Cray Wanderers Vs Wingate & Finchley –
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 12th April – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 4
Clunis 18, Kader 44, 83, Williams 48
Wingate & Finchley 1
Drakes-Thomas 28
Cray Wanderers warmed up for a tough Easter Double Header vs Horsham and Dartford
with a very clinical performance to beat a fine Wingate & Finchley side at Flamingo Park to make it just one defeat in 16 home league matches and on to 60 points.
In a match pitting 10th vs 11th in the Isthmian Premier table and with little really riding on the game credit to both teams on a warm afternoon for producing a high quality match with fine attacking play, quality goals, no little blood spilt and honest endeavour.
Cray took the lead after a strong start from the visitors courtesy of Nyren Clunis’ 12th goal of the season. Wingate & Finchley though deserved parity which came before the half hour courtesy of substitute Jaiden Drakes-Thomas.
Cray though went back in front just before half time when Soul Kader got on the end of a Clunis ball into the six yard box before keeper Charlie Grainger to score his eighth goal in eight games.
The Wands added a third three minutes after half time with a quality finish from Josh Williams from Eze Ebouzeme’s pass. The match was held up for a short while due to a head injury to Wingate & Finchley’s Tommy Roberts but when it resumed Cray added a fourth seven minutes from time with another fine goal from Kader with a lofted shot from outside the box.
In the penultimate home game of the season there were two changes to the starting lineup to the one which won at Billericay last Saturday. In came U18s keeper Kevin Kardel and Eze Ebouzeme for the absent Shaun Rowley and Quade Taylor respectively. For Wingate & Finchley there were a few changes to the side which drew at Lewes last Saturday with Cain Keller, Arthur Iontton and Theo Alexandrou coming in for Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, Ben Watt and Jaiden Drakes-Thomas.
The teams had met three times already this season and were all pretty tense and dour affairs but this certainly wasn’t and was all action from the start.
Definitely it was the team in blue which started like they desperately needed the points and Alexandrou saw a shot in the opening couple of minutes deflected over for a corner. Then with the ball not cleared Zack Newton inside the area turned to shoot but didn’t get a firm connection and the ball went wide. However, in doing so seemed picked up an injury and would be replaced in the 10th minute by Jaiden Drakes-Thomas.
Wingate & Finchley continued to press Cray back and in the 5th minute the lively Camilo Restrepo hit a dipping shot which would have given Kardel no chance and came back off the crossbar. Then, down the right Ore Bello saw a shot well held by Kardel.
Cray really needed to take a second wind at this point and seek a bit of respite and totally against the run of play the Wands took the lead in the 18th minute. Referee Oliver Kaya played a good advantage after Tom Bonner was clattered down the right but the ball kept moving with Josh Williams and his cross was only partially cleared out to Nyren Clunis who hit a powerful volley from just outside the box to continue his fine scoring form.
Bello saw another shot saved well by Kardel before in the 28th minute Wingate & Finchley drew level when Restrepo did well to break down the left, cut into the box and square into a pretty crowded goal mouth to Drakes-Thomas who made no mistake firing into the bottom right from 11 yards. Shortly after, Ryan Lowe had to leave the field with injury to be replaced by Tommy Roberts.
The game began to go from end to end from here. For Cray, Clunis hit another well struck shot over while for Wingate & Finchley Bello put a shot just past the right post.
The latter stages of the half saw Cray more on top and Ike Orji who had been booked earlier in the half saw an effort down the right charged down and behind for a corner from which Orji shot wide.
The impressive Soul Kader was a constant thorn with his running up front and looked to have created an opening for himself down the right but was perhaps caught in two minds and inside the area looked to lay the ball to Clunis but the ball was blocked.
With the all action half in its final minute Cray re-took the lead when after a patient passing buildup which included Frankie Raymond, Eze Ebouzeme and Remi Sutton the ball was worked down the left to Lateef Adaja whose ball across came to Clunis who lifted a ball into the six yard box where Kader got to the ball in poachers style to nip in front of Charlie Grainger to nod into the net.
HT: 2-1
The second half began pretty much in the same vein and for Wingate & Finchley, Drakes-Thomas worked an opening and saw his shot deflected behind for a corner.
Shortly after this Cray added a third in the 48th minute when Ebouzeme did well to find space to pick a pass to put Josh Williams through down the right who with great economy placed a shot wide of Grainger and into the net.
The Wands played some excellent football after the third goal and came close again when Adaja down the left played a fine ball across for Kader who couldn’t quite connect with the cross. Then from a corner, Frankie Raymond lashed a shot wide. At the other end Alexandrou stabbed wide for the Blues.
Cray from here had far more control of the game but quietened down for a spell after a serious looking head injury to Tommy Roberts following a collision with a pitch fence and was replaced Rhamar Garrett-Douglas. Once the game resumed Kader saw an effort saved by ex-Wand Grainger.
In the 83rd minute the game was put to bed for Cray with a fourth goal and a great individual goal by Kader who received the ball to the right of the area, made space and lifted a shot over Grainger with a precision that took the breath away and into the net.
There was still time at the other end for Bello to burst through evading a Dowrich challenge but Kardel read the ball superbly to gather to cap a fine performance from the young keeper.
Finally, Williams hit the post for Cray with another stinging shot but after a tough opening quarter for an hour had merited the victory and made it a 100% winning start to April. Wingate & Finchley had won at Billericay, Dartford, Dover and Horsham this season so are no slouches and Cray had to earn the right to play and played some enterprising and stylish football to get the win.
Cray now head to Horsham who were impressive winners at Carshalton on Good Friday in good spirits and should be a great match in front of a very large crowd.
Cray Wanderers: Kevin Kardel, Ike Orji, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Darion Dowrich, Lateef Adaja (Archie Morley, 90+5), Frankie Raymond, Eze Ebouzeme, Nyren Clunis (Freddie Warwick, 90+2), Josh Williams, Soul Kader (Tom Borders, 90+2): Subs: Denzel Owahene-Akyeampong, Cameron McQueen
Booked: Orji 14, Dowrich 72, Adaja 72
Wingate & Finchley: Charlie Grainger, Cain Keller, Toby Byron, William Cracknell (Capt.), Ben Frempah (Daniel Emovon, 73), Arthur Iontton, Ore Bello, Ryan Lowe (Tommy Roberts, 30, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, 72), Zack Newton (Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, 10), Camilo Restrepo, Theo Alexandrou
Booked: Keller 61
Referee: Oliver Kaya
Assistants: Dwayne Uylett, Benjamin Kelly
Att: 539
