Cray Wanderers vs Erith Town
London Senior Cup 2nd Round – Tuesday 19th November – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 4
Borders 2 mins, Damyanov 14,
Brooke 73 pen, Boateng 80
Erith Town 7
Jeffrey 30, Leppard 34, Clarke 43,
Dyer 65, Taylor 71, 83, Goodwin 79
Pics: Ben Keyes
Cray Wanderers exited the London Senior Cup but only after a sterling effort against a pretty much full strength Erith Town side at Flamingo Park in a game of eleven goals on a very chilly evening.
The Wands got off to a flying start and went two nil up after 14 minutes through goals from Tom Borders and Victor Damyanov. Erith Town turned the game around before half time as Aaron Jeffrey, Luke Leppard and Louie Clarke made it 3-2 to the Dockers.
The second half saw Erith make it 5-2 with goals from James Dyer and Harry Taylor before George Brooke pulled one back from the penalty spot for Cray in the 73rd minute. A George Goodwin header made it 6-3 for Erith but David Boateng pulled another goal back with ten minutes to go. The scoring though was completed for Erith three minutes later with another Taylor glancing header and capped a game played at a fast pace and saw a lot of excellent young players going at it in a captivating tie. Erith Town now advance to the 3rd Round to a home tie with Harrow Borough.
The Wands were coached on the night by U23s manager Roy Brooke and fielded a side with eight of the U23s team in the starting lineup and five on the bench and took on an Erith Town side sixth in the Isthmian South-East and a team high in confidence.
The game started at a brisk pace which was maintained throughout and Cray took the lead in the 2nd minute when down the left, Victor Damyanov’s cross into the box was deflected off an Erith Town player and chested into the net by Tom Borders.
Cray were the better side in the opening minutes and in the ninth minute had the ball in the net again through Borders who slotted in from Damyanov’s pass but was disallowed for offside.
Five minutes later Cray went two nil up when down the left Damyanov’s cross-shot again, possibly via a deflection flew into the top right corner.
Erith Town though after a sloppy start began to get back into the game and in the 19th minute came close when Louie Clarke was played through down the right but Kevin Kardel in goal for the Wands did well to make a blocked save.
On the half hour Erith Town pulled a goal back when down the left, Aaron Jeffrey on the edge of the six yard put in a cross which possibly took a nick off a defender and high into the net.
Four minutes later the Dockers drew level when Leo Mazzone’s accurate pass found Luke Leppard down the right of the area who took the ball round Kardel and stroked the ball into the net.
Cray almost restored the lead two minutes later when Simon Offei Gymaha was put through on goal but his shot was saved by the chest of Nathan Edwards.
Another goal looked on the cards and before half time the Dockers completed the turnaround when a ball from Ross Craig into the area nicked off the head off a Wands defender into the path of Clarke who finished well from 12 yards to complete a dramatic half.
HT: 2-3
At half time, Lincoln Hunter came on for Tom Borders who had to come off with a suspected broken foot and Erith began the second half well and James Dyer saw a shot saved by Kardel and for Cray, Offei Gymaha shot over the top. Then for Erith, Dyer saw an effort cleared off the line by Hunter.
Cray were still very much in the game and a George Brooke cross down the left towards the far post just couldn’t get a firm touch from Offei Gymaha and went wide.
Then, Damyanov put in a terrific cross from the left which was glanced over the top of the crossbar by Brooke.
The next goal looked to be decisive and in the 65th minute came for Erith Town with Dyer hitting a speculative shot from shy of 30 yards which seemed to deceive Kardel and went into the net to make it 4-2.
Debutants, David Boateng and Ben Raper came on shortly after for Cray but in the 71st minute Erith scored a fifth goal as a cross from the left was turned in by substitute Harry Taylor.
Cray though had never given up the ghost and in the 73rd minute pulled a goal back from the penalty spot when George Brooke was hauled down just inside the area by Tom Hanfrey and Brooke stepped up to crash home the spot kick to make it 5-3 and spark hopes of a comeback.
After the goal, two more debutants came on for Cray Wanderers with Callum Redman and Carl Anderson coming for the last quarter of an hour.
However, the three goal lead was restored on 79 minutes when from a free kick to the left of the area a ball into the box was met by a text book header from George Goodwin and beat Kardel at the left post.
Cray weren’t finished and down the right, Boateng was played in and finished with some aplomb past Edwards to make it 6-4.
Erith Town were potent at this stage of the game and in the 83rd minute made it 7-4 when Hanfrey’s right wing cross was glanced into the net at the left post by Taylor.
There was still time for Cray to come close to a fifth goal when Boateng was denied by a good save from Edwards and following up Brooke fired over the bar. Then Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera’s effort hit the side netting down the right.
In the end the more experienced Erith Town side advanced into the 3rd Round but were certainly given a tough workout and there were some fine performances from the young Wands side and will learn from the experience of playing a senior first team game. Many of these players could be future first teamers and there is nothing more rewarding for a club to produce home grown players.
Cray Wanderers: Kevin Kardel, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Edouard Mare (Callum Redman, 73), Quade Taylor, George Brooke, Cameron McQueen (Carl Anderson, 73), Freddie Warwick, Victor Damyanov, Simon Offei-Gymaha (Ben Raper, 67), Corey Holden (David Boateng, 67), Tom Borders (Lincoln Hunter, H/T)
Booked: Holden 21
Erith Town: Nathan Edwards, George Goodwin, Aaron Jeffrey, Thomas Ash, Tom Hanfrey, Jerome Jayaguru (Finley Williams, H/T), James Dyer, Ross Craig (Jacob Connor, H/T), Leo Mazzone, Luke Leppard (James Miles, 55), Louie Clarke (Harry Taylor, 67): Sub: Finley Avery
Referee: James Keane
Assistants: Jordan Whitworth, Ericsson Temu
Att: 226
