Charlie Lambert, 90th minute. There’s been a host of last minute goals for the Hawks this season, and Wingate & Finchley are a side who have felt the indefatigable energy of Whitehawk the strongest after a thrilling 3-3 draw back in August. Now, into the new year, the two sides meet again: one side occupying a play-off spot, and the other chasing the pack.

Few would have predicted tomorrow’s opponents to have reached such heights, and this will be another test a Shaun Saunders side who are looking to continue that fine start to 2024. Wednesday’s postponement will have handed the Hawks some much-needed rest as they journey up to the capital tomorrow, eying a first win at The Maurice Rebak Stadium since 2013.

The Opposition

Perched in 5th and enjoying a fine campaign, it’s been an excellent few months for ‘The Blues’ who, after a steady start to the season, have now been in fine form since November, winning seven of their past ten in the league.

Fronted by Ahmet Rifat, who has been at the club in various other roles including out on the pitch, it looks a certainty that his side will improve upon last season’s 16th-place finish. This is a side that have failed to finish in the top half of the division since 2018, and so the past few months have been a breath of fresh air for the few hundred that flock to the ground.

One to Watch | Elliot Long: Coming in with 13 league goals this season as we move further into the new year, it’s been a fine campaign for the 23-year-old forward as he has already bettered his tally for last season.

The club’s top scorer and the fifth-highest in the league, Long made a name for himself earlier on in the campaign by scoring a fabulous six-minute hat-trick that propelled his side to a 3-2 victory at Hastings United.

Recent Form – WLWWD

16/12 | Concord Rangers (H) | Won 2-0

26/12 | Potters Bar Town (A) | Lost 3-2

30/12 | Kingstonian (A) | Won 2-1

1/1 | Cheshunt (H) | Won 3-2

6/1 | Folkestone Invicta (A) | Drew 1-1 

Previous Meetings

We last met back in August at The Enclosed Ground in a thrilling affair on a warm summer’s day. Wingate raced into a 3-0 lead inside 50 minutes, but hope was not lost as Charlie Walker pulled one back in the 62nd minute.

The Hawks battled hard and eventually got their reward after Ryan Worrall made it 3-2, as a late strike from Charlie Lambert handed his side a brilliant point in the third match of the campaign.

Before that, the two sides came during the 2018-19 campaign, when the Hawks would ultimately suffer back-to-back relegations.

‘The Blues’ claimed victory at The Enclosed Ground, coming back from a 1-0 deficit to storm into a 3-1 lead, before Luke Emberson pulled one back for the hosts late on.

In the reverse fixture in N12, a last gasp Alieu Njie strike earned his Wingate side a share of the spoils after Rhyle Ovenden handed Jude Macdonald’s side an early second half advantage.

How to Follow

If you can’t make it to The Maurice Rebak Stadium this weekend, then you can follow the action via our X (Twitter) channel, which can be found here.