Cray Wanderers vs Larkfield & New Hythe FC
FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round – Tuesday 3rd September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 8
Raymond 3, Clunis 7, Bonner 12, 65,
Coker 21, 40, Cook 55, Ibbertson o.g. 78
Larkfield & New Hythe 0
Cray Wanderers created a piece of history with a first win at Flamingo Park and also the club’s biggest ever FA Cup victory as the Wands put Larkfield & New Hythe to the sword by scoring eight goals without reply to advance to a home 2QR tie with Wingate & Finchley.
The Wands were looking to avoid a potential banana skin cup upset after a tough battle at Larkfield on Saturday which ended in a 1-1 draw but with Cray offered another chance to progress made no mistake after a sensational start with four goals in the opening 21 minutes through Frankie Raymond, Nyren Clunis, Tom Bonner and Kenny Coker (pictured) who also scored five minutes before half time to virtually end the tie. Anthony Cook made it six nil ten minutes after half time and then ten minutes later Bonner claimed a second goal following a header from a corner. The scoring was completed in the 78th minute through a Ross Ibbertson own goal.
The Wands were looking to claim the first competitive win at Flamingo Park and from the side which played on Saturday into the side came David Ijaha and Anthony Cook for Quade Taylor and David Smith. Larkfield and New Hythe certainly had their chances in the opening game and made one change with Callum Emptage coming in for Nathan Daly.
If confidence was low coming into the game for Cray Wanderers then the team had the perfect start by taking the lead in the 3rd minute. From a throw in down the right from Adrian Oweirdu-Gyamera the ball was held up well in the area by Imran Kayani and following up Frankie Raymond’s shot took a slight deflection to hit the back of the net for his second goal of the season.
Kenny Coker shortly after fired wide but in the 7th minute it was 2-0 when Anthony Cook’s cross was helped on by Kayani and fell to Nyren Clunis who hit a sweet volley from outside the area which crashed past Denny McConnell.
It got even better in the 12th minute when from a free kick down the left, Raymond found Cook and his cross was met by an unmarked Tom Bonner to steer home a header from six yards.
Cray’s movement and passing was causing Larkfield and New Hythe plenty of problems and Kayani who had a great game up front crashed a shot against the crossbar and the ball was cleared.
That was a temporary reprieve as in the 21st minute Cray scored a fourth goal when Clunis played a ball through to Kenny Coker who hit a cracking shot high into the net for his first Cray Wanderers goal.
For the visitors, Luke Russell fired a free kick over the bar but Cray continued to push forward and from Owiredu-Gyamera’s cross the ball was flicked on to Charlie Edwards who shot wide. Then from a free kick, Raymond’s ball into the box for Edwards was deflected over for a corner.
Another Wands goal was looking on the cards and Darion Dowrich was denied by a good save from McConnell who then followed this up with a diving stop to deny Kayani.
Then five minutes before half time it was 5-0 when Dowrich’s cross from the left fell to Clunis whose shot was saved by the legs of McConnell and from the rebound Coker with his right foot scored his second goal of the game and leave the match subject to an unlikely collapse virtually over at half time. Just before the break, Quade Taylor came on in place of Edwards.
HT: 5-0
The second half saw Cray still with a level of control and Clunis saw a shot held and although Larkfield were exerting a little pressure, the Wands were able to lift the game when they felt like it.
In the 55th minute, Anthony Cook made it 6-0 when he received a pass in midfield and heading down the left hit a unnerring shot from shy of 30 yards which arrowed in to the net past McConnell for his third goal of the season.
Ten minutes later Cray scored a seventh when from another excellent delivery from a Raymond corner down the right the ball fell to Bonner whose header was helped towards goal possibly by a defender or Quade Taylor but the Wands skipper claimed the goal.
With the lead comfortable changes were made with Arezki Hamouchene, David Smith, Alfie Evans and Lateef Adaja all coming on and when Larkfield looked to respond, Matt Day received the ball inside the area but was crowded out by Owierdu-Gyamera.
For Cray, Smith down the left of the area saw a shot well saved by McConnell and then Larkfield created their best chance of the game when Clark Woodcock’s cross down the right fell to Chilbueze Innocent whose shot hit the crossbar. Then down the right, Adaja down the right saw a shot well saved by McConnell.
In the 78th minute Cray scored an eighth and this time it was an own goal after a short Raymond corner, Arezki Hamouchene down the right put the ball across which was turned into his own net by Ross Ibbertson.
The Wands continued to search for more goals but in the end Cray had done a professional job and helped restore confidence going into a battle with Horsham in the Isthmian Premier on Saturday with a performance which delighted the fans and helped create a bit of history at the same time with the biggest FA Cup win and after losing their first two games at Flamingo Park are finally off the mark and had done so in style.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Darion Dowrich, David Ijaha (Alfie Evans, 66), Tom Bonner, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Frankie Raymond, Charlie Edwards (Quade Taylor, 43), Anthony Cook, Nyren Clunis (Arezki Hamouchene, 62), Kenny Coker (David Smith, 66), Imran Kayani (Lateef Adaja, 73): Subs: Dontai Stewart, Archie Johnson
Larkfield & New Hythe: Denney McConnell, Ross Ibbertson, Luke Russell (Josh Witter, 63), Jay Wade, Fraser Walker, Callum Emptage (Jack Clark, 72), Alven Turyatemba (Josh Jackson, 31), Ben Davisson, Matt Day, Bryan Zepo (Chibueze Innocent, 63), Temi Alaka (Clark Woodcock, 71): Subs: Michael Phillips, Timmy Babbington
Booked: Davisson
Referee: Gerry Herron
Assistants: Thomas Nicholls, Jordan Ra
Att: 304
