Wingate & Finchley came from two goals goal to win at Margate and ensure a Merry Christmas for their fans, writes Khalid Karimullah.

Quentin Monville’s strike trickled wide within three minutes at Hartsdown Park, but the hosts then took the lead when Kane Haysman’s cross was turned into his own net by Sean Cronin.

Ahmet Rifat set Reece Beckles-Richards up for a powerful strike which flew wide on 23 minutes and four minutes later, Monville’s cross from the right reached Rob Laney, whose shot was tipped over by James Russell.

Monville failed to trouble Russell from distance before Margate were awarded a penalty and Chiedozie slotted home from the spot.

Wingate’s never-say-die attitude bore fruit though when Beckles-Richards’ low cross found Laney at the far post and his shot took a deflection off Marc Charles-Smith on the stroke of half time to halve the deficit.

Eight minutes after the restart, Rifat’s piledriver was blocked and Laney skewed wide, then Beckles-Richards met Luke Ifil’s corner and saw his shot go through a crowd of defenders and wide.

It was all square on 62 minutes as Nathan Mavila’s run past Jack Evans and Ben Swift eventually saw him clip the ball to the back post for Laney to volley home.

And Laney was at it again with 67 minutes played when he drifted to the back post and met Charles-Smith’s deep cross with a header back across goal – to send the away support into raptures.

Monville was kept out at close range and Russell tipped away Rifat’s shot on 81 minutes, but Ifil jinked past two defenders before slotting home to make it 4-2.

Claudiu Vilcu and Rifat were both dismissed for what appeared to be dissent, after a contentious penalty award to Gate, with Chiedozie slotting home deep in stoppage time.

But nine-man Wingate held out to ensure three points for Christmas.

Wingate: Gore, Williams, Mavila, Vilcu, Cronin, Rifat, Ifil, Laney, Charles-Smith (Obafemi 76), Beckles-Richards (Eales 90), Monville (Ebelebe 85). Unused subs: Pattie, Conteh.

*Haringey Borough lost 2-0 at home to Bowers & Pitsea in Bostik North.