Arlesey began to turn on the pressure for the rest of the first half, creating a host of chances. Paul Barnes headed over when left completely unmarked, before Ed Thompson made the slightest deflection on a Barnes shot to divert the ball wide. Wingate & Finchley held out until the 41st minute, when Wayne Mills beat two men by the touchline and fired in a low cross that Barnes steered home from close range. The lead was doubled almost instantly when Barnes received the ball in a swift counter-attack and shot extremely early from 25 yards leaving Thompson completely stranded and only able to watch as the ball flew into the top far corner of the net. Bad news was to follow for the visitors, as goalkeeper Thompson had to go off injured at half time and Guy Morris replaced him in the sticks.

The second half was a lot more competitive as both sides probed with quick passing football, but neither side was able to break the opposing defence down. Substitute Chris West came close on the hour mark when he rose highest in the 6 yards box, but could only divert Leon Osei’s corner over the bar. West then had another chance to pull a goal back in the 82nd minute when he found himself in space outside the box with the keeper stranded in no-man’s land. However he pulled his effort well wide of the gaping goal. A consolation did come with two minutes remaining. Darren Assiamah sent a ball through to Matthew Batt who bore down on the keeper and drilled the ball home with a little help from the underside of the bar.

Manager Adam Lee was disappointed with the sluggish first half, but admits that losing Craig Ellis in the warm-up, as well as Ed Thompson during the match hampered the side greatly. He said “full credit to the boys for coming back into the game, they showed character and with a couple of missed chances were unlucky not to get back level in the game. I am delighted to finish 9th, which is our highest position at our highest level of football and shows good progress from our 12th place last year. However our thoughts of course are still with Simon Patterson, and the events off the pitch have put everything into perspective this year.”

Wingate & Finchley: Ed Thompson (Mark Gradosielski 46), Mark Weatherstone, Guy Helman, Darren Assiamah, Billy Amarteifio, Guy Morris, Danny Berg (Chris West 62), Joe O’Brien, Matt Batt, Daniel Clarke, Leon Osei. Sub: Craig Ellis.