Cray Wanderers – 2019-20 season – That was the season that wasn’t – A Pictorial Review
Isthmian Premier – Game 19 – Saturday 7th December
Pics kindly provided by Jon Hilliger – Hilligerpix
Cray Wanderers 4 Coker 22, Lewis 40, Taylor 54, Dent 56
Potters Bar Town 0
Cray bounced back in style from the defeat at Carshalton Athletic with a tremendous performance against a very strong Potters Bar Town side at Hayes Lane to move back up to 6th in the table.
This was the first ever meeting between the sides at Hayes Lane and the Scholars had a decent away record coming into the match and given Barnet a tough couple of games in the FA Cup earlier in the season. Cray started well and Joe Taylor fired just over from a superb Jerome Federico cross. The Wands came close again when Mitchell Nelson’s pass found Andre Coker who bore down on goal and was brought down by George Quarrington-Carter and a yellow card was shown.
Cray took the lead in the 22nd minute with a well taken goal when Ben Mundele won the ball, strode forward and played a pass out to Joe Taylor down the rigth and his ball across was excellent and inviting for Coker who turned the ball in from five yards.
For Potters Bar, Josh Hutchinson fired wide of goal but Cray were playing well and Federico set up the impressive Lee Lewis who fired wide of goal.
A second goal was coming and duly arrived five minutes before the break when Karl Dent found Federico down the right who played a fine ball across towards the right of the area to Lewis who steered a well struck shot into the net for his third goal in three games.
Federico had a great first half but left the field five minutes into the second half on a stretcher with what looked at the time like an ankle injury. Joel Rollinson came on and almost immediately had a hand in the Wands third goal.
In the 54th minute, Bradley Pritchard who had a superb game found Rollinson who played a fine ball through to Joe Taylor who bore down on goal and finished in textbook, trademark fashion for his 22nd goal of the season.
Two minutes later it was 4-0 with Mundele finding Lewis down the right and his ball across was tucked home with great economy by Karl Dent.
Cray almost scored one of the goals of the season when Pritchard and Coker exchanged passes and down the left of the area, Pritchard’s cross was headed against the crossbar by Taylor.
For Potters Bar, Bradley Sach’s shot was well held by Lewis Carey and then Ben Ward-Cochrane from a tight angle saw a lofted shot cleared off the line by Jay Leader.
Before the end, Rollinson had the ball in the net disallowed for offside and then Taylor was upended in the area and a penalty kick was awarded. From the spot, Taylor’s shot came back off the bar and headed the rebound over.
The game though was well and truly won and this was one of the best performances at Hayes Lane during the season and a hugely impressive win. Cray were now up to 34 points but faced a tough trip to Bognor Regis Town the following Saturday.
Cray Wanderers: Lewis Carey, Ben Mundele (Charlie Allen, 77), Tom Carlse, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson (Capt.), Lee Lewis, Bradley Pritchard, Karl Dent, Jerome Federico (Joel Rollinson, 50), Andre Coker (Tom Murphy, 73), Joe Taylor: Subs: Barney Williams, Geofrey Okonkwo
Att: 163
CRAY WANDERERS vs POTTERS BAR TOWN – THE THOUGHTS OF TONY RUSSELL
“It was a very good performance and I said to the players afterwards for the first 70 minutes at least the most complete of the season we’ve done. I thought we were dominant at the back, in midfield and up front. We could say the final scoreline flattered them and they were lucky not to have at least two sent off. The first one, the defender has dragged down Andre Coker when last man and got a yellow card. Then another player has done a two-footed tackle and shin high in the second half on JT and a very poor challenge right in front of the dugout. I think the player himself thought he had been sent off and just got a yellow card. We also hit the underside of the crossbar, had a goal disallowed and missed a penalty. The last twenty minutes we lost our shape a little bit trying to score with every attack and a bit like a boxer who knocks someone down twice outboxing them and suddenly forgets why he did it and starts shooting from the hip and lost our form a touch but you know what I’m like I’m always striving for perfection.
Potters Bar were a good side and I’d seen them play against Brightlingsea Regent on the Tuesday and thought they were excellent and told the boys to expect a tough game. If before last Saturday you took the Carshalton game out which was a funny game as they had two shots and scored twice but we had a good long run of form and had been playing well for a while and were going along nicely.
Bradley Pritchard had a great game and this is his time of year. There are certain players that come into their own at different times of the year and are seasonal players. When we play at a slower tempo it doesn’t suit him but is still a good player but when we enter the winter months and the games get a little more frenetic and a bit more turnover of ball he is brilliant. He has this habit of nicking balls back and wins it back really quick and thought against Potters Bar he was the best player on the pitch by a mile. It was a shame he wasn’t available against Bognor Regis but had to miss the game for personal reasons. Jerome Federico up to the injury had a great game too.
We scored some good goals too and great to have Denty back as he has come back from injury and Andre had been working hard behind the scenes to get his form back and we’ve been pushing him hard and good to see him score and with a smile on his face and hopefully the catalyst to kick on as it has been a bit stop start for him with injuries and form.”
ME & MY OLD MAN – Please see here the Premiere of the first Me and My Old Man video produced and narrated by Henderson Russell following his dad Tony at games during the season. Here Henderson looks back to the match with Potters Bar Town.
LEAGUE RESULTS & TABLE – 7/12/19
