Match Preview - Aveley (A)

By Aaron Toubian

IN-FORM BLUES FACE TOUGH TEST AT AVELEY

It appears Ahmet Rifat’s Blues are turning each ground they visit into a fortress of their own. Wingate & Finchley travel to Aveley on Saturday afternoon, with the aim of extending their unbeaten run of league results to ten. The hosts are expected to pose a tough test for their visitors, who are without a league defeat on the road since mid-August.

Brett Munyard’s side also come into this clash in impeccable league form, having avoided defeat in more than two months. Recent away wins at Whitehawk and Cray Valley Paper Mills, matched with a 5-0 thrashing of Ramsgate, have catapulted Saturday’s hosts into fourth position, three points ahead of the boys from Summers Lane. Aveley also enjoyed a run to the Fourth Qualifying Round of the Emirates FA Cup, beating Hashtag United, Halesowen Town and AFC Sudbury, before eventually losing out to National League Gateshead.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Suleyman Zuhdu

Since joining in July, Zuhdu has been a constrant threat for the Millers, netting on nine occasions so far this season, including a magical four-goal blitz over Cray Valley Paper Mills, at the start of the month.

Gianluca Botti

Wingate’s talisman is fast becoming a fan-favourite in N12, scoring ten goals since his debut in September, four of which have come in his last two outings: a 3-0 win over Lewes on Saturday and Tuesday night’s Velocity Cup trip to Walthamstow, which resulted in a shootout victory for the Blues. Botti faces a difficult task against an Aveley defence who have shipped just two goals in their last four league games.

HEAD TO HEAD

It’s not often that these two sides collide, facing off on just five occasions since 2009. Aveley have the edge of the recent record, winning three out of those five meetings. Wingate’s most recent victory over the Millers came in a 2-1 away win in 2012, just four months after a 2-2 draw at Summers Lane.

Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.