WINGATE & FINCHLEY 4 CHESHUNT 1
Ryman League Division 1 North
Saturday 7th March 2009
Harry England reports...........
Cheshunt suffered a heavy defeat to Wingate & Finchley on Saturday, falling 4-1 to The Blues. Things looked bad for the Ambers early on, with chances falling to Wingate's Chris Chase and Keiran Street, both forcing saves from debutant Joe Taylor in goal. Leon Nelson then had a golden opportunity, but couldn't connect with Tim Lees' cross from the left. Chase then had a shot deflected towards the top corner, but Taylor did well to save. The first goal finally came after twenty-seven minutes, as Bobby Aisen rose highest to meet Lees' corner and head home to put his side in to the lead. Fourteen minutes later, the scoreline was doubled. Leon Nelson hit a rocket from the edge of the area, which deflected in, this time to the bottom left, out of Taylor's reach. A minute later it looked like it was going to be three, as Glen Parry brought down Chase in the penalty area, a tackle he didn't need to make as Chase was going away from goal. Nelson's penalty was hit tamely to Taylor's left, and he made an easy save. He had to make another save from the Wingate onslaught towards the end of the half, as Dean Williams' half-volley was denied.
On the hour mark, Kai Ramshaw's free-kick took a deflection, and the tame ball had to be cleared from the line by the Wingate defence. Wingate sub Jake Furman picked up a booking on sixty-seven minutes for his foul on Ashley Taylor-Forbes. The home side should have further punished the Ambers on sixty-eight minutes, as Chase embarrassingly missed an easy chance. Just thirty seconds after coming on as a sub, Michael Pelley conceded a penalty, which was converted by Ahmet Rifat for 3-0. He was booked for dissent seven minutes later, then Mark Weatherstone also picked up a yellow for his foul on Taylor-Forbes. Cheshunt finally pulled a goal back two minutes from the end, as Mervin Abraham struck a volley from a corner. The ball came back off the underside of the bar, and Dave Pigden gratefully headed it in. However, Wingate still had a goal to come, as the referee gave a very very soft penalty against Tom McGowen, and Rifat struck confidently into the bottom right corner to complete a great display from the home side.
Wingate & Finchley: King, Weatherstone, Street, Rifat, Aisen, Neilson, Chase (c), Samuel (Furman 19'), Williams, Nelson, Lees
Unused: Webb, Sacks, Jones, Horton
Cheshunt: Taylor, McGowen, Parry, Johns, Crooks (Pelley 70'), Harrison, Taylor-Forbes, Ramshaw, Bradford (Pigden 75'), Tresadern (Mitchell 78'), Abraham (c)
Unused: Roberts, Harris
Attendance: 81