Cray Wanderers vs Whitehawk – Isthmian Premier, Tuesday 22nd October, 7.45 pm – Match Preview
Pics: Ben Keyes & Ozay Booth
Cray Wanderers conclude a run of four home games in league and cup on Tuesday 22nd October as Whitehawk are the visitors to Flamingo Park. Kick off 7.45 pm.
The match pits two teams in need of three points and in 22nd and 20th in the Isthmian Premier League table. The Wands after the goalless draw with Hastings United on Saturday are eight league games without a win and on five points but can be encouraged by the performance which saw plenty of chances created but perhaps just lacked the final finish. Whitehawk on 10 points from 10 games meanwhile have lost their last three league games without scoring so the game even this early in the season has taken on one of must win proportions for Cray in particular.
Saturday’s point with Hastings followed on from the defeat to Chatham Town last Tuesday and was certainly a game where Cray came close to winning. Stefan Ilic who has impressed in his first two games hit the post just before half time and in the second half, Kenny Coker, David Smith, Charlie Edwards, Anthony Cook amongst others all came close to winning the match. Cray can also be encouraged by the clean sheet, the second against Hastings this season but in some ways can be looked at as either a valuable point gained or two valuable points dropped.
Whitehawk arrive to Flamingo Park with a new first team manager after Ross McAnielly resigned on 21st October. David Altendorff who was previously the Assistant Manager steps up as first team manager with his first game in charge tonight.
Whitehawk on Saturday were beaten 0-2 at home to Cheshunt with a goal in each half and after a bright September have just hit a slight blip in form. Whitehawk finished in a respectable 9th place last season after winning promotion from the Isthmian South-East in 2022-23.
Away from home, Whitehawk drew at Dulwich Hamlet (3-3) but were beaten at Billericay Town (0-3), Lewes (1-2) and Horsham (0-5). At home form has been pretty decent beating Bowers & Pitsea (2-1), Cray Valley PM (2-0) and Potters Bar Town (2-0) with defeats to Hastings United, Dover and Cheshunt. In the FA Cup, Whitehawk were beaten in the 1st QR at Hendon whilst in the FA Trophy 3QR lost at Potters Bar Town. Whitehawk have advanced in the Sussex Senior Cup after a 3-1 home win over Broadbridge Heath.
The sides have only met four times in league competition and last season saw the teams draw 2-2 at Hayes Lane on 29th November with Anthony Cook and Gary Lockyer scoring for Cray and Charlie Lambert and a stoppage time goal from Ben Pope for the Brighton based side. When the two teams met at Whitehawk on 27th February, the home side were 2-0 winners with goals from ex-Wand Joey Taylor and current Wand, Imran Kayani.
This promises to be the biggest home game yet for Cray this season under the lights and a real edge of your seat feel to it.
Admission £12 adults, £6 concessions, U16-U13’s – on gate (cash or card) or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Printed match programme £3, golden goals £1, merchandise, hot food/drinks + bars open.
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THE PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS/PROGRAMME NOTES OF NEIL SMITH
The Wands complete a run of four consecutive home games this evening with Whitehawk the visitors to Flamingo Park. Here Neil Smith looks back to Saturday afternoon’s goalless draw with Hastings United and the need to get back to winning ways.
Hello Neil. On Saturday we drew 0-0 with Hastings United. Despite the scoreline it doesn’t seem possible it was a goalless draw as we created so many chances! You must have been very pleased with the performance?
The performance and reaction from Tuesday was 100%. The boys showed that they care and put a shift in. It was only really with dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s and putting the ball in the back of the net where we were wanting a little bit. With the desire and the approach play I thought we played really well and deserved more than a 0-0 draw.
The game was a little bit cagey to begin with both teams looking for a bit of form but we were unlucky when Stefan Ilic, who has given two positive performances, hit the post just before half time. If that goes in then your half time team talk changes completely!
Absolutely! We knew there were going to be some nerves seeing where both teams are in the league and after what we did to them in the FA Cup Hastings were going to make sure they were not going to get turned over like that again. So we knew Danny Bloor would have set them up in a certain way.
I thought Stefan was outstanding and he hit the post from a free kick and had a header which just flashed across the box with Kenny Coker not being able to get on the end of it. We came in at half time really pleased but I asked them to take the shackles off a bit and try to express ourselves. I think the boys did and to come away 0-0 after creating so many chances including one on ones, these were not just half chances, they were full chances but we go again tonight.
It was good wasn’t it to hear the supporters give the team their backing at the end of the game.
Again, we had played Tonbridge Angels in the FA Cup and everyone clapped us off and rightly so as we didn’t deserve to lose the game. We were clapped off again on Saturday because the boys put in a shift after Tuesday when it was disappointing. When you are up against the likes of Freddie Sears at Chatham Town sometimes that sort of quality can hurt you. So now we come to tonight against a Whitehawk side who will be determined to improve their league position and hopefully we can perform like Saturday but with a better ending.
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK FOR NEWCOMERS
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.
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.
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
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.
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 range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop. Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from.
