Cray Wanderers vs Billericay Town
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 21st December – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Williams 83
Billericay Town 1
Nzala 90+3
Cray Wanderers made it five games unbeaten in the Isthmian Premier as Neil Smith’s side picked up a valuable home point against title contenders Billericay Town at Flamingo Park.
Cray’s performance showed a growing maturity in the side and came close to a second straight win against a top 2 side when Josh Williams capped off a fine performance with a well taken goal in the 83rd minute.
However, Billericay who are also now five unbeaten got back into the game in the third minute of added time when Ashley Nzala netted from close range. Both teams came close in a dramatic finale but in the end it finished honours even.
Cray moved up to 16th place on 26 points while Billericay moved down one place to 3rd seven points behind leaders Dover Athletic on 37 points.
The Wands were looking to continue the momentum of three straight 1-0 wins and the victory at Dover Athletic last Saturday. From the side which started that game into the team came Tom Bonner and Remi Sutton for Quade Taylor and Frankie-Jay Moralee.
Billericay are a strong side, lively up front and good in possession but Cray from the start were well organised and showed a great workrate and more than held their own in an even first half.
On a wet and blowy afternoon, there was an even start with Billericay perhaps the first to threaten when down the right Tyrell Miller-Rodney’s right wing cross came to ex-Bromley striker Moses Emmanuel inside the area but his toe-poked effort was well held by Shaun Rowley.
Down the other end, George Penn who gave a composed and accomplished performance throughout looked to play a fine ball through to Lateef Adaja down the left but Sam Donkin came to claim the ball.
Then Cray threatened when Darion Dowrich found Josh Williams who cut inside from the left and hit a well struck shot well gathered by Donkin.
This was followed by a free kick for Cray down the left of the area and Frankie Raymond’s ball towards the far post just missed the head of Tom Bonner.
The game then went through a period of sparring and became a well balanced match with plenty of intensity.
In the 32nd minute Billericay came close when a back pass towards Rowley was met by Emmanuel who headed the ball past the punch of Rowley and came to Frankie Merrifield but was denied by a great block from Tom Bonner. Then down the left Jay Porter saw a shot held.
For Cray, Nyren Clunis saw an effort from a free kick deflected behind for a corner before Billericay had a slight spell in the ascendancy before half time.
In the 39th minute, Billericay perhaps created the best opening of the half when down the left Femi Akinwande drove a shot wide of the right post.
For Cray, Clunis set up Williams for a shot that was blocked by Merrifield but at half time it looked like a game with two good defences and the best of the match was still to come.
HT: 0-0
The second half though began fairly scrappy with the wind level definitely rising. Billericay dominated most of the possession but Cray were looking comfortable and was becoming something of a war of attrition.
For Billericay, Ashley Nzala down the right put over a cross that was gathered by Rowley and then down the left, Merrifield was set up inside the area and he and Emmanuel saw efforts blocked and the ball came out to Montell McKenzie who fired over the bar.
The game was heading for the final twenty minutes with the game on a knife edge but Cray did come close to opening the scoring when Clunis made a fine pass through to Adaja down the right of the area but under pressure from Tommy Davis fired wide of the right post.
Then Ike Orji’s cross from the right to the far post was put behind by Jay Porter for a corner. From the corner down the left, Orji’s ball to the far post was met by Bonner with an arching header but into the arms of Donkin.
Cray continued to press and Williams shot over from just outside the area and the Wands were more in the ascendancy going into the final ten minutes.
In the 83rd minute, Cray took the lead when from a free kick down the left Raymond showed quick thinking to play a pass through to Williams who did well to find space inside the area and from twelve yards smashed a shot wide of Donkin and into the net.
Raymond then shot over from thirty yards and going into stoppage time Cray were looking good to complete what would have been a fourth consecutive clean sheet for the second time this season.
However, three minutes into added time Billericay levelled when from a long throw in down the right the ball came to Ashley Nzala who got behind the Wands back line to turn the ball in the net from close range.
This set up a remarkable finale where both teams could have won the game in the last three minutes of added time.
Firstly straight after kick off from the leveller down the right Orji’s near post cross was met by a diving header from Charlie Edwards who had just come on as substitute but just into the side netting.
Then for Billericay a ball into the box from the left went over Rowley but with the ball nudged towards goal Darion Dowrich cleared the ball off the line.
Dowrich then strode forward and helped set up a move that eventually led to a corner from which Remi Sutton’s header was tipped onto the crossbar and over by Donkin.
In the end, the game ended in a draw and Cray had given another fine performance although were pretty drained and gutted at the end with not holding out for the win.
Despite this Cray can go into the festive fixtures against Dartford, Hendon and Dulwich Hamlet high in confidence and there is a fine team spirit instilled with a touch of siege mentality and the side are better than the 16th placed position suggests. There is still much work to do to steer clear of the lower reaches of the table but from where the club were in October when Cray were bottom of the table things are looking much rosier as we head for the second half of the season.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Ike Orji, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner, Darion Dowrich, Frankie Raymond (Charlie Edwards, 90+1), Lateef Adaja, George Penn, Nyren Clunis, Josh Williams, Nathan Jeche (Kenny coker, 86): Subs: Bobby Parkes, Freddie Warwick, Kevin Kardel
Booked: Raymond 39
Billericay Town: Sam Donkin, Montel McKenzie, Jay Porter, Aron Pollock (Ben Steward, H/T), Tommy Davis, Aranjit Krasniqi (Todd Miller, 88), Tyrell Miller-Rodney (Charlie Panton, H/T), Moses Emmanuel, Frankie Merrifield (Ade Azeez, 80), Femi Akinwande, Ashley Nzala: Sub: Matt Johnson
Booked: Miller-Rodney 11, Pollock 28, Panton 77, McKenzie 89, Emmanuel 90+5
Referee: Fabio Roque
Assistants: Alan Steward, Ben Al-Shaikh
Att: 636
