Potters Bar Town vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier, Saturday 16th November – 3 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers continue a run of away Isthmian Premier League games on Saturday 16th November as the Wands face Potters Bar Town looking to bounce back after two successive league defeats. Please note due to an artificial pitch being laid at Potters Bar’s Lantern Stadium, the match is being played at Kings Langley FC. Kick off 3 pm.
The Wands come into the game in 20th place on 12 points and last Saturday were unfortunate not to pick up at least a point from a 0-1 defeat at Folkestone Invicta where after a difficult first half were more rejuvenated after the break but didn’t really get much fortune around goal.
The match at Folkestone saw a debut for experienced centre-half Remi Sutton who had a good game at the back along with Quade Taylor and there were also lively performances from two more new signings, Josh Willams who played the full 90 minutes and Nathan Jeche who came on as a substitute at half time. The match also saw the last game for Anthony Cook, the Wands longest serving player who has decided to move on to pastures new.
Remi Sutton, Josh Williams and Nathan Jeche
Cray face Erith Town at home in the London Senior Cup on Tuesday 19th November before then visiting Canvey Island next Saturday in the league with the next home league game against Carshalton Athletic on 30th November.
Potters Bar Town have had a solid first three months of the season and are 8th in the table on 20 points and have bounced back well after a heavy opening day defeat to Dover and are unbeaten at home since. Although they haven’t won in their last four league games Max Mitchell’s team have been playing well and the Scholars are always hard to beat especially at home.
Last Saturday, Potters Bar were beaten 1-3 at Dulwich Hamlet with Ronnie Henry scoring in the second half. Potters Bar Town did play on Tuesday 12th November in the Hertfordshire County Cup beating Bedford Town, 4-3 with goals from Ben Ward-Cochrane, Nana Kyei and Chaynie Face-Burgin (2).
Potters Bar Town will be playing at Kings Langley until later in the season after the installation of a 3G pitch and at home so far have beaten Hastings United (2-0), Bowers & Pitsea (1-0), Lewes (5-0) and drawn with Dartford (1-1). Their only home defeat was against Dover (0-8). Away from home, the Scholars won at Dartford (1-0), Wingate & Finchley (2-1) and Cheshunt (1-0). They drew at Chatham Town and were beaten at Horsham, Whitehawk, Dover and Dulwich Hamlet. In the FA Cup, Potters Bar Town were beaten at Lowestoft Town in the 1st Qualfiying Round and in the FA Trophy won at Whitehawk before losing at Biggleswade in the 1st Round. In the Isthmian League Cup, Potters Bar were beaten at Cheshunt on penalties in the 3rd Round. Top scorer is Steve Cawley with 10 goals and scored in six successive league games in the early weeks of the season.
Potters Bar Town finished 15th last season, one point clear of Cray Wanderers on 51 points but were comfortably clear of relegation. The two meetings last season were close affairs with the teams drawing 1-1 at Potters Bar on 21st October, 2023 with Ellis Brown cancelling out a David HIcks goal for the home side. Potters Bar won the corresponding game at Hayes Lane, 2-1 on 13th March with Brandon Adams scoring twice with Gary Lockyer scoring for Cray.
As the season heads to the final month few weeks of the year, the matches begin to have more importance but with the league looking like being one of the tightest for years and harder to predict, three points can lift you up two or three places up the table and this should be a fascinating game with lots at stake at both ends of the table.
DIRECTIONS TO KINGS LANGLEY FC
A NOTE FOR SUPPORTERS THAT THIS MATCH IS BEING PLAYED AT KINGS LANGLEY FC WHILST A 3G SURFACE IS BEING LAID AT POTTERS BAR TOWN’s LANTERN STADIUM.
The Orbital Fasteners Stadium
Hempstead Road
Kings Langley
HERTS WD4 8BS
Admission: £13, Concessions £10 (Over 65’s/Students, ID may be required), U16s £1
GETTING TO THE GROUND
Kings Langley will be our longest trip North this season and lies 16 miles from Potters Bar and between Hemel Hempstead and Watford and off exit 20 of the M25.
Driving
Take exit 20 of the M25 and follow signs for the A4251. At the roundabout take the first exit and drive through Kings Langley High Street. After one mile the ground will be on your right.
Parking
If travelling by car, please note that there is very limited parking available at the stadium. Parking is readily available in the village centre and by the surrounding areas around the ground.
The club recommends using Langley Hill Car Park (WD4 9HD) or The Nap Car Park (WD4 8ET). These are free car parks located in the village, just a 10 minute walk from The Orbital Fasteners Stadium.
Please refrain from parking on grass verges throughout the village.
Train
The nearest station to the ground is Apsley, on the West Coast Mainline. Trains from London Euston and Watford Junction run every 30 minutes at 09 and 39 past the hour. The ground is a 25 minute walk from the station and around 0.9 miles. Exit the station and turn right walking along London Road through to Hempstead Road, where the ground will be on your left. You can also catch the 322 bus from the Apsley Station stop alighting at Coniston Road stop and takes 9 minutes.
If you end up coming in at Kings Langley (the stop before Apsley) the ground is around 1.5 miles and about a 35 minute walk. From Station Road turn left for 0.2 miles and then a right onto Station Footpath then a left and then a right for 0.1 mile. Then turn right onto Watford Road/A4251 and follow the A4251 for 1.1 mile then turn right where the ground will be on the left.
Nearest pubs
If coming in by train to Apsley, close to the station is The Paper Mill, in Stationers Place but halfway to the walk to the ground is The Red Lion, Nash Mills on London Road (HP3 9TD) and close by The Three Tuns on Belswains Lane. There is also the White Lion and Odd Fellows Arms. If you come in at Kings Langley and have time on your hands you have the Rose & Crown in the High Street, the 16th Century Saracen’s Head by the Grand Union Canal and a bit further in Abbots Langley is the Unicorn pub on Gallows Hill.
Kings Langley is a village and formerly a manor in Hertfordshire south of the Chiltern Hills and forms part of the Commuter Belt with transport links to London Euston. The village was once home of a Palace and Priory but the palace was destroyed by fire in the 1700’s. Some of the Priory does remain.
The River Gade flows through the village and Kings Langley is home to the Saracen’s Head pub built in the 16th Century which was a popular coaching inn close to the Grand Union Canal.
During the Second World War, the Polish Underground Army was based in Kings Langley and was also the site of the Ovaltine Factory which now houses apartments.
The late former England Manager Graham Taylor was from Kings Langley as was the Jazz musician Benny Green, and also Golfer, Luke Donald and Boxer Anthony Joshua went to school in Kings Langley.
