Wingate & Finchley captain Marc Weatherstone hailed goalkeeper Bobby Smith after Saturday’s goalless draw away against third-placed Margate.
While the visitors had their chances, Smith was in fine form throughout the game and made two stunning saves in the final moments, denying Zac Attwood and Ryan Moss to keep his side in the promotion race.
With six games to go, the Blues are two points behind fifth-placed Enfield Town and the play-off spots, and they host fourth-placed Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday.
“Bobby does it week in week out, he’s a class keeper and it’s no surprise to me,” said Weatherstone. “It was a very good game between two very good teams looking for promotion.
“Overall, I think it was probably a fair result. We dominated the first half and they had the better of the chances in the second.
“We’re a confident unit at the minute and we keep growing in confidence with every game. After a bad result, we always seem to bounce back well.
“Margate have a lot of money and not many teams come here and get a result. We’re happy with a clean sheet and a point gained. We move on to Dulwich and we do exactly the same against another promotion-chasing side.”
Wingate will hold their annual community day on Saturday as part of a festival of football in north London.
The Blues’ match against Dulwich Hamlet will kick off at 1pm and fans can pay what they want for entry, in an attempt to attract extra fans through the gate.
The club will also be raising money via a bucket collection for The Noah’s Ark Hospice, who provide support for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families in north London.
Last season, Blues supporters raised over £1,500 for the Barnet-based charity and they hope to make another significant contribution this time around.
The first team game will be followed by a Wingate & Finchley v Dulwich Hamlet supporters’ match, kicking off on the main pitch at 4pm.
For those looking for a bonus game to attend elsewhere, high-flying Essex Senior League side Haringey Borough will be kicking off against Hullbridge Sports at 3.30pm.
Haringey, who play on White Hart Lane in Tottenham, are in with a strong chance of promotion to the Ryman League and are sending a free minibus to Summers Lane to escort groundhoppers between the venues.
Anyone interested in reserving a seat on the bus should contact Haringey Borough secretary John Bacon at baconjw@hotmail.com
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