RESULT | WINGATE & FINCHLEY 3 WHITEHAWK 1
Hawks went down to defeat in north London against a Wingate & Finchley side that were ultimately good value for the three points. Shaun Saunders’ side saw two changes, with new signing Archie Johnson in at left back and a first start in midfield for Jordan Maguire-Drew. Rob O’Toole was only fit enough to start on the bench.
Hawks went close to opening the scoring in the second minute when a Charlie Walker near post header from a left wing corner flew just wide. Five minutes later a Harry Bridle shot on the turn bobbled harmlessly away, before the game settled down with Hawks missing the aerial presence of O’Toole as they looked to get the ball forward early. Wingate played the ball neatly through midfield, without creating anything clear cut.
With ten minutes to go to half time the home side took the lead. The dangerous Ogo Obi escaped his marker for the first time and was played in on the right. His rasping shot was parried at the near post by Joseph Osaghae, only for Stefan Wright’s left footed attempted clearance to end up in the roof of the net. The Wingate matchday announcer gave the goal to Obi – and it certainly looked over the line before Wright’s flying intervention.
Two minutes later Hawks should have been level when referee Joshua Evans awarded a penalty after Harry Bridle went down under a challenge from Ben Watt. Wingate keeper Charlie Grainger had clearly done his homework as he barely moved but blocked Walker’s spot kick with his chest, as the Hawks skipper looked to go straight down the middle of his goal.
Early in the second half Walker again got his head at the near post to a corner, this time the ball clipping the top of Grainger’s bar as the keeper scrambled backwards.
Wingate increased their lead just before the hour mark, when left back Toby Bryan started and finished a move down the left hand side. He ran through the back line unchallenged to beat Osaghae with a left foot shot. Jaiden Drakes-Thomas then missed a good chance to put the game beyond the Hawks but hammered a good chance over the bar.
Hawks got themselves back into the game somewhat against the run of play with just under 20 minutes left. After a right wing corner had been cleared, Andrew Briggs’s cross back into the box was flicked on by Bridle, for Geofrey Okonkwo to head home for his first Hawks goal.
Unfortunately, the revival lasted less than 30 seconds, as straight from the kick off Drakes-Thomas got to the by-line down the right and found the unmarked Obi with his cross. The Wingate leading scorer made no mistake with a header back across Osaghae to restore the two goal lead.
Despite forwards O’Toole, Charlie Lambert, Billie Clark and Josh Nandhra appearing off the bench – and 7 minutes of added time, the Hawks never really looked like getting back into the game.
Hawks: Osaghae, Wright (Seager 65’), Johnson (O’Toole 78’), Briggs, Okonkwo, Watson, Mensah, Walker (Lambert 78’), Kayani (Nandhra 81’), Maguire-Drew (Clark 65’), Bridle
Wingate: Grainger, Garrett-Douglas (Keller 46’), Emovon (Byron 46’), Cracknell, Frempah, Watt (Iontton 52’), Bello (Newton 76’), Lowe, Obi, Drakes-Thomas, Alexandrou (Restrepo 85’)
