Cray Wanderers vs Bognor Regis Town
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 1st February
Cray Wanderers 1
Ihiedi 90+4
Bognor Regis Town 1
Mather 74
Cray Wanderers ended a run of two successive defeats with a point against a battling Bognor Regis Town courtesy of Michael Ihiedi’s first senior Cray Wanderers goal four minutes into injury time.
The game took a while to get going but the second half was a gripping affair with Cray perhaps unlucky not to go in front when Nyren Clunis’ goal was ruled out for offside. Bognor, who came into the game with one win in fifteen games at times belied their league position with a resolute performance and took the lead with a fine strike from Jasper Mather in the 74th minute. Cray though played some good football and merited a point when deep into added time, Tom Bonner’s imperious flick on fell to Nyren Clunis down the right of the area whose shot was saved but Ihiedi was on hand to score from six yards to move Cray up one place to 10th in the Isthmian Premier on 39 points.
Both sides were looking to bounce back from gut wrenching defeats onr Tuesday night with Cray beaten at Wingate & Finchley and there was one change to the starting lineup with Lateef Adaja in for George Penn. Since that game striker Ollie Rawlins has returned to Dorking Wanderers. Bognor were unfortunate to lose 1-2 to an injury time penalty to Dover Athletic and named an unchanged side. Cray’s home record vs Bognor Regis Town has been poor during the Isthmian League years and have yet to beat the Rocks in six previous matches.
The game began with both sides with different objectives in terms of needing a result and there was a fair chunk of early sparring. The first shooting chance fell to Cray with Nathan Jeche shooting well wide of the left post.
Cray came the closest in the 19th minute when Frankie Raymond’s ball into the box was met by the head of Jeche but went past the right post. Bognor though were looking comfortable in possession with Matt Burgess having a good game and Dan Gifford who has a good goalscoring record against Cray was played through down the right of the area but the ever consistent Darion Dowrich did well to snuff out the danger and the ball went behind.
Around the half hour mark the game began to pick up momentum and Burgess fired in a low shot which was well gathered by the new stylish orange clad Shaun Rowley. At the other end, Raymond cut inside from the left and curled a shot wide of the right post.
Cray felt and quite rightly hard done by in the 37th minute when Lateef Adaja looked to have been clipped in the box close to the left of the area by Spencer Spurway but the referee indicated simulation and was booked much to Adaja’s distress.
The Wands ended the half well and Josh Williams down the right from 25 yards fired in a slightly swerving shot which Ryan Hall in the Bognor goal perhaps nervously pushed out. Then with the last action of the half, Adaja’s shot lacked power and was gathered by Hall.
HT: 0-0
The second half like a handful of recent home games for the Wands was more explosive with Bognor who in all honesty probably needed to win this game having a half chance for Jasper Mather whose shot was gathered by Smudger’s side though were much more on the front foot and thought they had gone ahead in the 49th minute when Williams was denied by a brave block from Hall but following Clunis fired into the net but the offside flag was hastily raised. After recommendations from the likes of Tom Bonner for the ref to speak to the lineman and with the air of confusion abound, the decision to disallow the goal stood but it would appear without the hindsight of VAR that Clunis was behind the ball when he followed up to score. Hall needed a brief spell of treatment after the goal so perhaps a foul could have been considered but that was non-existent too.
The game became a touch more competitive for a spell possibly due to frustration for Cray with Clunis and Bonner booked for speaking out of turn while Bognor’s Dion Jarvis was booked for clattering into Dowrich.
It was becoming an intriguing game but Bognor who despite having a poor season defensively were having one of their best days of the season especially Harvey Rew and the Rocks no 5 got in blocks and headers to snuff out clear shots on goal.
Bognor did threaten again through Burgess who was probably given too much time but luckily his shot was well held by Rowley. The evergreen Clunis was becoming much involved and saw a fierce cross shot down the right went past Hall but was cleared by Rew.
At this stage the visitor were beginning to throw caution to the wind and in the 70th minute came closest to a goal yet when a left wing corner was cleared out to Preston Woolston who hit a sweet volley just over the top from the right edge of the area.
Michael Ihiedi was introduced two minutes later but around 60 seconds later Bognor took the lead when Mather was also given plenty of room to cut in from the left and basically unmarked fired low past Rowley for the first home goal he had conceded since 21st December. Also the goal meant that Mather had now scored for Bognor against Cray at Hayes Lane and Flamingo Park.
From here George Penn and Quade Taylor were introduced and with the latter meant that Bonner was able to become a target man up front
It looked like it was going to be one of those days for Cray when Bonner set up Clunis who with an overhead kick put his effort just wide.
Then with Cray now having perhaps to resort to a more direct game in a bid to grab a deserved point came close again when Eze Ebozeume flicked an effort just wide through a crowded goalmouth
Bognor it seemed were looking to stick to what they had but Cray had the final say late on once again when another of the stars of the game, Remi Sutton hoisted a ball across from the left and Bonner rose above a defender to plant a header into the box for Clunis whose shot was pushed out but fell to Ihiedi who finished from six yards.
There was still time for Cray to claim an unlikely winner with Bognor suddenly there for the taking and Bonner came close with a stinging shot that was blocked.
In the end Cray at least got a point from a game they possibly may feel was a missed opportunity for a win to help preserve safety but Bognor’s tenacious display shows just how tough this league is to judge and predict and always a team the Wands will respect.
Cray are 10th in the table now on 39 points so still harbor tentative hopes for the playoffs but stand thirteen points off 5th place. Bognor Regis will probably have to start winning at home as on 17 points in 22nd place and twelve behind 18th placed Dulwich Hamlet vying for safety with Bowers & Pitsea, Hastings United and Hendon.
The Wands are a resilient side and showed fortitude and guts once again even though at times during the game showed signs of fatigue after away games on two difficult pitches but had enough about them to rescue a deserved point and make it ten unbeaten at home since October. The added bonus was another eye catching performance off the bench from Ihiedi, another off the Steve Owen conveyor belt of excellence which includes the likes of Marc Guehi, Darko Gyabi and more.
Cray next Saturday travel to Chatham Town for the thirtieth game of the season but despite a relatively small squad which may be added to in midweek the team have done themselves and the club and supporters proud.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Ike Orji, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner, Darion Dowrich, Frankie Raymond, Lateef Adaja (George Penn, 78),, Eze Ebouzeme (Quade Taylor, 85), Nyren Clunis, Josh Williams, Nathan Jeche (Michael Ihiedi, 73): Sub: Charlie Edwards.
Booked: Adaja 37, Clunis 49, Bonner 51
Bognor Regis Town: Ryan Hall, Spencer Spurway, Dion Jarvis, Calvin Davies, Harvey Rew, Chad Field, Preston Woolston, Matt Burgess, Dan Gifford, Tommy-Lee Higgs (Harvey Whyte, 82), Jasper Mather: Subs: Lewis Beale, Rio Long, Lennie Smith
Booked: Field 45+1, Jarvis 66, Hall 85, Gifford 88
Referee: George Lynch
Assistants: Callum Moore, Stephan Ryan
Att: 558
