London Senior Cup: Wingate & Finchley 6 Cockfosters 1

Wingate & Finchley recorded an emphatic victory in the first round of the London Senior Cup with a 6-1 success at home to Cockfosters on Tuesday night.

After losing for the first time under new boss Nicky Shorey last weekend at Dorking Wanderers, the Bostik Premier club responded superbly at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.

Before kick-off, the Blues announced they had signed talented forward Charlie Cole from Essex Senior League side Takeley.

He was on the bench for the tie and watched his new team-mates put on a show in the first 45.

It didn’t take Wingate long to go ahead as Brandon McKenna fired the hosts in front with less than quarter of an hour played after surging past four opponents.

McKenna turned provider soon after when he played Marc Charles-Smith through and the tall striker coolly slotted home.

Blues went 3-0 up six minutes before the break when McKenna and Charles-Smith combined again and the latter smashed into the net to complete his brace.

There was still time for another first-half goal as the influential McKenna dribbled past a Cockfosters rival before firing home.

At the break it was 4-0 and yet Shorey’s side wanted more, but they were pegged back in the 62nd minute when George Beattie chipped Shane Gore.

Wingate managed to finish with flourish, however, as Luke Ifil scored a rare goal after good wing play by Reece Beckles-Richards and the assister-maker for the fifth goal got in on the act with 87 on the clock.

Substitute Cole, on his debut, found Timothy Monsheju out wide and his centre was stabbed in by Beckles-Richards to wrap up the scoring and cap a great night for the north Londoners.