Wingate & Finchley’s visit to the KNK Stadium didn’t go as planned, as they came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline at the hands of Tooting & Mitcham United.

Within four minutes, the first opportunity fell to the home side’s Chace O’Neill who dragged his shot wide across goal from the inside left.

Keir Dickson’s free-kick, deep in the final third, dropped to Sean Cronin at the back post and he headed across goal but couldn’t find the target for the visitors five minutes later.

With neither side finding real momentum, the tables were soon turned in the 20th minute as O’Neill latched onto possession from the inside left and unleashed a 30-yard swerving effort into the top corner.

Peter Wedgeworth’s free-kick from the right curled just over the bar 14 minutes later and three minutes before the break, it could have been double-trouble for the Blues as O’Neill let loose a left-footed strike from afar and it took an inspired clawing stop from Shane Gore to keep the ball out.

A minute after the restart, Ola Williams’ cross from the right dropped to Reece Beckles-Richards inside the box, but his clipped attempt was tipped away from the top corner by Matte Pierson.

Keith Rowland’s side were 2-0 down on 55 minutes, though, as the Terrors countered with O’Neill’s shot from the left deflecting past Gore and bobbling over the line.

Pierson dived to his right to keep out Cronin’s effort from outside the box in the 63rd minute and two minutes later Marc Charles-Smith saw his shot on the turn stopped.

Charles-Smith chested and volleyed goalwards from near the right byline, only for Pierson to deny a route back into the game with 15 minutes to go.

Danny Bassett raced through on goal in the 80thminute and looked to place the ball into the bottom corner from the left, but saw Gore make a stop with his feet.

Deep in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Mike Dixon dribbled towards goal before poking wide.

Wingate: Gore, Williams, Dickson, Humphrey, Cronin, Mulley, Ifil (Monville 90), Laney (Obafemi 56), Charles-Smith, Beckles-Richards (Pattie 69), Tejan-Sie. Unused subs: Eales, Price.

Attendance: 173.