Wingate & Finchley’s play-off hopes reignited after dominating win over AFC Sudbury
Reece Beckles-Richards scored one of Wingate & Finchley's four goals against AFC Sudbury. Picture: MARTIN ADDISON - Credit: Archant
Saturday’s blip was well and truly forgotten as Wingate & Finchley turned on the style with a 4-1 win over AFC Sudbury to get their play-off hopes back on track.
Defeat to Canvey Island at home on Saturday ended a run of three straight wins.
But they returned to the Maurice Rebak Stadium in scintillating form to destroy their Suffolk opponents.
Ahmet Rifat, Reece Beckles-Richards and Ben Pattie all scored before half-time and Tommy Tejan-Sie made it four in the second period.
Danny Crow got a late consolation for Sudbury.
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The deadlock was broken after 18 minutes when Pattie’s corner was powerfully headed home at the front post by Rifat.
And Wingate doubled their advantage on 35 minutes courtesy of Beckles-Richards’ low drive after a Rob Laney flick on.
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The third came just before the break as Pattie finished well into the corner after a floating ball forward from Beckles-Richards.
There was still time for one final Wingate chance in the half, when Pattie rolled the ball back to Beckles-Richards, but the striker could only poke it towards the keeper.
Wingate were in no mood to let up in the second 45 and Laney almost made it four when his header went millimetres wide of the post.
He then sent another header over the bar, this time from Pattie’s corner.
At the other end, Shane Gore was finally called into action on his 50th Wingate appearance to deny Crow.
But Wingate soon added to their lead, Pattie playing in Tejan-Sie, who evaded a challenge before calmly rolling the ball into the bottom corner.
Wingate continued to have chances but it was Sudbury’s Joseph Marsden who went closest, his shot crashing against the bar.
Crow did get them on the score sheet when he squeezed the ball under Gore but there was never any danger of a dramatic comeback.
The result keeps Wingate firmly inside the play-off places, level on points with Tonbridge Angels ahead of them and five clear of Leiston, although the chasers do have four games in hand.
Wingate face a trip to Folkestone Invicta on Saturday.
Wingate: Gore, Ifil, Abrahams, Williams, Cronin, Rifat (Wales 72), Pattie (Sharpe 88), McCall, Laney, Beckles-Richards (Obafemi 82), Tejan-Sie
Subs (not used): Figueira, Dawkins
Goals:
Sudbury: Garnham, Marsden, French, Blackman, Henshaw, Tann, Bantick (Parker 71), Clarke (Allen 24), Baker (Blackwell 69), Monlouis, Crow
Subs (not used): Eagle, Robinson
Goals:
HT: Wingate & Finchley 3 AFC Sudbury 0
Attendance: 101
Referee: Neil Morrison
