Cray Wanderers vs Potters Bar Town
Isthmian League Premier – Wednesday 13th March – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Lockyer 86
Potters Bar Town 2
Adams 18, 53
Cray Wanderers’ run of fifteen unbeaten home matches came to an end as Potters Bar Town eased their relegation fears with a brace of goals from Brandon Adams in each half. Gary Lockyer pulled a goal back with four minutes to go but couldn’t force an equaliser and made it back to back league defeats for the first time since January and six unbeaten for Potters Bar Town.
This was both teams first game since February 27th and for the Wands there were four changes from the side which played at Whitehawk and into the side came George Brooke for his first senior start, Josh Hallard, Emmanuel Kwatchey and Tom Beere for David Ijaha, Anthony Cook, George Porter and the departed Yahya Bamba. On the bench for Cray was new dual registration signing Enoch Muwonge from Welling United.
Cray began the game on the front foot and in the 2nd minute from a free kick down the left, Frankie Raymond’s ball into the box came to Tom Bonner who fired over the top.
Then Brooke made a good run forward and played a ball through to Hallard down the left of the area and his shot was parried away at the near post by Finn Rushton.
Potters Bar Town worked their way into the game and Lateef Adaja fired a shot wide in the 12th minute before a lull in proceedings when Dwight Pascal needed treatment on the pitch.
In the 18th minute Potters Bar took the lead when down the right a cross was flicked across by Leigh Rose to the far post to Brandon Adams who fired in from inside the six yard box for his fourteenth goal of the season.
Shortly after Adaja tested Shaun Rowley down the right and the Scholars edged the rest of the half although chances for both sides were few. For Cray, Tom Beere saw a free kick come back off the defensive wall.
Before the break after a little spell of Potters Bar pressure, ex-Wand Kasim Aidoo set up Prosper Keyo for a shot which went wide and the visitors had defended well and led at half time.
HT: 0-1
The second half began with Enoch Muwonge coming on for his Wands debut in the 51st minute in midfield but again it was Potters Bar who looked the more threatening in attack and Temi Babaloa saw an effort blocked.
In the 53rd minute, Potters Bar Town scored a second goal which was worked down the right and Keyo’s cross-shot was deflected into the net off Adams for his second goal of the night to make it 2-0.
Cray looked to get back into the game with George Porter introduced off the bench and almost pulled a goal back in the 64th minute when George Brooke was played through but turned his shot just wide of the left post.
For Potters Bar Town from a free kick down the right Aidoo’s cross was headed over by Leigh Rose. Then at the other end Rowley’s ball forward came to Brooke inside the area whose near post shot was saved by the legs of Rushton.
The Wands last change saw Alfie Evans come on in the 78th minute and certainly brought some energy to the closing stages. In the 86th minute Cray pulled a goal back when Evans made a run forward and played a pass out to Emmanuel Kwatchey down the right who set up Gary Lockyer for a cracking shot from just outside the area which crashed into the roof of the net for his 11th goal of the season.
Shortly after Brooke saw a shot go wide and with eight minutes added on for stoppages there was hope still of the Wands grabbing a point.
However, Potters Bar managed the remaining minutes well and almost added a third when down the right Babaloa set up Ore Bello who fired a shot fractionally over the bar but in the end held on to move on to 39 points and fourteen clear of the bottom four with still games in hand in 16th place.
For Cray, there was no real damage with the defeat on 42 points and seventeen points clear of relegation but certainly finished the game well and the performance of Brooke in particular was one of the highlights of the match. Cray now head to another side looking to escape the drop at Haringey Borough on Saturday and looking to bounce back.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Emmanuel Kwatchey, Jack Holland, Tom Bonner, Josh Hallard, Sam Wood (Enoch Muwonge, 51), Tom Beere (Alfie Evans, 78), Frankie Raymond, Ellis Brown (George Porter, 63), George Brooke, Gary Lockyer: Subs: Rhys Murrell-Williamson, Cameron Black
Booked: Bonner 24, Brown 46, Lockyer 90+2
Potters Bar Town: Finn Rushton, Valckx Fernandes, Prosper Keyo, Dwight Pascal, Louie Henry, Kasim Aidoo (Darnell Braithwaite, 71), Ricki Hayles (Max Jessop, 58), Leigh Rose, Lateef Adaja, Temi Babaloa, Brandon Adams (Ore Bello, 83): Subs: Shane Cojocarel, Shae Hutchinson
Booked: Hayles 27, Rushton 90+2, Braithwaite 90+10
Referee: Joseph Turnpenny
Assistants: Royan Campbell, Mahdi Elhalawany
Att: 163
