Bostik Premier: Wingate & Finchley 0 Harlow Town 2

Wingate & Finchley’s five-match unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday when they lost 2-0 at home to Harlow Town.

Glen Little’s side had put together a decent spell since the end of November, but they were unable to build on it at the Maurice Rebak Stadium against a team battling to stay up in the Bostik Premier this season.

The first chance, however, did fall the way of the Blues after 10 minutes. Lewis Putman’s byline cross came out to Tommy Tejan-Sie, who shimmied onto his left prior to seeing his strike with clout blocked by Bill Plumpton, who had rushed across.

Four minutes on, Reece Mitchell fed Putman from the inside left, who controlled prior to Paul Rodgers steering his goalbound effort clear from inside the six-yard box.

The visitors left the hosts flabbergasted when Louis Yuill - from a full 30-yards - rifled into the top right, leaving Shane Gore with no chance for the opening goal of the night after 20 minutes.

Nine minutes proceeded when it became double-trouble for Little’s troops. Matt Foy laid a header into the path of Tom Hitchcock, who jinked and played it into Emile Acquah’s path to finish within six-yards.

Hitchcock’s free-kick looked destined for the bottom left on 39 minutes, but Gore hurried across to parry away.

Four minutes prior to the break, Carl Stewart drove forward and slipped Mitchell down the inside right, whose shot across goal was held by Josh Bexon.

A minute into the restart, Wingate came within a whisker of pulling one back. Putman broke clear and despite placing an effort past Bexon, hit the post and trickled across the line.

The last meaningful chance came as early as around the hour mark. Rob Laney flicked on Gore’s goalkick into the path of David Manu, whose near-post shot was palmed by Bexon.

And the Hawks kept any chance of a comeback grounded, with every avenue attempted proving fruitless for the home side.

The loss, Wingate’s 10th in the Bostik Premier this season, places them 17th in the table with 21 points from 19 matches and work to do ahead of Christmas.