Cray Wanderers vs Hendon – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 28th December – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers play the final home game of a historic 2024 on Saturday 28th December as the Wands welcome Hendon for a home league match for the first time since December 2013.
Both the Wands and the Greens will be looking to bounce back from Boxing Day defeats and at least the short turn around of two days allows both to swiftly move on.
Cray were unfortunate to end a five game unbeaten run with a 2-1 defeat at promotion contenders Dartford. Neil Smith’s side were superb in the first half in particular dominating the home side and deservedly led through Josh Williams’ classy finish. Cray came close to adding to the lead before half time through Nathan Jeche, Frankie Raymond, Ike Orji and Williams again but Dartford fought back in the second half to win the match with two fine goals of their own. The defeat leaves the Wands in 17th place on 26 points from 22 matches played, level with Hendon in 16th who have played one game less.
With the year end and the beginning of 2025 seeing Cray play at Flamingo Park just puts some fine perspective on an incredible 2024 for the club and building a future at the new home with an increased fan base and have successful U23s’ U18s and Women’s sides to help the club provide future stars and set foundations.
Hendon, who have returned to the Isthmian League this season after a six season absence in the Southern League made a solid start to the campaign including an early season win against the Wands but have been in indifferent form of late and have lost their last five league games. On Boxing Day, the Greens were beaten 0-4 at home by Potters Bar Town with all the goals coming in the second half with Hendon reduced to ten men. Marc Charles-Smith has taken interim charge of Hendon following the departure of Lee Allinson to Hemel Hempstead Town earlier this month.
When the teams met on 17th August, Hendon were 3-1 winners with goals from Joe White, Shaun Lucien and Kai Brosnan with Nyren Clunis scoring for Cray. The last time Cray played at home to Hendon was on 28th December 2013 and one probably best forgotten as Hendon won 6-0.
Hendon have yet to win away from home this season but have picked up points from draws at Bognor Regis Town (2-2), Chatham Town (2-2), Dartford (0-0), Carshalton Athletic (2-2) but were beaten at Dulwich Hamlet (1-2), Folkestone Invicta (0-2), Bowers & Pitsea (0-1), Billericay Town (0-1), Hashtag United (2-3) and Chichester City (0-1) last Saturday. At home Hendon have beaten Bowers & Pitsea (2-1), Cray Wanderers (3-1), Cheshunt (2-0), Dulwich Hamlet (3-0), Hashtag United (9-0), Whitehawk (3-0), drew with Lewes and were beaten by Wingate & Finchley, Canvey Island and Potters Bar Town. Hendon reached the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup after beating Whitehawk but were beaten at Herne Bay and in the FA Trophy reached the 1st Round after beating Bedford Town but lost at Hanwell Town. Hendon are still in the Isthmian League Cup after home wins against Newmarket Town and Tilbury. Top scorer is Niko Muir with 14 goals.
This should be a great post-christmas match to help see in the run-in to the new year. There will be an ex-Wands players reunion from the 90’s and 00’s to help give the last home game an extra touch of class and we look forward to welcoming all supporters to Flamingo Park.
Admission £12 adults, £6 concessions, U16’s-U13s. Available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Match Programme £3, Golden Goal tickets £1, Merchandise, hot food/drinks and bars available.
THE PROGRAMME NOTES OF NEIL SMITH
Cray Wanderers continued an excellent December on Saturday 21st December with a 1-1 draw against promotion contenders Billericay Town at Flamingo Park. Here Neil Smith looks back at the game which almost saw Cray pick up another three points and the challenge this afternoon from Hendon. Also Neil leaves a Happy New Year message for supporters. Please note this interview was conducted before Boxing Day’s trip to Dartford.
Hello Neil. I hope that you and your family had a great Christmas. Let’s look back to our last home game, a 1-1 draw with Billericay Town on 21st December. It felt a little bit flat at the end after Billericay’s late equaliser but four points from games against the top two was not a bad way to start the festive season.
I think that anyone looking at that run of fixtures against Dover Athletic and Billericay Town probably had us down for no points if brutally honest or maybe just one. We were disappointed at the end because their goal was so late and the boys have come such a long way. It shows that we were disappointed that we only drew wih one of the favourites to get promotion this season.
The game could have gone either way in the last few minutes couln’t it, Charlie Edwards headed wide, Remi Sutton’s header was tipped onto the bar and over and at the other end Darion Dowrich had to clear off the line. It shows though that we can go into games like Dover, Billericay and Dartford with no inferiority complex at all.
I think the boys have been amazing not just last Saturday but the weeks before that and have been forging a strong team spirit and something of a siege mentality. We have a very tight unit because our squad is very small and don’t have that many to call upon. Every time we call upon the players at the moment they are coming up trumps. We now go on to Dartford, away from home, a lovely ground, big crowd and they will be looking to get back to where they believe they should be and will be another good test for us.
We are a team high in confidence and the boys were disappointed after the Billericay game in the changing room afterwards but four or five weeks ago people never gave us a chance to get anything but now we have that bit of team spirit and that work ethic in what we want to do and belief. It is massive to have that belief and desire to take on the top teams and I thought we were unlucky not to get the three points versus Billericay.
Let’s look ahead to today’s game with Hendon who made a solid start to their first season back in the Isthmian Premier for a few seasons. We met back in August didn’t we when we were beaten 3-1 in a game where perhaps we were still bedding down as a team but Hendon showed a lot of pace in that game.
That was a really frustrating game as we created as many chances as them but they took theirs and we didn’t. We also felt the penalty for their second goal wasn’t one as Quade Taylor didn’t seem to make any contact. I felt then we were too open very early in the season. We are much more compact now from the goalkeeper all the way to the centre-forwards and you can see our desire not to give a goal away.
Finally Neil, a very Happy New Year to you, your staff and players in what has been a momentous 2024 for the club.
Again, the support against Dover and Billericay was excellent and I’m sure it will be at Dartford and today and against Dulwich Hamlet on New Year’s Day. I just want to say thank you and as well as a Happy Christmas have a fantastic New Year and a great 2025.
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK FOR NEWCOMERS
Cray Wanderers FC – Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team, U23s, Youth Team games, Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events. For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park.
By car
From Kent – Via M20 or A2
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles. After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles. Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3, exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles. At the Swanley interchange, take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
From London, North & West
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212, A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St. George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles. Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles. Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles. Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles. Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles. Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C. London/Lewisham for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles. Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park.
From Essex/East Anglia
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles. At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles. Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles. Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles. At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Then merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
From: Sussex/South
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25. After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles. At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend. there are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham. For returns there are also four trains back to London.
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles. Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground.
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley, Sidcup, Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground. The 160 from Carlton Road, Sidcup stops at Montbelle Road as does the 162 which also stops at New Eltham Station and the Fiveways roundabout and is around a 22 minutes walk to the ground.
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
738 Sidcup Road, Eltham, London
SE9 3NS
Sat Nav Directions:SE9 3TJ
Directions:
From South Circular Road, take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways, where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane.
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music. There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop. Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from.
