Chatham Town v Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 8th February – Match Report
Chatham Town 1
Sene-Richardson 51
Cray Wanderers 4
Clunis 14, Webster o.g. 19,
Sutton 42, Kader 50
Cray Wanderers made it four straight wins in league and cups at Chatham Town after a clinical and assured performance on a grey afternoon by the Medway.
In a role reversal of the game at Hayes Lane in October, this time it was Cray who took a 3-0 lead with goals from Nyren Clunis, a Harry Webster own goal and Remi Sutton’s first goal for the club. New loan re-signing from Bromley, Soul Kader had a fine debut and netted his third goal for the Wands five minutes into the second half. Chatham who perhaps on the day were under par did pull a goal back a minute later turned in by Sam Sene-Richardson.
The win moved Cray up one place to 11th in the table and also on to 42 points which is a healthy total after 30 matches with sixteen games still to go.
The Wands were just looking to stall a three game winless run but took heart from the late leveller from Michael Ihiedi vs Bognor Regis Town last Saturday and came to the Bauvill Stadium in a very businesslike mood. From the team which began last Saturday there was one change with Soul Kader who is looking to regain fitness on loan from EFL League 2 Bromley and has played recently at AFC Croydon Athletic and Carshalton Athletic. Soul, possibly scored two of the most important goals of the Neil Smith era back in April 2022 vs Enfield Town and East Thurrock United which proved pivotal in avoiding relegation.
Chatham Town have perhaps fallen slightly short of their early season expectations after reaching the playoffs last season and had won just one of their last six games since the turn of the year. From the side beaten at Canvey Island last week into the team for his debut came left back Harry Webster, Simon Cooper and Sam Sene-Richardson for AJ Jambang, Freddie Sears who made such an impact at Flamingo Park and ex-Wand Jamie Yila.
The game began with Cray having much more of the early play and took the game to Chatham and won a couple of corners and Kader won the ball down the left and played a ball across goal and was put behind for a corner.
Cray then in the 14th minute deservedly took the lead with Lateef Adaja down the left and in the end a cross to the far post was hard to defend against and fell to Nyren Clunis who continued his fine form of late by converting at the far post.
Five minutes later it looked like Cray had taken a grip on the game when Josh Williams who gave the Town defence problems all afternoon put over another tantalisinga cross to the far post which from the right seemed to deceive keeper Joe Wright and Webster looking to clear could only turn the ball into his own net.
Chatham Town in fairness hadn’t really exerted too much pressure with Jordy Mongoy firing well well and then John Ufuah down the left of the area seeing his near post effort blocked by Shaun Rowley’s legs.
Cray though drew the sting from Chatham and three minutes before half time made it 3-0 when a free kick out on the right from Raymond into the box was punched by Wright off the back of the excellent Remi Sutton and dropped into the net.
HT: 0-3
The second half saw a lively opening with two goals within a minute of each other.
Firstly, in the 50th minute Cray scored a fourth goal assisted by Williams who jinked in from the right into the area and unselfishly layed the ball across to Kader to score from six yards.
A minute later, Chatham pulled a goal back when Rowan Liburd down the left saw his cross turned in at the near post by Same Sene-Richardson.
From here the Wands turned in a near perfect resilient display with Chatham having short pockets of pressure but aside from a hairy moment when Jamie Yila down the left look to go round Rowley but his cross was jabbed away from goal by the once again immaculate Tom Bonner.
Towards the end Cray came close twice to scoring with Williams seeing a shot just fizz past the left post and also Nathan Jeche stabbed a shot wide but in the end Cray saw out the remaining minutes for an excellent three points to move up to 11th place. The Wands who looked well suited to the 3G surface now end February with back to back home games with Cheshunt on Saturday (15th) and then Folkestone Invicta on 22nd February and looking in fine fettle.
One final word on the referee, Shawn Barclay and his assistants were superb and you’d barely know they were there and let the game flow.
Chatham Town: Joe Wright, Harry Webster, Kasim Aidoo, Jody Robins (Jabari Christmas, 81), Reece Butler, Sam Sene-Richardson, Freddie Sears (Stanley Oldfield, 70), Kian Garlinge (Lewis Chambers, 64), Simon Cooper, Jordy Mongoy (Rowan Liburd, H/T), John Ufuah (Jamie Yila, 71)
Booked: Butler 41, Robins 79
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Ike Orji, Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton, Darion Dowrich (Dario De-Luca, 65), Frankie Raymond, Lateef Adaja, Eze Ebezoume (Charlie Edwards, 84), Nyren Clunis (Quade Taylor, 90+2), Soul Kader (Nathan Jech, 66), Josh Williams (Michael Ihiedi, 90+5)
Referee: Shawn Barclay
Assistants: Jack Mottram, Connor Fanelli
Att: 1436
