It was late heartbreak for the Blues of Wingate & Finchley on the south coast on Saturday as Whitehawk scored an equalising goal in added time to complete an unlikely comeback from 3-0 down. Wingate were all too aware that these comebacks can happen having been on the right side of an even unlikelier comebacklast season when taking all 3 points from 3-0 down with 10 minutes remaining. The fact that the Blues did instead hold on for a point will be a small consolationfor Ahmet Rifat and his squad, however.
The first half started with a couple of early big chances for the home side which were thwarted by Ben Goode in the Wingate goal before the Blues broke the deadlock on the half hour mark through summer signing Anointed Chukwu, scoring for the 2nd successive match, the young striker slotting past the Whitehawk keeper at his near post.The second half saw Wingate in the ascendancy from the off and the Blues doubled their lead on 48 minutes through attacker Ruben Carvalho who hammered home from distance into the Whitehawk bottom corner. Before anyone could catch their breath, 2 became 3 as a shot from wing back Rhamar Garrett-Douglas was directed into the net by Zack Newton, his second in as many games after his dramatic late winner at Haringey on Tuesday night.
What followed demonstrated that teams can never rest on their laurels at any level of the game, as Whitehawk scored three in the final half an hour on the 62nd, 76th and 91st minutes. As is the way this season, the number of minutes added seemed to be an eternity and there was time for Whitehawk to attempt a speculative effort to try and snatch all 3 points from 40 yards which thankfully for the travelling Blues fans sailed over the goal.
A point away from home keeps Wingate & Finchley in mid-table, sitting 12th with 4 points from their opening 3 games. Next up sees Kingstonian visit the Maurice Rebak Stadium on 26th August before a short trip to Cheshunt on Bank Holiday Monday.
Wingate & Finchley: Goode; Frempah; Seager; Nazor; Mitchell-Nelson (McLeod 72'); Frimpong (Bani 54'); Garrett-Douglas; Newton; Chukwu; Carvalho; Hernandez (Achuba 72')
Unused Subs: Ifil; Roberts
By Liam Blaney
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