A LATE strike from Joe Lawley gave Causeway United victory against Highgate United today.

It had been a tale of two goalkeepers at The Grove until the midfielder chested the ball down on the edge of the box and rifled it home with just second remaining.

Despite the scoreline reading 0-0 for virtually all of the contest, it was far from dull end of season affair.

It was the home side that started the brighter and found three good openings in the first period, only for visiting keeper Sam Hornby to deny them.

First Jack Pearlman had his header tipped over the bar before two quick-fire saves left the lively Sam Beasley and Rion Francis-Mills frustrated.

Francis-Mills then had an effort cleared off the line just before the end of the half in which Causeway should maybe have taken the lead.

It was Highgate who responded well in the second period and worked a few chances of their own through top scorer Lei Brown.

Then came a period of end-to-end play as both sides took it in turns to create chance after chance.

Both Beasley and Will Tibbetts had chances to open the scoring for Causeway. Perhaps the best chance of the game fell to the impressive Francis-Mills. He was played in but lift his strike over the bar with just the keeper to beat.

As the game entered the last 15 minutes, somehow it remained 0-0.

Highgate's Brown hit the woodwork twince in two minutes. First he saw his looping header hit the crossbar before a far post header crashed against the upright.

n 84 minutes, it was Francis-Mills and Causeway's turn to shake the stanchion.

He linked up well with Beasley, who had once again dropped off the forward line to pull the strings, but saw his near post effort hit the outside of the post.

Just as it looked like we were destined for an entertaining stalemate, Lawley's late show sealed the win for Causeway.

Good work down the right by full back Robinson-Richard saw him spot Lawley unmarked in a central postion on the edge of the box.

He chested the ball down and fired his effort into the bottom corner to give Hornby no chance on this occasion.

Before the game, manager Andy Mole had called on his side to finish their Midland Alliance season well. It seems his team must have listened as they played their part in what was a very entertaining end-to-end game.

Teams: Causeway United: Turner, Robinson-Richard, Sproston (c), Whitley, Wollacott, Lawley, Pealman, Francis-Mills, Blackham (Daniel 78), Beasley, Tibbetts. Unused subs: Priest, Hill, Kirkham, Scarr.

Highgate United: Hornby, Robinson, N Pulisciano, Reynolds, Hall (c), Joe Adams, Jordan Adams, Fuller, Lynch, Lacey, Brown. Unused subs: Kings, Daley, A Pulisciano, Hayward, Blake.