Invicta were brought crashing down to earth as a goal in each half gave Wingate & Finchley a totally deserved three points and ended the visitors’ eight game winning streak at chilly and unwelcoming Maurice Rebak Stadium in North London on Saturday.

Just four days earlier Folkestone had crushed Enfield Town 5-1 with a superb attacking display but for well over an hour this afternoon they were as ineffective as they had been devastating in midweek.

Wingate scored in their first real attack of the match, Afolabi Obafemi lifting the ball over keeper Tim Roberts after a cross in from the left to put the home side in front with just four minutes on the clock.

Invicta tried to get going, winning a string of free-kicks and corners which came to nothing with the big home defensive wall blocking everything that was thrown at them leaving keeper Shane Gore virtually a spectator throughout the first 45 minutes.

At the other end goalscorer Obefemi could have put the result beyond doubt, twice firing wastefully high and wide when  Folkestone conceded possession far too easily

With arguably his strongest squad in years to choose from, Folkestone boss Neil Cugley replaced both fullbacks with fit again midfielder Ronnie Dolan and on-loan Gillingham defender Finn O’Mara at the break.

But things got worse only eight minutes after the restart when big Marc Charles-Smith doubled the home side’s lead from a corner, leaving Folkestone with a comparative mountain to climb.

Dolan’s runs down the right offered hope and his good low cross eluded everyone except the seemingly surprised Kieron McCann unchallenged at the far post, but the popular wide man could only stab his shot weakly at the goalkeeper.

On 69 minutes leading scorer Ade Yusuff broke clear but goalkeeper Gore raced off his line to avert the danger.

A decant snap effort by McCann on forced Gore’s only real save of the match after Invicta had gone for broke with the introduction of Joe Taylor in a three-man front line for the final 20 minutes.

And four minutes later, the ever busy Scott Heard’s hard driven cross from the right was turned into his own net by Wingate centre back Claudio Vilcu offering the sizeable contingent of Invicta fans in a poor crowd of 156 a glimmer of hope.

But Wingate wound down the clock thanks to some blatant timewasting which went largely unpunished by referee Michael Smith and the game was up.

Invicta: Roberts; Cooper (Dolan 45), Davies, Newman, Blanks (O’Mara 45); Heard, Hasler, Everitt (Taylor 70), McCann; Ter Horst, Yusuff.

Subs not used: Wright, Shaw

Referee: Michael Shaw

Attendance: 156