by Paul Lerman

Wingate & Finchley 2
Tilbury 0
Ryman One North

Wingate & Finchley completed the league double over Tilbury with a comfortable victory that keeps them at the top of Division One North.

Dave Laird, returning to the side after his bout of flu, fed through Leon Smith but his shot was aimed too centrally and was blocked by the keeper. Josh Cooper then whipped a deep cross for Laird who should have tucked away his header but he fired high from six yards.

Tilbury were not intimidated and looked to attack, and a headed clearance from Gavin King outside the area fell to Harry Cook but his first time 40 yard shot towards the unguarded goal sailed over the bar.

There was a flashpoint at the end of the first half as both sides were reduced to ten men in an altercation featuring most of the outfield players. The fullbacks, Marc Weatherstone for Wingate & Finchley and Donavon Wilson for Tilbury, were the men dismissed.

After the break, a free-kick on the edge of the area from Tilbury's Ricky Evans was well stopped by King low to his right. However ten minutes into the second half Wingate took the lead. Ola Williams, brought on in a tactical reshuffle, played the ball to Cooper on the right side of the halfway line. He left his marker Evans for dead before crossing low to Laird, who took the ball in his stride and slotted home under the keeper.

Just four minutes later the lead was doubled. Smith was stupidly fouled inside the area by the hapless Evans and the referee duly pointed to the spot for Laird to despatch the penalty home with ease.

The game opened up from here and Nathan Gordon showed a turn of pace on Tilbury's right wing before smashing the ball against the near post.

Tilbury began to lose their shape as they tired and chances flowed for Wingate. The closest the Blues came was through Gary Burrell who struck the crossbar with a dipping curling effort from 20 yards, and Chris Chase had a shot from a tight angle well charged down by the onrushing keeper.

Lineup: King, Weatherstone, Wright, Fowler (Williams 46), Shehu, Rifat, Cooper (O'Brien 85), Henry, Smith, Laird (Chase 70), Burrell. Subs: Jones, Sloma.