Dramatic climax gives Wingate & Finchley the win over Folkestone Invicta
Wingate & Finchley took on Folkestone Invicta in the Ryman Premier Division - Credit: Archant
Wingate & Finchley produced a stirring comeback inside the last five minutes to claim a 3-2 win over Folkestone Invicta and end a sequence of three straight defeats.
Substitute Reece Beckles-Richards got the first, hooking the ball over his shoulder from close in after it fell to him from a corner.
And Wingate wrapped up the three points two minutes later through Rob Laney, whose effort was diverted into the net by the Folkestone keeper.
Steve Wales had opened the scoring early in the second half but two Ian Draycott strikes had threatened to steal the result.
The first half always threatened to burst into flames without actually doing it.
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Wingate held plenty of the ball but were guilty of gifting possession back to the visitors too often early on.
Spencer McCall had their best chance, bursting into the box from midfield on the end of a Rob Laney knock down. But with cries of shoot echoing in his ears he chose to knock it back across goal and the chance was lost.
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Tommy Tiejan-Sie drew a smart save from Tim Roberts in the Invicta goal while at the other end Shane Gore needed his crossbar to help him deny Jordan Wright a goal.
It was the visitors who had the first chance, Joseph Taylor lobbing wide after beating the offside trap.
But it was Wingate who opened the scoring. Ryan Sellars twisted & turned on the left before finding Laney and his low shot was deflected in by Wales at the back post.
Chances came at both ends with Gore making a superb save to deny Folkestone an instant reply when Nathanaiel Banks broke clear and another effort fizzed past the post.
Folkestone were then indebted to a defender on the line as a header from Murphy headed goalwards.
However, there was nothing Gore could do to deny Draycott his first, a beauty bent in from the edge of the area, and it was nother classy finish by the striker to put Invicta in front with 11 minutes to go.
The dramatic climax, coupled with results esewhere lifts the Blues into sixth place in the Ryman League Premier Division, just one place out of the play-offs.
They face league leaders Bognor Regis Town at The Maurice Rebak Stadium on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 3pm.
Wingate & Finchley: Gore, Ifil, Sellars, Young, Cronin, Rifat, Wales, McCall, Pattie (Beckles-Richards 65), Laney, Tejan-Sie
Subs (not used): Abrahams, Obafemi, Dawkins, Sharpe
Goals: Wales 53, Beckles-Richards 85, Laney 87
Folkestone Invicta: Roberts, Davies, Banks, Friend, Chappell, Wright, Hasler (Vincent 83), Cornwell, Draycott, Taylor, Starkey
Subs (not used): Miller, Jellei, Brabham, Sahadow
Goals: Draycott 68, 79
HT: Wingate & Finchley 0 Folkestone Invicta 0
Attendance: 84
Referee: Paul Forrester
