Wingate soar past Tonbridge Angels
Ryman League Premier Division
Wingate & Finchley 2 Tonbridge Angels 0
Saturday, 23 August 23, 2014
It was a warm sunny day with a perfect early season pitch at The Abrahams Stadium. Danny Nielssen was able to field the same side that demolished Bury Town the previous Tuesday although he was ever mindful that this Bank Holiday weekend presents the challenge of two matches in three days with the local derby against Enfield on Bank Holiday Monday.
Tonbridge started the game strongly and for the first twenty minutes dominated the possession with Wingate’s Bobby Smith the busier of the two keepers.
Tommy Whitnell and Dee Okojie were both causing the Wingate defence problems without putting the home goal under serious pressure. At this stage of the game the centre-half pairing of James Kaloczi and Kieran Street were outstanding and gave the lively Tonbridge forwards very few opportunities on goal.
The game turned on a five minute period just after midway through the first half. In this short period Wingate & Finchley scored two decisive goals and effectively sealed the match. The first came in the 25th minute when an excellent ball from Leon Fisher released Karl Oluyidi in acres of space on the left wing and he took the ball about 20 yards before putting across a pinpoint ball for David Knight to finish comfortably from the edge of the six-yard box, giving the Tonbridge goalkeeper absolutely no chance.
Wingate & Finchley gained confidence from this goal and launched a series of attacks which resulted in three corners in succession and from one of these, the second goal arrived. This goal was a piece of individual genius from skipper Tommy Tejan-Sie as he received the ball just inside the box and well-marked by two Tonbridge defenders, turned and struck the ball to leave goalkeeper Merson just able to watch as the ball nestled in the bottom corner of the net.
The second half saw Tonbridge dominate possession without making much headway as Wingate, with a two-goal cushion sat back and soaked up the pressure. In the second half neither goalkeeper was particularly troubled and the experienced Stuart Lake was imperious in midfield as he ensured a tight shape was kept giving Tonbridge very few chances on goal.
In the end, a very comfortable two-goal victory which sets Wingate & Finchley up nicely for the short trip to Enfield on Monday, followed by a home game against last season’s play-off finalists Hornchurch next Saturday.
Wingate & Finchley Team:
Bobby Smith, Mark Goodman, Ronayne Marsh Brown, James Kaloczi, Kieran Street, Stuart Lake, Leon Fisher (Paul Wright 75) Tommy Tejan-Sie, Karl Oluyidi ), David Knight (Nico Muir 75), Rob Laney (Ahmet Rifat 70)
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