Stalemate in the sun at The Dripping Pan

It was an a solid goalless draw on the road on Saturday for Wingate & Finchley in an uninspiring match in front of over 1,000 fans at The Dripping Pan in Lewes. It was a game played with good intensity in the first half; a couple of early chances for the Blues missing the target through Camilo Restrepo and Ryan Lowe.

Both sides have spent time at the upper end of the table this season, but their mid-season form has let them down and both now site outside of the playoff places and unlikely to force their way back into them before the season reaches its conclusion.

A red card issues to Jack Meeres for the home side early in the second half gave the visiting Blues some hope for optimism in securing a result, but in reality it took the sting out of the game, as the hosts played within themselves when down to ten men, and the Blues were unable to make anything happen.

10 minutes before the end, a header from Toby Byron looked destined to seal the deal, but the Lewers goalkeeper made an excellent save to claw the ball out from the goal. As the game looked destined to end goalless, the Blues introduced a couple of youngsters, including two from the Blues academy set-up, before Lewes missed the biggest chance of the afternoon, Charlie Grainger making a good save in the Wingate goal, with the ball falling to Tolu Ladapo who blazed his chance over the empty goal.

A clean sheet on the road, and an extra point for the Blues, with four games left. Next up is Cray Wanderers at home before Bognor Regis visit N12 on 19th April. Supporters can now vote for their player of the season - see our end of season questionnaire here!

Wingate & Finchley: Grainger, Garrett-Douglas, Byron, Cracknell, Webb, Watt (Iontton 71’), Bello (Roberts 90’), Lowe, Newton (Alexandrou 71’), Drakes-Thomas, Restrepo (Bircham 90’).

Unused sub: Emovon

Attendance: 1,008

Photos courtesy of Martin Addison.