Lewes vs Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 26th April – Match Report
Lewes 4
Sablier 25, Meeres 40, Unwin 69, Nano 83
Cray Wanderers 3
Kader 23, Damyanov 71, Williams 89
Cray Wanderers final game of the season saw a trip to Lewes and despite there not being a lot riding on the match both teams served up great entertainment with the home side winning a seven goal thriller.
Lewes are one of the Wands bogey teams away from home and hadn’t scored at the Dripping Pan in the last three visits but ended that run when Soul Kader benefited from a mistake at the back to score after 23 minutes. However, against the run of play ex-Wand Marcus Sablier levelled two minutes later for Lewes. The Rooks took the lead five minutes before half time when Jack Meeres headed in from a corner.
The second half was an end to end affair with both teams coming close before Bobby Unwin made it 3-1 when he cut inside and shot from the right in the 69th minute. Cray though pulled a goal back two minutes later through substitute Victor Damyanov. The two goal lead was restored seven minute from time by Christo Nano for Lewes but the Wands again wouldn’t lie down and Josh Williams made it 4-3 in the last minute against one of his former clubs to set up a frantic finish.
On a bright afternoon and with a noisy and joyous backing from the Cray Massive this promised to be a game with little or no stress riding on it compared to some of the games taking place elsewhere in the league. Tim O’Shea was without Tom Bonner and Eze Ebouzeme through suspension and the injured Remi Sutton so began the game with U23s regulars Bobby Parkes and Freddie Warwick brought into the starting lineup. For Lewes, this was the last match in charge for Craig Nelson before going on to Tonbridge Angels and made two changes to the side beaten at Folkestone on Monday with Tolu Ladapo and Parish Muirhead in for Izzy Jones and Hamilton Antonio.
Cray began the game in confident mood and the livelier of the two sides and Soul Kader in the last game of his loan spell from Bromley came close after four minutes down the left of the area with a shot saved by the legs of Toby Bull.
For Cray, Josh Williams shot wide of goal and the Wands came close again when a right wing cross from Williams to the far post was headed wide of the right post by Kader.
The Wands took the lead on 23 minutes after a mistake by Bull with Kader nipping in to roll the ball into the net for his tenth goal in ten matches.
Lewes though who hadn’t really been in the game levelled two minutes later when Matt Warren set up Marcus Sablier who had a loan spell with Cray from Bromley in the 2022-23 season hit a sweet strike from the edge of the area to make it 1-1.
The match went from end to end with Cray still perhaps having the edge and Frankie Raymond was set up by Williams but shot over and then Kader shot wide.
The Rooks took the lead five minutes before half time after winning a corner down the right and the cross to the near post was glanced in by Jack Meeres.
So at half time in a game Cray had been in control found themselves 2-1 down.
HT: 2-1
The second half went from end to end and Lewes came close to a third goal when Sablier down the left of the area set up Bobby Unwin for a shot that was very well saved one handed by Shaun Rowley diving at the right post.
Then for Cray, Nyren Clunis who finished in the end as the Wands top scorer with twelve goals was unlucky not to add to his total with a curling shot which hit the top of the crossbar.
Cray were indebted once again to the excellence of Supporters player of the year Rowley who made a fine one handed push over save to deny Shae Hutchinson.
The Wands continued on the attack and Darion Dowrich put over a fine cross-shot across goal and Kader shot just over.
In the 69th minute Lewes added a third goal when Unwin cut inside from the right and with space placed a quality shot wide of Rowley and into the bottom left corner.
Cray though deserved better than a two goal deficit and two minutes later reduced the arrears when down the right, Kader once again proved a handful down the right of the area and took the ball round Bull and laid the ball across into the six yard box for substitute Victor Damyanov to notch his second league goal of the season.
There was a great moment for 16 year old goalkeeper George Clark who replaced Rowley for his Wands debut for the last fifteen/twenty minutes.
The game continued to be played at breakneck speed and Lewes came close to a fourth when from a right wing cross to the far post Sablier somehow saw his header squirm across goal and past the right post. Then Clark did well to hold a shot from Unwin at his near post.
In the 83rd minute, Lewes made it 4-2 when two substitutes combined as Eddie Allsopp set up Christo Nano who had only been on for a minute who from the edge of the area saw his shot go in at the left post although Clark almost got his hands to the shot.
Cray would not give up though and another substitute George Brooke down the left cut into the box and hoisted a ball towards the near post which hit the post diverting the ball away from Bull and came to Williams who rifled home his ninth goal for the Wands in the 89th minute.
With five minutes extra added on Cray went forward looking for a goal to make it 4-4 and Brooke came close with a shot from the edge of the area which Bull got down to save.
In the end though, Cray couldn’t quite pull it round but can be happy overall with the season to finish in 10th place on 61 points and nowhere near the relegation places and were competitive in every game played during this first momentous season playing at a ground of their own for the first time.
The players and staff have been superb but a special word in closing for the Cray Massive who especially since December have been magnificent especially on their travels and the sound of songs and drums I’m sure would have reverberated up the High Street and to the Castle and I wish you all a Happy Summer and a chance to clear throats and go again with the drums.
Lewes: Toby Bull, Peter Ojemen, Matt Warren, Marcus Sablier (Christo Nano, 82), Tolu Lapado (Eddie Allsopp, 72), Shae Hutchinson, Alfie Allen, Jack Meeres (Izzy Jones, 90+4), Parish Muirhead (Hamilton Antonio, 65), Josh Spinks (Capt.), Bobby Unwin: Sub: Calvin Ekpiteta
Booked: Sablier 20, Meeres 56, Ojemen 90+4
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley (George Clark, 76), Ike Orji, Bobby Parkes, Quade Taylor, Darion Dowrich, Lateef Adaja (George Brooke, 73), Freddie Warwick (Victor Damyanov, 59), Frankie Raymond, Nyren Clunis, Josh Williams, Soul Kader (Tom Borders, 84): Sub: Michael Ihiedi
Booked: Warwick 59
Referee: David Spain
Assistants: Matthew Pollington, Thomas Reed
Att: 953
