Tolfrey and McCollin the Catalysts to a Victory
It’s little secret that if Ks are to win promotion then Andre McCollin and Rob Tolfrey will be two of the keys. Without them, an often-disjointed Ks might not have won any points against Wingate and Finchley; instead, excellent moments from both at either end of the pitch enabled Tommy Williams’ side to hang on to all three.
The game started frenetically with Ks taking the lead, throwing it immediately away and then restoring it all within the opening nine minutes.
A wonderful first goal set a tone that Ks never lived up to in the rest of the match, but was certainly a reminder of just what they’d been missing in Andre McCollin’s time away. Malachi Hudson made a fine run and then played him in behind the defence and from the corner of the penalty area he lashed it into the top corner.
Yet almost no sooner had Ks taken the lead but it was gone again. Rob Laney found too much space in the box and although Tolfrey saved superbly from close range Billy Healey was on hand to turn the rebound in.
McCollin soon restored the lead but this time most of the credit went to Dan Bennett. After evading two attempts to foul him on the right he cut into the box and squeezed the ball under Jack Metcalfe from a tight angle. It was probably going in but having deflected slightly off the goalkeeper’s foot, McCollin rushed in to make sure from a yard out.
Five minutes later Wingate did curtail one of Bennett’s runs with a foul – for which the referee staggeringly declined to book Kyle Watson – and Bennett came close again, directing a Bruce Hogg free kick narrowly wide.
Ks looked the better side through the rest of the first half but failed to capitalise on the pressure. McCollin shot narrowly wide after more good work by Bennett and Metcalfe denied Hudson with his leg in the best of the chances.
In the second half Wingate had the wind behind them and by far the best of the game and it took Tolfrey at his best to protect all three points.
Former Ks Alex Addai was particularly menacing for the visitors, creating space with pace and skill and usually landing his crosses into a dangerous position.
Tolfrey had to make a string of fine saves from Addai, team-mates Addai had picked out and, most impressively in the dying minutes, from George Wells after he misdirected a header towards the top corner of his own goal.
Ks mustered barely anything in the second half, the only chance of note coming direct from a corner when Alan Inns headed over. They managed to hang on though for a win which lifts them back up to sixth in the league. If Tolfrey and McCollin can stay fit and on form, then the playoffs might well be on.
Match report by Simon Grier.
