Wingate and Finchley match report
match report by Simon Grier
You'd be forgiven for not remembering Corie Andrews' first spell at Ks, a 17 minute cameo in a miserable 4-0 defeat at Dulwich on New Year's Day 2018. In and out of the revolving door in no time at all, one of the 73 players Ks used in that ludicrous season.
In his second spell though he's already making a much bigger impact. Almost all of Ks' dangerous attacking play came through the skilful wideman as they overcame Wingate and Finchley 3-2 in a chaotically open game. Things certainly haven't clicked yet for Hayden Bird's new look side but in Andrews he appears to have found a matchwinner.
Ks were ahead in just the fifth minute to settle the nerves a bit after their poor start to the season. Tom Richards whipped an inswinging corner into the box where Ollie Cook forced his way through the melee to head home.
Fabio Saraiva fired wide and Andrews had a shot deflected wide for a corner but Ks' ascendancy didn't last long and they were soon on the back foot. Billy Healey was finding dangerous amounts of space in the box and first forced Tolfrey into a fine low save, before firing closer to the goalkeeper the second time round.
Wingate increasingly took control of the game and forced Ks to clear two efforts off the line before Kavan Cotter tested Tolfrey with a viciously swerving 20-yarder. Chris Doyle hit the bar with a cross from the right hand flank as Ks were relieved to make it to the interval level.
Right after the break though, Andrews was involved again as they doubled their lead. He showed some great skill to find himself space in the box to shoot from an acute angle; Myles Roberts saved well with his legs but Elliott Buchanan was on hand to turn the rebound home.
That should have been the trigger for Ks to kill the game off but instead their lead lasted a mere 12 minutes. First, Suleiman Bakalandwa picked out Cotter, whose backheeled effort caught a deflection to beat Tolfrey. Then Bakalandwa equalised, popping up at the far post to slam home a Bilal Sayoud cross.
Wingate remained the better side with Mauro Vilhete heading off the underside of the bar in a major letoff for Ks. Andrews remained the home side's one threat though, first playing Buchanan in only for the striker to fire over and then rounding the goalkeeper himself before Ahmet Rifat - a Ks player some 16 years ago - recovered to clear.
Tolfrey had to make another good save from Bakalandwa and Kenny Beaney glanced a header wide but then what had been a highly open game went quiet for the final ten minutes, until Andrews won it right at the last. Buchanan turned provider, playing him in with a fine through ball that he confidently blasted Roberts to send the home fans ecstatic. This Ks side might still be a work in progress but Andrews is certainly making his mark on it.
Kingstonian: Rob Tolfrey, Harry Osborne, Tom Richards, Jerry Puemo, Olllie Cook, Jake Hutchings, Gus Sow, Kenny Beaney, Elliott Buchanan, Fabio Saraiva, Corie Andrews.
Subs: Andre Coker (for Fabio Saraiva, 61m), Dominic Vose, Tom Kavanagh (for Jake Hutchings, HT), Omarr Lawson, Juevan Spencer (for Corie Andrews, 90+2m)
Wingate and Finchley: Myles Roberts, Chris Doyle, Yannick Kissi, Charlie Edwards, Jake Eales, Ahmet Rifat, Suleiman Bakalandwa, Mauro Viilhete, Billy Healey, Kavan Cotter, Bilal Sayoud.
Subs: Alieu Njie, Luke Ifil (for Suleiman Bakalandwa, 83m), Tommy Tejan-Sie (for Charlie Edwards, 88m), Goldy Capela (for Billy Healey, 67m), Samir Bihmoutine.
Goal scorers: Ollie Cook (5m, 1-0), Elliott Buchanan (46m, 2-0), Kavan Cotter (51m, 2-1), Suleiman Bakalandwa (58m, 2-2), Corie Andrews (90m, 3-2)
Attendance: 229
