Cray Wanderers vs Wingate & Finchley
FA Cup 2QR – Saturday 14th September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Ijaha 75
Wingate & Finchley 1
Obi 90+3 pen
Cray Wanderers and Wingate & Finchley need to go again on Tuesday night in the FA Cup as a 93rd minute penalty earned the North London side a replay after David Ijaha’s headed goal for Cray looked to have won a tense tie at Flamingo Park.
After a fairly even first half with both sides hitting the woodwork, Cray had the better of the second half and came close through Nyren Clunis, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamarea and Kenny Coker but finally broke the deadlock in the 75th minute when David Ijaha headed in from a Frankie Raymond corner. However, three minutes into stoppage time substitute Zack Newton went down in the penalty area under a challenge and Ogo Obi netted from the spot to earn a second game.
The Wands named an unchanged side to the one which drew with Horsham last Saturday and on a warm September early afternoon, the first half was mostly a sedate affair with both teams at times feeling each other out.
Wingate & Finchley had most of the early possession but Cray had the first shooting chance falling to Nyren Clunis who won the ball in a challenge but his shot from outside the area was gathered by one of three ex-Wands in the starting lineup, Charlie Grainger.
After this, the Blues had a good spell and Luke Deslandes down the right hit a half hit curling shot safely gathered by Shaun Rowley. Then in the ninth minute from a corner down the right, the ball to the far post was met by a free header from Ogo Obi but was blocked inside the area. Then, Obi down the left saw an effort blocked and came closest when Destiny Oladipo hit a shot from inside the area which was tipped onto the bar and over by Rowley
Cray looked to get back into it and in the 20th minute, from a corner down the left, Frankie Raymond’s cross came out to Clunis who hit a half volley which came back off the left post.
From here the game went into a bit of a lull with both teams looking to gain supremacy. The nearest any time came to breaking the deadlock was for Cray six minutes before half time when a Raymond free kick down the right of the area was played into the area and helped on by Charlie Edwards for Anthony Cook whose shot on the turn was blocked by William Cracknell and Clunis before the break fired well wide.
HT: 0-0
It looked like after a scrappy start to the second half that it would take some ingenuity to break the game open but Cray began to exert their authority and Clunis found Imran Kayani who cut inside and fired in a shot from twenty yards held by Grainger. Then down the left, Clunis put over a cross held up by Edwards for Cook who hit a half volley over.
For Wingate & Finchley, Oladipo saw a curled shot held by Rowley and then down the right Deslandes flashed a shot wide of the left post.
Cray were still looking the more potent side and Clunis saw a well struck shot pushed out by Grainger and from a free kick down the left, Raymond fired over the bar.
In the 69th minute down the right Owiredu-Gyamera curled a cross shot wide and then down the left Clunis played a ball through to Kenny Coker who from inside the area saw his shot deflected off another ex-Cray player Ben Frempah and over for a corner.
Cray were playing well and in the 75th minute took the lead when from a corner down the right, Raymond’s ball to the far post was headed in by David Ijaha for his first goal of the season.
Pic: Ben Keyes
The Wands now had their tails up and two minutes later Kayani found Owiredu-Gyamera down the right and his cross was stabbed wide by Coker.
Cray were defending stoutly and resolutely and with five minutes of injury time were looking good for the win. However, in the 93rd minute, Wingate & Finchley were awarded a penalty when a ball was played into the area for Zack Newton who went down under a challenge from the excellent Darion Dowrich and from the spot, Obi stroked home his eight goal of the season.
There was still time for Cook to hook an effort wide but in the end the game ended in a draw and for the second round in a row, Cray will require a replay to keep the FA Cup run going to the 3rd Qualifying Round.
Please note the replay will be on Tuesday 17th September, 7.45 pm to be decided on the night. Also due to Chatham Town advancing in the FA Cup, the scheduled league match at Flamingo Park on 28th September will be rearranged.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Darion Dowrich, David Ijaha (Quade Taylor, 90+1) Tom Bonner, Frank Raymond, Charlie Edwards, Anthony Cook, Nyren Clunis, Kenny Coker, Imran Kayani: Subs: Lateef Adaja, David Smith, Dontai Stewart, Arezki Hamouchene, Tom Borders
Wingate & Finchley: Charlie Grainger, William Cracknell, Bobby Webb, Ayo Tanimowo, Ben Frempah, Arthur Iontton, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, Luke Deslandes (Tommy Roberts, 79), Ogo Obi, Destiny Oladipo (Zack Newton, 71), Michael O’Donoghue (Matthew Achuba, 62): Subs: Prince Adegoke, Toby Byron
Att: 249
Referee: Zak Demetriades
Assistants: Mudiwa Manyange & Toby Carlisle
