Cray Wanderers vs Horsham – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 7th September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 0
Horsham 0
Cray Wanderers ended a four game league losing run but had to contend with a point from a tight encounter with Horsham at Flamingo Park who finished the game with ten men when Charlie Hester-Cook was sent off. Cray drop one place to 20th place in the table on four points whilst Horsham also down one place to 8th.
Cray were looking to build on Tuesday’s 8-0 FA Cup win vs Larkfield & New Hythe and kept the same starting lineup but knew it would be a tougher challenge against Horsham and it turned out to be an engaging and lively contest but in the end both defences were on top.
Horsham were the better side for most of the first half and came close to scoring in the 3rd minute when a corner down the right from James Hammond was headed over by Jack Brivio.
For Cray, Imran Kayani found Kenny Coker down the right of the area who had a good game up front but saw his shot blocked.
Then Brivio came close again from another Hammond corner this time to the far post and the Horsham’ captain’s header was saved by the legs of Shaun Rowley. Then, Hammond’s cross from the left was glanced over at the far post by ex-Wand Chris Dickson stretching for the ball.
For Cray, Frankie Raymond saw a shot from outside the box held by another former Wand, Lewis Carey. At the other end Harvey Sparks cross came to Ola Ogunwamide whose shot was blocked.
This was followed by Ogunwamide becoming the provider when his cross from the right came to Daniel Ajakaiye at the far post but his shot was blocked for a corner.
The Wands came close just before the half hour when Nyren Clunis who scored a cracker on Tuesday night hit a similar dipping shot from 25 yards which went just over the top.
Before half time another Hammond free kick was headed over at the near post by Brivio and then Hammond fired over from a free kick inside the D.
Both teams probed for a goal before half time but at the break the sides went in all square after a fast paced first half.
HT: 0-0
The second half was a more scrappier affair as Cray took the sting out of the Horsham attack and perhaps overall had the better of the second period without creating too many clear cut chances.
Both defences especially Cray’s had gotten to grips with James Hammond’s delivery and the back four of Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Darion Dowrich, David Ijaha and Tom Bonner hardly put a foot wrong after the break. At the other end Horsham were proving similarly resolute, especially Isaac Philpot and Jack Brivio.
Perhaps the best opening of the second period came to Cray just before the hour when Owiredu-Gyamera’s right wing cross was cleared by Brivio and came out to Clunis whose first time volley was goalbound but was superbly blocked by Philpot.
For Horsham, Chris Dickson went through on goal but the play was stopped for a foul before the game became more tighter and competitive and Charlie Hester-Cook was booked twenty minutes from time. Horsham threatened down the right and Joe Turner’s ball to the far post was lashed wide by Harvey Sparks.
Cray were playing well with Charlie Edwards putting in an object lesson in midfield play and setting the tempo and took one or two hefty challenges but each time got up to control the midfield area.
In the 86th minute, Hester-Cook was shown a second yellow and dismissed after a foul on Edwards so played the final few minutes a man down.
Cray were able to push forward in the remaining minutes but couldn’t quite work that opening to get close enough to test Lewis Carey and in the end finished in a goalless draw. This meant the Wands had picked up their first point at Flamingo Park in the league and back to back clean sheets and did so against a Horsham side that reached the playoffs last season and could well do so again so after a difficult end to August, perhaps this could be the start of a Wands revival up the table.
Cray’s next fixture will be in the FA Cup 2QR on Saturday, 14th September vs Wingate & Finchley, 1 pm KO.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Darion Dowrich, David Ijaha, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Charlie Edwards, Frankie Raymond, Anthony Cook (David Smith, 80), Nyren Clunis, Kenny Coker, Imran Kayani (Dontai Stewart, 90): Subs: Quade Taylor, Harrison Sodje, Arezki Hamouchene
Booked: Clunis 25, Ijaha 52
Horsham: Lewis Carey, Jake Elliott, Harvey Sparks, Danny Barker, Jack Brivio, Isaac Philpot, James Hammond (Capt.), Charlie Hester-Cook, Daniel Ajakaiye (Joe Turner, 75), Ola Ogunwamide (Reece Myles-Meekums, 76), Chris Dickson (Shamir Fenelon, 68): Subs: Jack Strange, Tom Beere
Sent Off: Hester-Cook 86 (2 Cautions)
Booked: Elliott 72
Referee: Thomas Berry
Assistants: Nigel Freelove, Ollie Bierman
Att: 607
