Liam Blaney watches Saturday’s draw at the Maurice Rebak Stadium

Wingate & Finchely 1 Chichester City 1

It took a 92^nd minute equaliser from defender Ayo Tanimowo to ensure that Wingate & Finchley took a point against newly-promoted side Chichester City in the first ever clash between the two teams at the Maurice Rebak Stadium on Saturday.

On a day that may well have seen the last good weather for a while, and a day where the club’s principal sponsor, FreshAir were at the stadium celebrating their 50^th anniversary, the football on the pitch got off to a slow and steady start, with both teams taking time to get into their rhythm. Neither side had kept a clean sheet in any of their previous six league appearances, so it was surely a matter of time before the near 200 in attendance saw a goal in North London.

In the opening half hour, Blues midfielder Andronicos Georgiou had a couple of good long-range strikes, one whistling over the crossbar and the other forcing a good save from visiting keeper Kieran Magee. The best chance of the first half came for the Blues, as Tanimowo beat his man down the left flank and his deep cross found Rhamar Garrett-Douglas at the back post. His first-time volley was well saved by Magee in the Chichester goal. The game remained goalless as the half time whistle was blown, although the home side were starting to assert their dominance.

In the second half, it was the visitors who came out stronger and they missed the chance of the game within ten minutes of the restart. An excellent long-range strike looked destined for the top corner but hit the angle of the post and crossbar, falling to Chichester’s main striker Jimmy Wild who had an open goal from six yards out but blazed his chance over the crossbar and into the neighbouring field.

The Blues attempted to capitalise on this miss with good chances for Georgiou again, and Zack Newton, but it was the visitors who took the lead on the hour mark, with Wild using all of his height advantage to get ahead of the Blues defence and nod past Charlie Grainger in the home goal.

As the final half an hour continued, the visitors looked to take the sting out of the game and, while Blues manager Ahmet Rifat made a host of changes to try and influence the game, the Blues looked to be heading for a disappointing home defeat until the second minute of additional time. Then, Billy Cracknell intercepted a Chichester pass high up the pitch and Georgiou played an instinctive pass to the right side where Tanimowo took a couple of neat touches to control, bring the ball inside an unleash an unstoppable strike with his left foot into the top left corner from 25 yards.

Ultimately, a draw was probably a fair result. It leaves Wingate & Finchley 16^th in the table with eight points from seven games and the Blues will look to improve in their next fixture, a tricky away clash at Dover Athletic on Saturday 27^th.

Grainger, Cracknell, Byron, Achuba, Webb, Drakes-Thomas (Talla 85’), Garrett-Douglas (Hernandez 68’), Georgiou (Frempah 90’), Obi (Oladipo 76’), Newton (Roberts 68’), Tanimowo.

No news is bad news 

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts. 

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less. 

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation. 

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit 

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.

More information on supporting us monthly 

More Information about donations