Matt Finlay reached a notable landmark in both his career and in the history of AFC Rushden & Diamonds recently when he became the fourth player to play their 100th game for the club.
Following in the footsteps of Sam Brown, the first Diamonds player to achieve this feat, Matt Gearing and Brad Harris, Matt reached the 100 appearance milestone when he played in the Diamonds game against Kings Langley on Saturday 20th February 2016. He was presented with an award to recognise this feat by Club Chairman Ralph Burditt at the following home game.
Goalkeeper Matt Finlay made his debut for the club on 22nd February 2014 after joining the club from Cogenhoe United – he had moved across at the end of January but the poor weather meant he had to wait over three weeks to make his debut. He became a key member of the team that won promotion from UCL Premier in 2015, helping the team to create a new club record for unbeaten games. Although often an “unsung hero”, his performances have continued to be a key part of the Diamonds success, and he has already picked up three man of the match awards this season, whilst playing in a position that is rather overlooked in consideration of these awards. During the 100 games he kept 29 clean sheets.
You can see Matt’s player profile with details of these games here.
Pictures courtesy of Malcolm Swinden Photography Copyright Mal Swinden ©2012-16 and Stephanie Webb Photography Copyright Stephanie Webb ©2012-16
