On Saturday, the Blues travelled to league leaders Billericay Town. It was a clash between the league's two most in-form teams, and one which certainly threatened to halt Wingate & Finchley's recent excellent run of seven unbeaten games, however our recent results at New Lodge have been good, and will have given Ahmet Rifat's men confidence going into a big fixture in front of a bumper Non-League Day crowd.
'Ricay have a wealth of attacking talent in their ranks, with one of their most recent additions being that of Elliot Long, formerly of this parish and a player that provided Blues fans with many happy moments in the last two years. That attacking threat was immediately on show on Saturday; with Alfie Cerulli stepping up and scoring from a free kick after less than five minutes of play.
After that goal, the North London side, playing in white and orange on this occasion, started to grow into the game and winger Ore Bello started to become instrumental in the match, a match in which he caused major problems all afternoon. First he picked Montel McKenzie's pocket and created a chance for Zack Newton, whose snapshot went wide. Shortly after, Bello created and finished the equalising goal. He had possession on the touchline inside his own defensive third, exchanged some neat passes with teammates, before setting off on a run past McKenzie which the full-back just could not handle. Newton showed great strength to hold off his man and control the forward pass, knocking into Bello's path, who still had a lot to do, cutting in and unleasing an excellent strike into the bottom right corner.
That goal made it three goals in three games for Bello, whose loan spell is looking like a masterstroke from Ahmet Rifat, and Bello is certainly looking like he is starting to return to the excellent form that he displayed for Potters Bar last season. Before the interval, Bello doubled his afternoon's tally to give the Blues the lead. A long ball forward from the hosts, not their first of the afternoon, was easily dealt with by Ben Frempah who followed it with a neat bit of skill which allowed him to unleash the lively Jaiden Drakes-Thomas in midfield, who burst into the opposition half, threaded a ball to Bello, who again cut inside, and this time found the bottom left corner.
Into the second half, the hosts made changes in an attempt to change the course of the match, but to no avail, with Charlie Grainger rarely troubled in the Wingate goal. Into the dying minutes of the game, home goalkeeper Sam Donkin went forward for an attacking corner, leaving the goal completely empty. Some quick thinking in defence from Arthur Iontton unleashed substitute Ogo Obi who had the foresight to anticipate, and sprint from the edge of his own area, outpacing anyone in a Blue shirt and finishing carefully from distance into an empty net, to send the visiting North London fans into raptures behind the goal.
An eighth game unbeaten, and one which takes the Blues onto 55 points, eight points behind the playoffs with six games to go; the next game being one of those occupying a playoff place, Cray Valley PM, in N12 at the weekend, you won't want to miss that one! Tickets are available online or on the gate on matchday, cash and card accepted throughout the Maurice Rebak Stadium.
Wingate & Finchley: Grainger; Keller; Byron; Cracknell; Frempah; Watt (Iontton 86'); Bello (Obi 90'); Lowe; Newton (Garrett-Douglas 90+7'); Drakes-Thomas; Alexandrou (Restrepo 71’)
Unused sub: Emovon
Attendance: 1,737
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison. Match report by Liam Blaney. Hear more from Ahmet Rifat on Saturday's game below:
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