Bostik Premier: Wingate & Finchley 2 Thurrock 4
Wingate & Finchley manager Keith Rowland (pic Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo) - Credit: Gavin Ellis/TGS Photo
Wingate let a half-time lead slip as they slumped to defeat against Fleet, who played the last 23 minutes with 10 men.
Only nine minutes had been played when Layne Eadie put the home side ahead with a low drive from 20 yards that beat Ben McNamara, to claim his first goal for the club.
Shane Gore denied Lewwis Spence, who also sent an acrobatic effort wide from a corner, before Afolabi Obafemi saw a tight-angled shot turned behind for a corner at the other end.
Gore tipped a curling Spence shot past a post, before McNamara spilled a strong drive from Reece Beckles-Richards, but it was all square on 39 mintues as Spence smashed a left-footed shot home from 25 yards.
Blues were back in front on the stroke of half time, though, as Beckles-Richards claimed a stunning strike of his own, finding the top corner from 25 yards.
Tommy Tejan-Sie shot wide early in the second half and Fleet were level on 50 minutes when Jordan Clark was played in behind the home defence and slotted past the onrushing Gore.
It got worse for Wingate three minutes later as Clark netted from the penalty spot to put Fleet 3-2 up, but the visitors then saw James Goode given his marching orders midway through the second half.
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Wingate were awarded a penalty three minutes later when Freddy Moncur was fouled by Perry Dunn, but Moncur fired the spot-kick over the bar.
Moncur made way for Ben Pattie soon after and Beckles-Richards fired high over the bar from theedge of the box, before the substitute shot just wide.
Hopes of the home side salvaging something from the game were ended on 81 minutes, though, as Spence saw his deflected shot beat the wrong-footed Gore.
Pattie hit a post in the last minute of normal time, but Spence forced Gore to tip a free-kick wide in stoppage time as the visitors made off with the three points.
Wingate are due to make the long trip to Lowestoft on Tuesday.
Wingate: Gore, Ifil, Eadie, Joseph, Rifat, Obafemi (Rapai 58), Moncur (Pattie 76), Charles-Smith, Beckles-Richards, Tejan-Sie. Unused subs: Laney, Humphrey, Williams.
Attendace: 104.
