Ilford 3 Wingate & Finchley 1 . . .

Ryman League Division One North . . .

It was a day of mixed emotions for Wingate & Finchley, who mathematically guaranteed survival thanks to other results, despite losing to an invigorated Ilford side who are still fighting their own relegation battle.

On an atrocious, bobbly pitch, which was unfit for park football, both sides found it difficult to play a consistent passing game and the match quickly descended into a physical midfield battle.

The first flowing move came from Ilford midway through the half, when Petric Elbi sprinted down the left wing. He squared the ball to Ben Jones, but he blazed over with only keeper Gavin King to beat.

Wingate & Finchley began to dominate for the rest of the half, and created a host of good chances. Craig Ellis hooked a shot wide from 18 yards and, just moments later, Dean Williams was sent clear by a lofted through-ball. Keeper James Marrable rushed out and forced Williams to shoot early, but his lobbed attempt from a wide angle rolled agonisingly wide of the far post.

Billy Amarteifio came close too, when he volleyed inches over after Ahmet Rifat had cut the ball back from the byline.

As always happens in football, if you do not take your chances, you will get punished. And this is exactly what happened, as Ilford scored against the run of play. In the 41st minute, Jones made up for his earlier miss by scoring with a header from a driven cross.

Wingate & Finchley hit back straight away, though, as Dean Nyman was sent clear from a lofted through-ball from Craig Ellis and he lobbed the onrushing Marrable expertly to bring his side level.

The second half was the opposite of the exciting first half, as there were very few chances.

Ilford saw the opportunity to get the win that they needed in their fight for survival and, in the last 15 minutes, stepped up their game, deservedly scoring twice in this period to take all three points.

Teenager Tom Laxton sent an unstoppable shot soaring into the top corner from near the edge of the area and, with just moments remaining, the win was secured by Paul Olima, who again left King rooted to the spot with a low drive that was perfectly placed in the bottom corner.

Wingate & Finchley: Gavin King, Marc Weatherstone, Kieran Street, Craig Ellis, Billy Amartiefio, Ahmet Rifat, Dan Stanton (Andy Edmunds 70), Joe Tabiri (Jerome Boyce 85), Dean Nyman, Dean Williams (Tashan Bradshaw-Brown 72), James Gershfield. Subs: Joe O'Brien, Leon Skinner.

PAUL LERMAN