Cray Wanderers vs Crystal Palace Academy – Pre-Season Friendly – Friday 26th July
Cray Wanderers 0
Crystal Palace Academy 6
Redhead 5, 16, Cowin 23,
Williams 59, 90, Dashi 74
Cray Wanderers third pre-season game of the week against clubs in the Football League/Premier League ended in defeat as a clinical and thoroughly professional Crystal Palace Academy side won the match through some impressive finishing which proved the decisive factors between the teams.
The big story of the week though hasn’t been the results but the crowds that have flocked to Flamingo Park with a crowd of 701 for the Millwall U21s game on Tuesday night followed by 707 for the visit of the Eagles on a Friday night. The buzz around the games during the week has been incredible and augurs well for the season ahead.
The match itself saw ex-Wand Rob Quinn’s side get off to a quick start and took the lead in the 5th minute when Kai-Reece Admas-Collman played a pass through to Caleb Redhead down the right of the area who fired into the bottom left corner for a precise piece of finishing.
Cray looked to get back into it and a trialist down the right of the area cut into the box and looked to squeeze the ball in at the near post but keeper Marcus Hill must have got a touch to the ball as a corner was awarded. From the corner the ball came to Nyren Clunis who shot over. Then a fine piece of approach play between three trialists saw a cross down the left from the no 3 turned wide by the no 17.
In the 16th minute it was 2-0 with Palace’s second shot on goal when Redhead broke through with a one-on-one and tucked away his second with great composure.
Crystal Palace had clear daylight in the 23rd minute with a third goal when Enrique Lamerias played in Redhead again whose shot was saved but following up Freddie Cowin knocked in the rebound.
Lamerias shot over for Palace before Cray had a little flurry before half time looking to get back into the game and from a corner down the left from Clunis the ball came to David Ijaha who turned the ball over the top. Then a trialist (no 18) saw a shot well held by Hill.
HT: 0-3
The second half saw a number of changes for Cray and were presented with a chance to reduce the arrears in the 51st minute when David Smith was clipped on the right of the penalty area for the award of a spot kick. However, from the penalty, Smith’s shot thudded against the crossbar and Clunis shot over from the rebound.
For Palace, Matteo Dashi was put through but shot wide under pressure from Quade Taylor but added a classy fourth in the 59th minute. Sebastian Williams started and finished the move from cutting in from the right, exchanged a couple of passes and darted into the box and although the space was narrowing managed to squeeze home a shot at the near post from the left byline.
In the 74th minute, Palace scored a fifth goal with another quality strike from Dashi who found space to shoot from 20 yards and into the top left corner of the net.
Shortly after Admas-Collman played a great ball out from the back over the top to Cowin who clippled a shot over for Palace. For Cray, Clunis saw a shot held and then Alfie Evans and Jack Leahy combined to find Anthony Cook whose left wing cross was headed behind for a corner.
Towards the end Williams saw a shot go just wide but wasn’t to be denied a second goal with the last kick of the game when from just outside the area placed a shot which may have got a touch off the keeper but into the net.
In the end Palace showed their class but for Cray Wanderers it is all about getting acquainted at our new home and certainly pre-season has shown an appetite for football at Flamingo Park and it is going to be an enjoyable experience for supporters.
Cray Wanderers: 1st Half: Trialist, David Ijaha, Tom Bonner (Trialist), Quade Taylor, Trialist, Charlie Edwards, Trialist, Trialist, Lateef Adaja, David Smith, Nyren Clunis: Second Half subs: Anthony Cook, Archie Johnson, George Brooke, Alex Teniola, Jack Leahy, Alfie Evans, Trialist, Tom King
Crystal Palace: Marcus Hill (Joseph Khoshaba), Tyler Whyte, Freddie Cowin, George King (Joshua Muwana), Sean Somade, Charlie Walker-Smith, Matteo Dashi, Sebastian Williams, Caleb Redhead, Enrique Lameiras, Kai-Reece Admas-Collman. Subs: Jasper Judd, Jerome Osei Kyrmeh, David Angibeaud Montjen, Euan Danaher, Benjamin Casey
Referee: Marcin Indyk
Assistants: Jordan Walker-Dixon, Patrick Jolife
Att: 707
