Cray Wanderers Women vs London Road Women
SECWFL Premier – Sunday 2nd February – Match Report
Cray Wanderers Women 3
Main 14, Pooley 71, 83
London Road Women 3
Counter 32, McKenna 82, Dixey 90+3 p
Cray Wanderers Women maintained an unbeaten start to 2025 but had to be content with a point against second placed London Road after a lively finish which saw four goals in the last twenty five minutes and the Medway side levelled three minutes into stoppage time with a penalty. Cray are 6th in the table on 21 points but do have five games in hand on London Road who have 29 points.
Cray’s last game was on 19th January and this was the second meeting with London Road this season after Cray won 2-0 at Flamingo Park in the Kent FA Plate in November.
The sky was blue but it was a bitterly cold afternoon and the game began with the Wands very much on the front foot. The first opening fell to Cray with Jessica Pooley glancing a header over from a free kick from 10 yards. Cray were impressive going forward and won a couple of corners and from one, Ellie Cole’s cross was flicked across goal by Megan Webster.
In the 14th minute Cray took the lead when Sam Sharp’s ball forward over the top found Millie Main who advanced on goal and unerringly placed the ball wide of Jess Nunn to make it six goals in six games.
London Road were a little off the pace early on but began to exert themselves and in the 28th minute threatened for the first time when Rachael McCarthy saw a volley pushed round the post by Sharp. Meanwhile for Cray, another corner down the right just missed Ellie Rivers in the middle.
In the 32nd minute London Road drew level when the visitors won the ball just outside the area and Zoe Counter worked her way into the area to fire into the net.
The rest of the half saw the game totally even out with both teams having one shooting chance each. For Cray, Rivers setup Pooley for a shot saved while for London Road. Dixey saw a half hit shot held.
HT: 1-1
The second half now began with night sky and saw the game have a spell where both teams were just looking for that big chance to break the game open but for the first twenty five minutes it looked like one goal at least would win it.
Okasia Brown who had a terrific game in midfield put over a cross which just missed a touch from Rivers. Then Main volleyed wide while for London Road McCarthy had the ball in the net but disallowed for offside.
At this stage the big talking point was the flow of Arsenal goals against Manchester City filtering through. Once the Gunners fifth goal went in the game suddenly burst into incredible life.
In the 71st minute Cray went in front with a slight touch of fortune at the finish as Pooley was played into the box and as came to Nunn narrow the angle the striker’s shot was blocked but back to Pooley to score.
Cray almost scored a third when Chloe Ashdown’s cross from the left reached the far post where Olivia Gregory hooked a shot just over the top.
The game then had a dramatic 90 seconds when first, London Road made it 2-2 in the 82nd minute when from a corner down the right the ball into the box and deflected out to Beyonce McKenna who rifled a shot through a crowd into the net.
A minute later Cray retook the lead for the third time with a breathtaking piece of skill out of the Kenny Dalglish playbook when Pooley out of nothing advanced down the right and hoisted a shot goalwards and into the top left corner leaving the keeper no chance to save.
Cray had looked to have weathered any storm but London Road nearly scored when McKenna saw a cross-shot pushed across goal and behind by Sharp.
Cray could have scored a fourth when Main saw a shot saved and Ashdown shot over from the rebound.
In the third minute of stoppage time London Road were presented with a chance to level when after dispossessing the ball close to goal, McKenna did well to evade Hannah Gilmour’s challenge but was brought down by Sharp.
From the spot, Heather Dixey finished well to earn a point for London Road and perhaps looking back over the game it was a fair outcome. The match was well refereed and the game flowed and common sense was used when there were challenges.
The teams do not have long to wait until they play again on this Sunday, 9th February in Chatham, kick off. 2pm.
Meanwhile, the Wands have been drawn away to Hollands & Blair in the Quarter Finals of the Kent FA Plate. The tie will be played in Gillingham on Sunday 16th February, 4.30 pm.
Cray Wanderers: Sam Sharp, Hannah Gilmour, Megan Webster (Vittoria D’Urso), Ellie Cole, Emily Symonds, Okasia Brown, Kiera Syms (Olivia Gregory) , Millie Main, Annemarie Blanche (Lauren Henry), Ellie Rivers (Chloe Ashdown), Jessica Pooley (Hannah Atkins)
London Road: Jess Nunn, Eleanor Harrington, Ella Crowe, Lou Jackson, Mel Cook,
Katy Skelton, Ellie Prebble, Rachael McCarthy, Heather Dixey, Beyonce McKenna: Zara Chapman, Molly Crowe, Kirsty Goodall
Ref: Martin Quinn
