes, they had the game level again when a loose ball broke to Dunne in the area and he squeezed it beyond McDonald to rescue a point.

The draw moves Brightlingsea out of the relegation zone on goal difference ahead of Merstham, while Town sit two points and two places shy of the play-off spots with a game in hand on Cray Wanderers above them.

Town face another struggling team next weekend when they visit 18th-placed Cheshunt, with kick off at 3pm.