Cray Wanderers vs Tonbridge Angels – Pre-season Friendly – Saturday 9th July
Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Cook 77
Tonbridge Angels 1
Gard 39
In Cray Wanderers third pre-season game of the campaign it was honours even as Anthony Cook’s 77th minute goal cancelled out an Angels lead before half time.
Neil Smith this early in pre-season continues to look at options ahead of the season and there were a handful of trialists on show and were perhaps unfortunate to lose to Welling United on Tuesday. Jay Saunders’ Angels side had won their first two games against Sutton Common Rovers and Folkestone Invicta respectively.
On a very sunny and warm afternoon at Hayes Lane Tonbridge were the quickest out of the blocks and came close in the 2nd minute after early pressure when Mason Saunders-Henry pulled a shot wide and generally had the edge but Cray almost went ahead when Cook made a run forward and fired a shot just over from 25 yards.
Tonbridge came closest yet when down the left a cross into the area fell to Joe Turner who saw his shot very well saved by the Wands keeper. Then Turner was provider as Emmanuel Maja fired over the top from outside the area.
Angels continued to threaten and a right wing cross from Sam Fielding fell to Turner inside the area but his effort was blocked well by a defender. Then a Louis Collins’ cross from the left went across goal and no-one could get a touch.
For Cray, Cook played a fine ball out from the right to Dan Bassett down the left who cut inside and curled a shot wide.
It was Tonbridge though who went ahead on 39 minutes when another good cross from Fielding down the right was met by the head of Lewis Gard who placed the ball into the net from 7 yards.
As is customary for pre-season games especially this early the second half dropped off as a number of necessary changes by both sides meant the intensity dropped and there were few goal scoring chances. There were a couple of precautionary changes for knocks for Harold Joseph and Dan Bassett in the second half.
Cray did threaten from a corner kick from the right to far post which was glanced off target by the Wands no 19. Then from a free kick from the left from Sam Wood into the area was headed over by the no 16.
In the 77th minute, Cray drew level when good work by the trialist no 2 who made a lively intervention from the bench broke down the right and played the ball towards the near post where Cook was on hand to turn the ball in from 8 yards.
This brought about a lively last ten minutes but there were no further near misses or chances and in the end a draw was a decent result for Cray. The squad will be better known early next week with the Jersey Bulls Cup taking place next Saturday and Sunday but in the meantime with only a couple of training sessions and three friendly games there are promising signs for the club with the league fixtures also to follow on Thursday.
Cray Wanderers:
Trialist (Gk), Trialist, Harold Joseph, Trialist, Sam Wood, Trialist, Sam Skeffington, Billy Crook, Anthony Cook, Daniel Bassett, Trialist. Subs: Trialis
Tonbridge
Jonathan Henly, Jamie Fielding, Craig Braham-Barrett, Doug Loft, Sonny Miles, Tom Parkinson, Louis Collins, Emanuel Maja, Mason Saunders-Henry, Lewis Gard, Joe Turner. Subs: Joe Tyrie, Fynn Rutherford, Ben Hermidge, Leo Vowles, Ben Swift, Harlam Hyde, Obafemi Akinwande.
Referee: Ian Bentley
Att: 189
