Wingate and Finchley made it 18 points from the last six games with Rob Laney's first-half goal enough to see them past Worthing at the Maurice Rebak Stadium on Saturday.

The league's bottom side made life more difficult than would have been expected for Keith Rowland and his team, and Shane Gore was repeatedly needed to keep them at bay.

But Laney's header from Reece Beckles-Richards' corner five minutes before the break would prove sufficient for a Wingate victory, and they had chances themselves to double their advantage.

Laney, Beckles-Richards and Spencer McCall all went close as the Blues moved level on points with second-placed Leiston.

Marc Charles-Smith headed Nathan Mavila's cross wide in the only genuine chance of the first half-hour, before Rian O'Sullivan's header forced Gore into his first diving save of the match.

Rodrigo Schmitdinger again left Wingate nervous as he fired over, but Laney would give the visitors a lesson in clinical finishing as he powered home Beckles-Richards' corner, despite the best efforts of Brazilian goalkeeper Lucas Cavagnari.

Chances remained at a premium after the break until Worthing, without a win all season, again pressed for a surprise goal, with O'Sullivan denied once again by Gore, who this time tipped over his overhead kick.

Laney and Beckles-Richards both were denied by Cavagnari in the closing stages, before Reece Hallard volleyed Worthing's last chance of the game over the bar.