Cray Wanderers vs Chatham Town – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 15th October, 7.45 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers return to league action on Tuesday 15th October after a three week break for cup ties with Chatham Town the visitors to Flamingo Park for the first of three successive home league matches. Kick off 7.45 pm.
Cray will come into the game looking to move off the bottom of the table but at this stage have only played 7 league matches with four points but with 35 games still to play there is plenty of time to attain consistency and move up the table.
On Saturday, Cray exited the FA Cup at the 4th Qualifying Round stage despite a valiant effort and performance against Tonbridge Angels and in the last fifteen minutes came close through Anthony Cook, David Smith, Tom Bonner and others to forcing what would have been a merited replay.
For the game with Tonbridge the performance of the back four with Darion Dowrich, Quade Taylor (both pictured), Tom Bonner and Ike Orji was exceptional and the only goal came when Taylor was requiring treatment off the pitch and the team down to ten men. Also there were positive impacts off the bench with David Smith, Anthony Cook, Imran Kayani and new signing Calvin Ekpiteta coming on and the Wands ended the game well and on the front foot.
With Cray now out of the FA Cup and FA Trophy, the attention now turns to the league and looking to get a consistent run of results going and moving up the table.
However, Chatham Town will provide tough opposition and last season’s beaten Isthmian Premier playoff finalists will also be looking to push themselves up the table. Kevin Hake’s side are 18th in the table with eight points but have only played eight matches. Like Cray, Chatham had a good FA Cup run, losing in the 3rd Qualifying Round at home to Slough Town after beating Westfield and Welling United.
Their last league match was a 2-3 defeat at Hastings United on 1st October with Chatham scoring twice in added on time when 0-3 down through Rowan Liburd and Stuart O’Keefe. They did advance in the FA Trophy after a 1-0 home win vs Wingate & Finchley on 5th October with a first half goal from Jordy Mongoy. Chatham travel to Bowers & Pitsea in the 1st Round on 26th October.
In the league away from home Chatham have won at Bowers & Pitsea (2-0) but were beaten at Lewes (0-2), Dartford (1-3) and Hastings United (2-3). At home Chatham beat Dulwich Hamlet (3-1) and drew with Billericay Town (1-1) and Hendon (2-2) and were beaten by Canvey Island (1-3).
The teams did meet as recently as 24th September in the Kent Senior Cup at Chatham Town which Cray won 2-1 with goals from Smith and Cook with Mongoy scoring for Chatham but both teams will have a different look to that night and much more full strength.
Last season’s encounters saw Cray produce one of the performances of the season to win 5-1 at Chatham on 9th September, 2023 with goals from Frankie Raymond (2), Cameron Thompson, Nyren Clunis and Jamie Mascoll scoring with Jack Munns scoring for Chatham, The two sides met at Hayes Lane on Good Friday and finished in a 2-2 draw with Jack Holland and Alfie Evans scoring for Cray and Harvey Bradbury and Francis Mampolo on target for Chatham.
Overall the sides have met many times over the years with plenty of hard fought battles from the Aetolian and Metropolitan Leagues to the Kent League from the late 70’s including two title tussles in 1979-80 and 1980-81 and through the 80’s and 90’s and then in the Isthmian League including one season in the Isthmian North in 2014-15,
This should be a great game finishing under the lights and with the first real touch of chill you would feel as the Wands play their first home league game since 7th September.
Admission £12 adults, £6 concessions/U16’s-13s on gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ with printed match programme, £3, golden goals, merchandise + hot food/drinks/bars available.
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THE PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS/PROGRAMME NOTES OF NEIL SMITH
Pic: Ben Keyes
After the excitement of Saturday’s FA Cup 4QR tie and despite a gallant performance took their leave from the competition. Now the Wands return to the league and look to start to move up the table after a run of three successive cup weekends with the visit of Chatham Town. Here Neil Smith looks back to the match on Saturday and the challenge of tonight.
Hello Neil. Saturday was a big day for the club and it was an excellent performance against Tonbridge Angels but we just fell short at the end. You must have been very proud of the performance against a team from a higher level but that didn’t show on the day and we threw everything at them in the last ten-fifteen minutes.
I was really disappointed for the boys. I thought they put in everything from the first eleven to the subs that came on, those that didn’t come on or couldn’t play there was a real unity out there. I wasn’t only disappointed for the players but also the club, the Cray Massive, Gary Hillman, Michael Paye, Dave Francis, the Directors as I really wanted to be in the hat for Monday to see what might have been. I thought we deserved a draw at the very least.
What we worked on Thursday we put into practice in the first half as we knew it was going to be difficult and Tonbridge had a good first fifteen minutes. Their shape was a little bit different to what we were used to and we had warned the boys but we grew in confidence. Playing in front of a 1200+ crowd against a team higher up it took the boys around half an hour to believe in themselves and once we did even in the second half although we didn’t negate anybody especially in the last ten minutes we had the chances but you just need that little bit of luck.
We decided to throw everyone forward like Tom Bonner who won every header. I thought my back four were outstanding and Shaun Rowley even though he spilled one the recovery save he made was unbelievable. I thought other than the goal we were fairly comfortable.
Let’s move on tonight and a return to league football as we have three home games over the next week to catch up on. We welcome Chatham Town for the first of these matches and we played them recently in the Kent Senior Cup but this will be a different team to that night.
Chatham Town are one of those sides that are expected to be around the playoff places and the top half but are not at the moment. We are expecting a hard game and although we beat them in the Kent Senior Cup we both had different teams so you can’t read too much into that result but we need to win our league games now. We still have 39 games left so there is no need for panic stations but if we can get that first win at home then we can grow and get that bit more of a consistency from the boys and hope the crowds keep coming.
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DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK
Cray Wanderers FC – Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team, U23s, Youth Team games, Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events. For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By car
From Kent – Via M20 or A2
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles. After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles. Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3, exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles. At the Swanley interchange, take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
From London, North & West
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212, A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St. George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles. Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles. Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles. Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles. Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles. Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C. London/Lewisham for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles. Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park.
From Essex/East Anglia
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles. At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles. Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles. Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles. At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Then merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
From: Sussex/South
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25. After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles. At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend.
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles. Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground. There are regular services to Dartford/Gravesend for evening games. The last train back to London Cannon Street leaves New Eltham at 00:07.
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley, Sidcup, Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground. The 160 from Carlton Road, Sidcup stops at Montbelle Road as does the 162 which also stops at New Eltham Station and the Fiveways roundabout and is around a 22 minutes walk to the ground.
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
738 Sidcup Road, Eltham, London
SE9 3NS
Sat Nav Directions:SE9 3TJ
Directions:
From South Circular Road, take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways, where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane.
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music. There are also places to eat and a wide ranges of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop.
