CHESHUNT 0 WINGATE & FINCHLEY 1
Ryman League Division 1 North
Tuesday 17th February 2009
Harry England reports.....
After the same fixture earlier in the season was abandoned due to a freak snowstorm on 70 minutes, with the score at 1-1, both sides were looking to get all three points from Tuesday nights encounter. Ex-Ambers Daniel Neilson, Jimmie Berry, and Chris Bangura all made Wingate's starting line-up, whilst Dean Williams was on the bench. Glen Parry was missing from the Cheshunt team again through suspension, leaving Tom McGowen at left-back.
The game started off fairly slowly, with chances few and far between for both sides. Clark Akers made a good run down the right on nine minutes though, his cross being knocked on by Mervin Abraham to Ola Akinnawo, who disappointingly ballooned his shot over from close range. Six minutes later, the visitors went ahead. A good team move resulted in skipper Marvin Samuel hitting a long ball upfield to Chris Chase, who calmly rolled past the helpless Ashley Harris to put his side into the lead.
Three minutes later, it looked like the Ambers were going to equalise, but Akinnawo somehow failed to score. He dribbled through the defence with the ball, miraculously getting through, and from just a yard out, with the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen, a superb block from Jimmie Berry denied him the goal. As Cheshunt continued to apply the pressure, Ashley Taylor-Forbes saw an effort skim the bar, only to find he was offside anyway. 'Mace' got a speaking to by the referee on twenty-four minutes, before Kai Ramshaw's effort from twenty yards dipped just over the bar. Akinnawo then went down injured after he hurtled himself in front of the ball, although rejoined the action a few minutes later. Just before half-time, Cheshunt had a soft penalty appeal turned down, after Abraham looked as if he was pushed down by Gavin King in the Wingate penalty area.
The second-half was much less interesting. Nick Thorogood and Wayne Grant were booked together for an incident that nobody seemed to see, and substitute David Pigden had the only real effort of the half as he chipped over from the edge of the area. Another Cheshunt loss now leaves the Ambers struggling for the play-offs, ten points off a play-off position and in tenth place in the league.
Cheshunt: Harris, Pelley, McGowen (Crooks 89'), Thorogood, Johns, Ramshaw, Akers, Boyce (Pigden 65'), Taylor-Forbes, Akinnawo (Harrison 80'), Abraham (c)
Unused: Bradford, Amaegbe
Wingate & Finchley: King, Neilson, Berry, Ellis, Aisen, Sacks, Chase (Furman 88'), Samuel (c), Grant, Bangura, Fisher (Lees 81')
Unused: Webb, Jones, Williams
Attendance: 97