The Blues are on their travels again on Saturday, as we take the trip into East Sussex to face Hastings United. February has been a good month so far for Wingate & Finchley, a narrow defeat at in-form Chichester was followed by a solid 2-1 win over Dover Athletic, before a 0-0 draw at Potters Bar, and most recently an excellent performance which saw us run out 6-0 winners at Bowers & Pitsea.
Our Opponents
Hastings United have spent much of their recent history between the Isthmian Premier and Isthmian South East divisions. Hastings spent a spell at this level between 2007/08 and 2012/13, in that final season Hastings achieved their best ever FA Cup run, beating Harrogate Town live on ESPN in the 2nd Round to set up a 3rd Round tie with Middlesbrough where they eventually lost 4-1. In the league that season, however, a significant winless run saw the Us relegated back to step 4. For the next 10 years or so, Hastings consistently challenged in the top half of that division, eventually achieving promotion back to the Isthmian Premier as champions in 2021/22.
Last season, after a slow start which saw the U's bring in manager Chris Agutter, Hastings spent large parts of the season in and around the playoff places. Eventually they fell just short of a playoff spot, finishing 7th with 67 points, two places and nine points behind Horsham in the final spot. Manager Agutter was picked up by Worthing in the summer, and is currently flying high in National League South.
This season has seen Hastings struggle to reach the same heights as last season. Hastings are currently sat in 20th place with 24 points from 29 matches (W6 D6 L17). It was a solid start to the season, with Hastings occupying top spot after two games, after two wins in the first two matches of the season. A tough spell followed, and five games without a win saw the Us drop to 18th place, before recovering to sit in the upper end of the bottom half of the table. Recent form has been a real concern, with eight defeats in the last ten and only one win in that time, against fellow strugglers Bognor Regis Town. It must be said, however, that the defeats have largely been narrow deficits, with five by just the one-goal margin.
Head to Head
Last season our visit to Pilot Field was a successful one thanks to an excellent Elliot Long hat-trick in the space of 6 minutes either side of the interval. Hastings threatened to mount a comeback with two goals before the hour mark but the Blues held on to take all 3 points in East Sussex. At the Maurice Rebak Stadium earlier this season, it was a 2-1 victory for the Blues as we scored in quick succession through an Ogo Obi penalty and Ryan Lowe goal in the second half. Finley Chapman netted at the death to ensure a nervous finish, but the Blues held on to take all three points.
Last Time Out
Hastings come into Saturday's clash with the form guide against them, but with an encouraging 0-0 draw on Saturday at home to Dulwich Hamlet, to collect their first point of 2025 so far. Prior to this, it was a 2-1 defeat at Cheshunt, and 1-0 defeat at Horsham. Star forward Davide Rodari has found the net a few times in recent weeks and the Blues will need to be aware of the threat the former Crawley Town man poses.
Players To Watch
Hastings could have a couple of players in their lineup who have worn the Blue of Wingate & Finchley in recent years; Alex Kpapke and Ansu Janneh (pictured below) are both in the Hastings squad, having made a handful of appearances each for the Blues. I am sure that Ahmet Rifat and his men will be fully prepared for facing their former colleagues.
Aside from Davide Rodari, who has netted 17 goals this term in all competitions in a difficult campaign, Finley Chapman has also contributed with six goals from midfield, including one at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. The Blues will need to keep these two quiet in front of goal if they are able to keep a third clean sheet on the bounce.
For the Blues, Theo Alexandrou scored his first goal for the club on Saturday since joining from Dorking Wanderers on loan. The exciting forward made his debut against Dover Athletic off the bench, but looked a handful for the Bowers & Pitsea defence from the start on Saturday. In midfield, Jaiden Drakes-Thomas netted a brace at the weekend, and now has seven goals to his name from midfield this season, having impressed many since joining from Dover earlier in the season - hear his post-match interview below after his goals in Essex.
There are a limited number of coach tickets available for our trip to Hastings (leaving the stadium at 10.15am sharp) - you can get these here.
Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.
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