Wingate & Finchley’s push for the Ryman League Premier Division play-offs continued with a 3-1 win over north London neighbours Harrow Borough.

Two goals from Ahmet Rifat and a late clincher from Ben Pattie kept the Blues in fifth position, the final play-off spot, with 10 games to play.

For Harrow though, games are coming thick and fast and while they have a bit of breathing space to the relegation zone, one eye will definitely be on the chasing pack beneath them.

The first 15 minutes saw both sides enjoy spells of possession but neither team found the cutting edge to open the scoring.

However, Shane Gore made a smart save for Wingate before Reece Beckles-Richards curled an effort just wide at the other end.

The best chance of the opening half-hour fell to Harrow, but nobody was on the edge of George Nicholas’ low cross on 23 minutes – with more than half of Gore’s goal open for anyone arriving at the back post.

Ten minutes later, Harrow were ahead. Michael Bryan found space 25 yards out from goal and sent a swerving effort into the bottom left corner of Gore’s goal,

Wingate’s resilience was shown once again as Ahmet Rifat bundled home from a scrappy corner to level the game just four minutes after the hosts went behind, and it was 1-1 at the break.

The second half began in much sharper fashion for the hosts, and when Tommy Tejan-Sie’s effort was blocked in the opening minute, Rifat headed the resulting corner home to put Keith Rowland’s side 2-1 ahead.

Steve Wales had a glorious chance to put the Blues 3-1 up but curled an effort over the bar from inside the area despite having time and space to pick out the back of the net.

As the game drew to a close, Gore showed just why he was rewarded with January’s Goalkeeper of the Month award with a diving save to his left to deny a Shaun Preddie header from point-blank range.

But just as Wingate fans were beginning to settle for a 2-1 win, Beckles-Richards led a counter attack, had his run halted and saw the ball fall to Ben Pattie, who rifled the ball home to put the game to bed.

Wingate & Finchley: Gore, Ifil, Abrahams, Figueira, (Pattie 83), Cronin, Rifat, Wales, McCall, Laney, Beckles-Richards, Tejan-Sie

Subs (not used): Dawkins, Obafemi, Sharpe, Williams

Goals: Rifat 37, 47, Pattie 90

HARROW BOROUGH: Williams, Webb, Lomas, Preddie, Peacock, Webb, Nicholas, Cumberbatch, Charles-Smith (Driver 79), Kabba, Bryan (Babalola 79)

Subs (not used): Ochoa, Newman, Lanzizi

Goals: Bryan 33

HT: Wingate & Finchley 1 Harrow Borough 1

Attendance: 135

Referee: Dean Skipper