This Weekend's Match Preview - Wingate & Finchley (Away)

Dulwich Hamlet may have been stuttering of late but the power to remain in the fight for the title remains firmly within their own hands..

It all starts with this Saturday's trip to Summers Lane, home of Wingate and Finchley.

With the original Wingate FC formed with as a Jewish club with the aim of fighting anti-Semitism in the aftermath of World War II, the Blues have carried that proud tradition down the years through mergers with first Leyton then Wingate but always maintaining the ethos of their founders. The original Wingate FC was named in honour of British soldier Orde Wingate, who had been involved in training the Haganah, the precursor to the Israeli Defence Forces. He would see many of those fighting qualities in the current Wingate and Finchley squad, as capable of a crunching, goal defying, tackle as of a killer pass or a snapshot finish.

Season’s end may be looming every closer over the horizon with just a couple of months before the spoils are distributed yet still the game of musical chairs continues. More than half the division still harbour hopes if not of lifting the Premier Division title, at least of gate-crashing the postseason playoff party. Among that number are the Blues, frontrunners before suffering a midseason blip, rising again to the heady heights of third spot before slipping back in the wake of a winter slump.

Through December, past Christmas into the New Year and on to the start of February Wingate picked up just one win in ten outings, that by the skin of their teeth as Tommy Tejan-Sie broke the hearts of struggling Staines with a 92nd minute winner at Wheatsheaf Park. Three straight defeats over Christmas and New Year, 3-1 at home to the Met Police on Boxing Day and in the derby games with Enfield Town and Hendon, both narrowly squeaked by the Blues’ North London rivals, meant a departure from the Summers Lane hot seat of manager Simon Lane.

As Lane vacated his position, the Blues surprised even themselves with the new supremo, in their own words “pulling off a major coup” after appointing former West Ham midfielder Keith Rowland as manager. Rowland earned 19 caps in defence for Northern Ireland and also played for Bournemouth, Coventry City, West Ham United and QPR before coaching roles at Aveley and Braintree, alongside West Ham legend Alan Devonshire.

It was not an easy introduction for the new boss. The first game under new management saw Wingate snatch a point from bottom club Lewes thanks to 84th minute Billy Healey penalty. With the weather up to its tricks, a Ryman League Cup (AKA Alan Turvey Trophy) quarterfinal with Enfield Town suffered a double postponement, the knock-on effect stymieing the Hamlet’s chance to entertain the Blues at Champion Hill. Back in action a fortnight later, Wingate were on the end of a Bognor Regis whirlwind as goals from Craig Robson and the bountiful boot of Jason Prior turned a 1-1 draw into a 3-1 defeat in the space of sixty seconds.

A home tie with Ryman North side Redbridge FC looked to the best chance to get the winning feeling back but it was the underdogs who profited as first half goals from Reside Coxi-Sebastfao, Jay Knight and Joe Gent ensured that, despite a late fightback from Wingate, it would be the Motormen into the next round. A tight affair at Aveley ensued as the Blues picked up their first point under Rowland’s tenure but it was a grim encounter away to Grays Athletic as both sides cancelled each other out, restricted to pit shots from distance with but the odd flash of excitement to bring colour to a dull day. Another tight affair against another of the playoff hopefuls as Wingate travelled to Kingstonian, frustration the watchword of the day as K’s had ‘keeper Rob Tolfrey to thank, holding on for a much needed victory of their own. Remarkably all the goals came inside the first ten minutes, Billy Healey’s 6th minute equaliser sandwiched by André McCollin’s five-minute double.

So much frustration, the win when it came at home to Merstham five days later it was like a whirlwind was coming out of the north as the Moatsiders were sunk at Summers Lane. Midfielder Tejan-Sie bagged the first after just 8 minutes on Saturday, a blistering long-range drive finding the top corner, before Healey tucked away another penalty and Alex Addai set up Rob Laney for number three. Healey added another after the interval with Addai also bagging his brace as a cross shot found the net. Like London buses a second followed in quick succession with Wingate completing the double over Leiston as a late winner from substitute Karl Oliyide secured three vital points in a 1-0 for the visiting Blues at the hosting Blues’ Victory Road.

The prolific Healey continued his rich vein of form as he hammered home a first half hat trick to send Wingate through in their delayed League Cup quarterfinal with Enfield Town but the winning run hit the buffers the following Saturday as Merstham came from behind to win at the Harry Abrahams Stadium. Wingate had taken the lead courtesy of a 7th minute own goal but Merstham turned the game on its head as a double from Dulwich Hamlet loanee Charlie Penny made it 2-1 on the quarter hour. Penny would go on to dispatch a spot kick early in the second half and condemn the Blues to defeat.

Last Saturday the Blues were left idle without a game but on Monday night they headed back to Kingsmeadow for the Alan Turvey Trophy semi-final with Kingstonian. Newly installed in the Wingate ranks was Freddie Moncur, on loan from Leyton Orient, the son of former Tottenham Hotspur, Swindon Town and West Ham United midfielder John Moncur. Moncur junior would mark his debut with a tenth minute equaliser after McCollin had found the net for the hosts inside 30 seconds. McCollin restored K’s lead before a collision with goalkeeper Bobby Smith left Wingate in quandary. Their ‘keeper stretchered off, no replacement custodian on the bench and so Rob Laney donned the gloves. Wingate switched to all-out attack mode and got a deserved leveller nine minutes into the second half through Healey. No further goals followed and so it was down to the lottery of penalties to decide who would face Faversham Town in the final. Laney came within a whisker of becoming an unlikely hero but with Wingate thwarted by Tolfrey, Keith Rowland’s side fell short on the night as they missed two of their four spot-kicks.

The injury to the experienced Smith has seen the Blues’ add to their squad with the midweek load signing of custodian Chris Haigh from Braintree. Furthermore, they have returned to Brisbane Road to young centre back Aaron Pollock from the O’s; this in addition to the signings of Moncur and striker Calvin Poku from Hornchurch.

That recent loss of form also meant a loss of league placing as the Blues slipped from a playoff place back into the chasing pack where they now rest in 12th spot, 12 points adrift of the Hamlet in 4th place and ten short of the last playoff berth currently occupied by Bognor Regis Town.

This Saturday’s game take place at The Harry Abrahams Stadium, Summers Lane, Finchley, London N12 0PD

Directions to the ground can be found by clicking here.

Admission Prices

• Adults - £10
• Concessions (OAP, Student, Unemployed) - £5
• U16 - £3
• U12 - FREE

Programmes £2.00

Supporting ID required for concessions or full price admission will be charged.