TUESDAY 7TH MARCH 2017
4Wingate & Finchley
Rifat 18
Beckles 35
Pattie 41
Tejan-Sie 61
1AFC Sudbury
Crow 77
Ryman League Premier
Wingate and Finchley got back to winning ways with a dominant 4-1 home victory over AFC Sudbury at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. Four players got on the scoresheet for Wingate as Ahmet Rifat, Reece Beckles-Richards, Ben Pattie and Tommy Tejan-Sie made it a comfortable night for the boys in blue. The visitors replied late on through Daniel Crow, but by then the result was not in doubt.
The deadlock was broken after 18 minutes when Ben Pattie’s corner was powerfully headed home at the front post by Ahmet Rifat. The Wingate skipper now has three goals in as many games. Pattie then tried to get a goal of his own on the half hour mark, but saw his shot sail over the bar after finding some space in the box.
Wingate did double their advantage five minutes later, courtesy of Beckles-Richards’ low drive. Laney flicked the ball into Beckles-Richards’ path and the striker made no mistake as he slotted the ball home past the helpless Marcus Garnham. The home side then went in search of a third as Laney’s header was well saved, before Beckles-Richards got on the end of a low cross, but saw his effort skim narrowly wide.
The elusive third goal came just before the break. Ben Pattie finished well into the corner after a floating ball forward from Beckles-Richards. And there was still time for one final Wingate chance in the half, when Pattie rolled the ball back to Beckles-Richards, but the striker could only poke it towards the ‘keeper. Sudbury finally registered a shot on goal right at the end of the first period. Joe Marsden sent his curling effort over Shane Gore and the bar.
Wingate were in no mood to let up and Laney almost made it four without reply when his header went millimetres wide of the post. He then sent another header over the bar – this time from Pattie’s corner. At the other end, Gore was finally called into action on his 50th Wingate appearance to deny Crow’s shot. Wingate soon added to their lead. Ben Pattie played in Tejan-Sie, who evaded a challenge before calmly rolling the ball into the bottom corner.
The chances kept coming for Keith Rowland’s men. Pattie’s effort from the edge of the box was well palmed away by Garnham, as was his second attempt from a similar distance. But that was only after Marsden’s shot crashed against the bar for the visitors, as they went in search of a consolation goal.
That goal came with 13 minutes to play when Crow squeezed the ball under Gore and denied the Wingate stopper a clean sheet. Spencer McCall looked to get in on the scoring act five minutes from time, but saw his free-kick sail over the bar. By then the points were already in the bag for The Blues. The result keeps Wingate inside the play-offs places.
With thanks to www.wingatefinchley.com