Wingate & Finchley moved eight points clear of the drop zone in the Ryman League Premier Division last night with a resounding 4-0 win at Carshalton Athletic – exactly the same result as when the sides met in Finchley on the opening day of the season.

The Blues were aiming to continue their momentum following their 3-1 win in their last league match against Thamesmead Town, and there was only one change to the starting line-up, with Dan McGonigle replacing Adam Bolle.

The first half was even and was played with end-to-end attacking football. Both keepers were alert to make good saves in the first few minutes. Carshalton’s Billy Dunn and then Reece Hall were both denied by Bobby Smith in the opening stages as the stopper made an excellent double save.

Two minutes later, Carshalton’s keeper was on hand to keep the scores goalless as Ola Williams created space with excellent interplay with Ahmet Rifat, and he bore down on Shaun Phillips but saw his low effort blocked.

Wingate then won a succession of corners and went close again when a Lewis Jones delivery was flicked onto the roof of the net by McGonigle.

Billy Dunn came close to opening the scoring for the hosts when he caught a Wingate defence square, and he rounded Smith but pulled his shot across the face of goal.

Five minutes before the break, Ola Sogbanmu opened the scoring for the Blues against his former club - although all the credit must go to Rifat for creating the goal. Surrounded by players out on the left wing, he showed skill and patience to work his way up the line before cutting inside and squaring for Sogbanmu, who fired home from eight yards.

Rifat nearly scored himself before the break but was denied by a block by the keeper from just a couple of yards out.

It did not matter because the second goal arrived 10 minutes after the interval. A vicious cross by Jones was kept alive at the far post by Tommy Tejan-Sie, who pulled the ball back to Rifat - and the forward spun his man and took the ball all the way across goal before sliding it in from a narrow angle.

Rifat’s confidence was flowing as he volleyed towards goal from the edge of the area, but Phillips did well to parry the ball away.

The rain began to fall and the wind picked up during the half, and this hampered the game on an already heavy pitch.

Carshalton seemed beaten following the second goal lacking any creative edge to force their way back into the match – and it was 3-0 to Wingate in the 77th minute as Jones crossed for Tejan-Sie, who scored with a powerful diving header from 10 yards.

Jones then had the final say as he tapped home after a calamitous gift by the keeper on his own goal-line.

Wingate & Finchley: Smith, Williams, Wright, McGonigle, Weatherstone, Aisien, Jones, McCall, Rifat (Read 85), Sogbanmu (Henry 85), Tejan-Sie (Hart 89). Subs: King, Morante.

Attendance: 89