Lowestoft Town ground out a point at Wingate & Finchley despite having to withstand a first-half onslaught from the home side.

With Chris Henderson and Danny Cunningham calling off through illness on Saturday morning youth team captain Connor Doddington was given a place on the bench. Curtis Haynes-Brown was fit to resume his place in the centre of defence having missed the last five games through injury.

Although the game finished goalless this was always an interesting contest with both sides probing at their opponent's defences. The defences though held solid and on the occasions they were breached both keepers were in excellent form.

Lowestoft were the first to threaten when a poor clearance from Paul Wright was seized by Michael Frew who fed Bradley Woods-Garness whose fiercesome strike was arrowing towards the top corner but was superbly turned around the angle by home keeper Bobby Smith.

Leon Smith has always caused the Blues defence problems in past meetings but he should have done better than curl a shot past the far post after being set up by Marc Weatherspoon.

Ashlee Jones had to race from his area to tackle Smith as he again broke clear and then the Blues keeper dived to turn away a goal bound drive from Spencer McCall.

Smith broke away again as the interval approached but in a one on one with Jones it was the Blues keeper who came out on top with a diving save.

If the Lowestoft keeper had been the busier in the first period the boot was on the other foot after the break. The Town defence took a tighter grip on Smith and with Dan Gleeson taking control in the middle it was the Blues who were mainly on the offensive.

Adam Smith fed Woods-Garness down the inside left channel and after cutting inside two defenders he struck an awesome drive which Bobby Smith again turned over the bar in fine style.

Lowestoft continued to press and with the game nearing its conclusion Woods-Garness broke down the right and his cross into the danger zone was collected by the diving Smith.

Wingate & Finchley: B Smith, Williams, Wright, Tejan-Sei, Weatherspoon, Rifat, Mackie (Sub Mason 68), McGonigle, L Smith, Laird (Sub Kennett 77), McCall. Subs not used: Hallam, Christian, Shulton.

Lowestoft Town: Jones, Gleeson, A Smith, Okay, Haynes-Brown, Gaughran, L Smith, J Ainsley, Woods-Garness (Sub Otobo 89). Frew, Eagle. Subs not used: S Ainsley, Tarawali, Doddington, Viner.

Attendance: 122