Wingate & Finchley moved into the top half of the Isthmian Premier League table for the first time in 2025 with a 3-1 win over Whitehawk on Saturday, a win which took the Blues to four games unbeaten. It was a game that, on the whole, lacked a bit of quality, but was not short of big moments as it took numerous different twists and turns on a beautiful sunny afternoon in North London.
It was Whitehawk who started strongest of the two sides with an early corner in the second minute; but the header from Charlie Walker at the near post was just wide. Whitehawk were close again through in-form striker Harry Bridle who managed to get a shot away on the turn but it harmlessly drifted past the returning Charlie Grainger's near post. There really were very few big moments in the opening half an hour, but the Blues responded with attacking intent. In the 36th minute, Wingate broke the deadlock when Whitehawk's Stefan Wright turned the ball into his own net after a goal-line clearance attempt from Ogo Obi's goalbound shot. It looked to be heading over the line regardless of the defender's intervention, and so the goal was awarded to our man chasing the league's golden boot.
While the home fans were just about finishing their celebrations from the opening goal, a penalty was awarded to Whitehawk after Ben Watt was adjudged to have brought down Harry Bridle, albeit it appeared to be a soft decision. In a battle of the Charlies, it was Blues goalkeeper Charlie Grainger that came out on top as he stood tall to save Charlie Walker's penalty which was straight down the middle and at a good height to stop. It was a great save for Grainger in his first game since mid-January due to injury, and a huge moment in the course of this match.
There was a double-change at the interval for the hosts, with Toby Byron and Cain Keller replacing Daniel Emovon and Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, the latter clearly appearing under the weather but battling valiantly in the first half playing through an illness. These changes boosted the home side, and the players introduced made a couple of big interventions in the final outcome of Saturday's game.
Whitehawk went close again early in the second half, a Walker header from a corner appeared to clip the crossbar, or Grainger's outstretched hand, or a combination of the two, before going over. In the 58th minute, Toby Byron, himself returning from a couple of weeks out with injury, finished clinically into the bottom right corner, doubling Wingate’s lead at the end of a fast flowing move down the left side which he started and finished.
The Blues looked to put the game to bed, and Ryan Lowe orchestrated a couple of chances from midfield, first finding Billy Cracknell's head with an accurate free-kick, but the header was straight into the arms of the visiting keeper, before spraying a wonderful pass to Ore Bello on the right wing who beat his man but when he found Jaiden Drakes-Thomas in the centre, he couldn't apply the required finish, blazing over the crossbar.
Whitehawk responded in the 69th minute, as Geoffrey Okonkwo capitalised on a scramble in the box to make it 2-1 with a close-range header. However, Wingate restored their two-goal cushion just a minute later, with Ogo Obi heading into the net from a precise chipped cross and some excellent work from Jaiden Drakes-Thomas.
Despite Whitehawk's late attempts, including a close-range shot from the edge of the area from Harry Bridle that narrowly missed the left post in the 87th minute, and a last-ditch challenge from Cain Keller to stop Whitehawk from bearing down on goal, the Blues held firm. After seven minutes of added time, the match ended 3-1, marking a well-earned win for Wingate & Finchley.
Wingate & Finchley: Grainger, Garrett-Douglas (Keller 46'), Emovon (Byron 46'), Cracknell, Frempah, Watt (Iontton 52’), Bello (Newton 76;), Lowe, Obi, Drakes-Thomas, Alexandrou (Restrepo 85').
Unused Subs: none
Attendance: 191
Photos courtesy of Taslima Islam (Snapcentrix). Match report by Noah Bercott
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