Cray Wanderers U23s vs Erith Town U23s
SCEFL Development League West – Friday 30th August
Cray Wanderers 3
Damyanov 2 mins, Borders 8 mins, 88
Erith Town 7
Green 3 mins, Salami 15, 39, 43, 45+2,
Self 64, Williams 90+2
Cray Wanderers U23s were beaten in their first SCEFL Development League West home game in an enthralling match with Erith Town which saw ten well taken goals.
Cray named an unchanged side to the one which played at Punjab United last week and got off to a flying start and took the lead in the 2nd minute when Tom Borders through ball found Victor Damyanov down the left and finished with some aplomb low into the bottom right corner.
However, a minute later Erith levelled with an excellent strike from 30 yards from Teddy Green who crashed a swerving shot wide of Nathan Mawaring and into the top right corner.
The game was going from end to end and from a corner down the right for Cray the ball came to Corey Holden who volleyed wide. Then in the 8th minute the Wands went back in front when Holden found George Brooke who played a fine ball down the right to Borders who smashed a shot high into the top right corner.
In the 15th minute Erith levelled again when Kola Salami made a darting run into the area and down the left squeezed a shot under Manwaring and into the net.
The game continued to see chances at each end with Brooke shooting over for Cray whilst Erith came close twice but were denied by great saves from Manwaring. Firstly from a corner the ball came to Toby Corner who shot was pushed out. Then, Salami down the right set up Matt Self whose strike was pushed onto the crossbar and was cleared.
In the 39th minute Erith went ahead for the first time when a ball forward put Salami through down the right, charged into the box and tucked home a tidy finish.
Four minutes later, Salami completed his hat-trick when from a cross from the left the ball came to the striker who found space to fire into the net.
For Cray, Tyreese Simpson-Knight saw a shot parried but in the second minute of added on time, Salami scored his fourth with a similar goal to his first with a darting run into the box and down the left made it 5-2.
HT: 2-5
Straight after half time Brandon Hateba saw a shot pushed over superbly one handed by Nathan Manwaring. Cray, though, were battling on and the lively Borders saw a shot from 25 yards held.
Then for Cray from a corner from Damyanov was headed over by Borders. Then a free kick from the left of the area was pushed behind well by Nathan Edwards.
Erith Town though in the 64th minute scored a sixth goal when from a corner down the left, the ball came to Matt Self who hooked a volley high into the net.
Cray continued to go on the attack and Callum Redman and Brooke combined to set up Borders who poked the ball towards goal and was held and then saw a shot pushed out.
For Erith, Finlay Williams saw a near post shot saved while for Cray, from a corner, Redman’s shot was cleared off the line.
Cray had deserved another goal and duly came two minutes from the end when Holden’s ball into the area was flicked on by Michael Ihiedi for Tom Borders to stroke the ball in from five yards for his second goal of the match.
Then Corey Holden down the left saw a shot parried and Ihiedi shot over but two minutes into added time Erith scored a seventh goal when a ball forward put Williams through down the right and finished with a powerful strike.
This proved to be the final goal of an exciting match watched by an excellent crowd of 167 and in the end Erith Town merited the win but Cray will live to fight another day and there is another game against Erith Town for the U18s in the FA Youth Cup next Thursday, 5th September and next Friday another league game at home to Corinthian.
Cray Wanderers: Nathan Manwaring, Bobby Parks (Capt.), Eduard Mare, Cameron McQueen (Freddie Warwick), Finlay Avery (Oliver Chirisori), Neil Ntsiomo (Michael Ihiedi), Corey Holden, Victor Damyanov (Callum Redman), Thomas Borders, George Brooke, Tyreese Simpson-Knight (Jaylen Bains.
Erith Town: Nathan Edewards. Andrea Piccolo, Teddy Green, Malik Sesay, Joe Buchanon, Toby Corner, Brandon Hateba, Sid Peters, Kola Salami, Riley Boyle, Matthew Self. Subs: Josh Martin, Craig Connor, Finley Williams
Att: 167
