Wingate & Finchley vs Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 28th January – Match Report
Wingate & Finchley 1
Watt 90+1
Cray Wanderers 0
Cray Wanderers final game of January ended in a second straight defeat as a stoppage time goal from Ben Watt earned Wingate & Finchley three points on a damp evening in North London.
In truth this was a game that probably wouldn’t live too long in the memory as the wet and sometimes breezy conditions meant the match wasn’t ideal for a free flowing game but there was plenty of honest endeavour but in truth a draw would have been the fairer outcome.
Cray were looking to bounce back from the defeat at Whitehawk on Saturday and Neil Smith named an unchanged side from the trip to East Brighton. Wingate & Finchley were in the playoff places during October-November but had gone eleven games without a win and themselves conceded an injury time goal at home to Hendon on Saturday to draw 3-3. There were four changes to that side with Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, Ore Bello, Andronicos Georgiou and Ogo Obi coming in for Ryan Lowe, Cain Keller, Zack Newton and Loic Hernandez. Ex-Wand centre-half in the later Ian Jenkins days, Ben Frempah is a Wingate & FInchley regular.
Wands fans travelled to the Maurice Rebak Stadium following confirmation the game was definitely going to be on as was still raining back in South East London and Kent. However there was no pitch inspection planned so the Wands final away game of the season on grass took place.
The game began with Cray perhaps struggling to get a foothold in the game and Wingate & Finchley were the better side for the first 15/20 minutes but aside from a couple of corners and free kicks and a cross from the left byline from Camillo Restrepo claimed at the near post by Shaun Rowley chances were few to non-existent.
There was a real heart in mouth moment though for Cray in the 9th minute when Tom Bonner was booked for a full bloodied tackle close to the left touchline but common sense from referee Lawrence Torz-Brown considering the conditions meant just a yellow card for the Wands skipper.
Both teams from here had a bit of trouble keeping the ball flowing more than two or three passes and a couple of Frankie Raymond free kicks out on the right floated into the box were claimed by Matteo Salmon after the wind dropped the crosses into his hands
In the 25th minute Cray had the first shot on goal when Darion Dowrich who had another impressive game down the left cut inside and saw his low shot through the muddy goalmouth claimed comfortably by Salmon. For Wingate & Finchley Georgiou saw a shot deflected through to Rowley.
The game began to get a bit warmed up after the half hour and a couple of clattering challenges with Restrepo booked for the home side.
Cray came closest in the first half when Josh Williams down the left saw his cross-shot pawed round the right post by Salmon although possibly the shot was going wide.
Then two minutes later a corner for Wingate & Finchley saw Restrepo flash a shot wide of the right post but half time had come as something of a relief for players and fans alike.
HT: 0-0
The second half saw the temperature seem to drop more but at least it was rain free. Once again the teams struggled somewhat to get their passing games, usually a strength together and the match continued on it’s patternless way.
Cray had some positive possession around the hour mark and had introduced the pace of Dario De-Luca and Ollie Rawlins up front in a bid to win the game but the home side defended well and Salmon didn’t have too much to do aside from crosses and clearances by foot.
The Wands were defending well too with the best opening for Wingate & Finchley a half chance with Watt seeing a wind assisted shot go over the bar on the hour.
Ten minutes later Wingate came closest yet when Restrepo saw his shot pushed round the right post by Rowley before the Wands freshened things up again when Charlie Edwards and Lateef Adaja brought on.
The game in truth deserved to be 0-0 and looked to be heading that way after Blues substitute Zack Newton fired a shot wide.
Cray had defended superbly themselves and was almost like the Dixon, Bould, Adams and Winterburn quartet with the success of the offside trap which worked to perfection four times in the second half and in the last minute Rhamar Garrett-Douglas had the ball in the net but was flagged offside.
However, Wingate & Finchley had the final say when from a free kick down the left taken quickly to Garrett-Douglas his cross was turned in by Watt from close range to give the Blues the lead in the first minute of added time.
Cray now had to take the game to Wingate & Finchley but never quite had the sharpness and perhaps the two games in four days on heavy pitches was taking its toll on the team.
In the end Wingate & Finchley won the game to end their poor spell and on to 35 points in 13th place while Cray there wasn’t too much damage done lying 11th on 38 points, eleven points off the drop zone.
Cray now head to more synthetic times with four games in February with three at home starting on Saturday against a Bognor Regis side more competitive in recent matches but after a sapping three games away from home, a return to Flamingo Park and the true playing surface will lead to a better game of football.
Once again and this has been relayed by Neil Smith and management, a huge thank you to the supporters who over the three away games have been present in good numbers especially for a soggy Tuesday night and in great voice and shows there is a bond and connection between management, players and supporters. We go again Saturday and there should be a good turnout for the first ever visit of Bognor Regis Town supporters.
Wingate & Finchley: Matteo Salmon, William Cracknell (Ayo Tanimowo, 55), Toby Byron, Ben Watt, Ben Frempah, Jaiden Drakes-Thomas, Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, Ore Bello, Ogo Obi (Zack Newton, 76), Adronicous Georgiou (Ryan Lowe, 85), Camilo Restrepo (Cain Keller, 77)
Scorer: Watt 90+1
Booked: Restrepo 33, Frempah 66, Bello 84, Keller 90+4
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Ike Orji, Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton, Darion Dowrich, Frankie Raymond, George Penn (Dario Sesay De-Luca, 55), Eze Ebuozeme, Nyren Clunis (Charlie Edwards, 77), Josh Williams (Lateef Adaja, 77), Nathan Jeche (Oliver Rawlins, 63)
Booked: Bonner 9 mins
Referee: Lawrence Torz-Brown
Att: 138
