For Wingate it was their third successive 2-1 victory, this time at home against early season struggler's Redbridge.

However the visitors will rightly feel hard done by, playing in front of their new manager for the first time, as they were defensively organised and fully worthy of a draw that was snatched away in stoppage time.

Both sides were disjointed in the first half. Whilst Wingate & Finchley controlled possession without keeping the ball for long enough to make inroads, Redbridge attacked with speed but a lack of quality in the final third.

Leon Smith had an early snapshot from a tight angle but narrowly hooked the ball beyond the far post, and Ajet Shehu shot on the turn after he had stayed forward following a free kick, but he too missed the left post by inches.

On one occasion the visitors did manage to breach the Wingate defence, via a quick Perry Christian break down the right, but he cut his shot across the face of goal.

Towards the end of the half Blues' full-back Sam Sloma found himself in an advanced position to receive the ball, but his right-footed shot from 18 yards was stopped by a comfortable dive from Lee Newcombe who made his first save of the night.

The second half was a much livelier affair. Marc Weatherstone played a one-two with Josh Cooper on the right wing and injected some pace and width into the side with an incisive break. He then shot from the edge of the area but the effort was charged down and the ball ricocheted for a corner.

Shortly before the hour mark, just as Wingate had started to build some pressure with a succession of corners, they took the lead. One corner was whipped in by Gary Burrell and Ahmet Rifat and Shehu climbed together to head the ball towards goal. Leon Smith was loitering in front of the keeper and deftly flicked the ball on with his head and saw it hit the net off the underside of the bar. The goal was perhaps abit harsh on Redbridge as there was a foul in the box.

The match's big flashpoint followed on 65 minutes, after Jordan Fowler was caught on the calf by a sliding McLeod challenge both players squared up, and after a lengthy discussion between the three officials who judged them to have overreacted, they were both red carded.

Leon Smith had the chance to finish Redbridge off when he was sent racing clear from inside his own half but Newcombe stopped the front man in his tracks with a great block with his outstretched arms, as the forward had tried to take the ball around him.

The visitors started to cope better with being a man down, and were turning the screw looking for an equaliser. With 20 minutes remaining it duly arrived. Christian found space on the right and squared to the middle for Alex Read who had a simple tap-in. It was Read's second goal of the season.

Both sides were tired as the game wore on, and it seemed as though both were resigned to sharing the points. However deep into stoppage time Wingate & Finchley scored a crucial winning goal.

Burrell curled in a lofted free kick which the keeper punched up in the air causing a goalmouth scramble, and Smith eventually outmuscled his marker and headed the ball home from close range. It was a harsh goal against the Motormen as Lee Newcombe in goal appeared to have been fouled.

Redbridge: Newcombe, Wilson, Stephen, Peddie, Crossley, Diaczuk, McLeod, Christian, Read (Fletcher), Agdomar