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Winston: GB ready for action

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Ben Winston came away from the Team GB's final European Maccabi Games warm-up match with plenty of positives following a 1-1 draw against Wingate & Finchley on Tuesday night.

A first-half effort from TJ Keterman put GB ahead but the Ryman League club levelled following an error at the back from Michael Sacks that was emphatically punished.

Winston made several changes in the second half and GB kept things tight with chances at a premium at both ends.

Winston said: "This was a great work-out. We were excellent in the first half against a big, strong team.

"Wingate & Finchley didn't know how to cope with us when we were patient and kept the ball well. This is an area we have been working particularly hard on.

"In Vienna, we will need to play a continental style and patient football, and we will have more time on the ball."

Winston was assistant-manager of the GB team who won bronze in Rome in 2007 and he is pleased with the preparations for the week-long competition.

"We're approaching the tournament to be successful in European football," Winston said.

"Our preparations have been really strong. I have a phenomenal backroom staff and a really good, strong squad, with the right balance of youth and experience.

"It'll be interesting to see how the new faces cope with the pressure of international competition football.

"To a certain extent we're going into the unknown so all we can do is be as well-prepared as possible.

"Gold would be a fantastic achievement for my players and staff.

"It's important to get off to a good start and we will have to be disciplined, do ourselves justice and not get carried away once the competition starts."

GB's EMG campaign gets under way against Belgium next Wednesday.

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