Weston Super Mare preview

Saturday sees the fifth anniversary of Non-League Day - an incentive for football fans to fill a weekend devoid of Premier League football with support for their local non-league club. With this day coming as such a huge occasion in the league calendar, it is only apt that years event coincides with a huge game for the club, an FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round tie against Weston-Super-Mare. As this round marks the furthest Wingate & Finchley have ever reached in the FA Cup, qualification here would set a new club record and add another scalp to a barnstorming season that sees them lie a point outside the play-off places in the league as well as continuing to progress in all cup competitions available to them. By contrast, Wingates opponents Weston-Super-Mare have had a bleak start to the season. It took the Seagulls 6 games before registering their first league point of the season and, through taking just 5 from a possible 18 since then, currently find themselves sitting second-bottom of the Vanarama Conference South, one division above but separated from Wingate by a gap of just 9 places. They have, however, found a small vein of form recently, winning their two previous games against Hook Norton and Margate in the FA Cup and League respectively. Bradley Ash netted twice with no reply in the latter to join defender Ollie Barnes and attackers Dayle Grubb and Scott Wilson as top scorers with two goals apiece in all competitions. Wingate come in to this game on the back of a busy week that saw them play 3 matches in the space of 4 days - a tight 1-0 away win at Burgess Hill on Saturday laid the foundations for two midweek cup victories in 24 hours against Waltham Abbey and Broadfields FC. Striker Lee Barney opened his account with two goals in a 4-3 win against the Abbotts, before a hat-trick from Meshach Williams, five goals from Billy Healey and a clean sheet from Jack Metcalfe came in an 8-0 away mauling of Broadfields. Wingate have put the memories of a crushing, controversial defeat at home to Canvey Island a week ago long behind them. Rediscovering the form that has set them up for such a fantastic season so far, the Blues can go into this game full of confidence and will look to make this a record-breaking Non-League Day to remember. Match Preview by Andy Gerlis