WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT
By Charlie Bradford
Pictures – Charlie Bradford and Grace DSouza
Cray Wanderers Women 7
(Francis 22, Obando 52, White 56, 70, Rivers 58, 66, Rix 90+4)
Kings Hill Women 2
(Kemp 47, McCarthy 68)
South East Counties Women’s Football League Premier Division
Sunday 14th September 2025, 3 PM @ Flamingo Park
Today was finally the day for all the talking to stop and for Cray Wanderers Women to finally get their 2025/2026 league campaign up and running…
Their first league game of the new season saw the Wands Women come up against Kings Hill – a side that Cray beat 6-1 away and 3-0 at home last season – with the away meeting having a bit of everything! Obviously seven goals but also three red cards, a penalty, three goalkeepers in the same game for Cray, and big kerfuffles! So what would today bring?!
In an 18 game league season there is very little room for error and Cray were therefore out to stamp their authority on the game and nearly did so after two minutes when Chloe Francis struck an effort past the left post.
Kings Hill were almost gifted the lead however when Cray debutant Talisha Hickson gave the ball away in the Cray goal to Kings Hill’s Megan Kemp whose attempted chipped finish saw Hickson backpedal and save the ball away for a corner.
Cray then took the lead in the 22nd minute when a 20 yard free kick by Chloe Francis saw her score her first competitive Cray goal with her effort keeping low and finding the net.
Cray’s Millie Main then spurned some great one on one chances with Kings Hill goalkeeper Jess Nunn thwarting her and Main missing the target on other occasions.
In between those chances for Millie, Kings Hill had a golden chance themselves when Megan Kemp found herself one on one but, like Millie Main for Cray, she missed the target.
HT: 1-0.
The second half was only two minutes old when Kings Hill equalised and in some style when Megan Kemp came up with a brilliant finish from the edge of the box into the top right postage stamp.
Cray should have taken the lead quickly afterwards when Jessica Oldfield’s shot was saved into the path of Sarah White who somehow missed the open target and struck over the bar.
Cray however need not have worried as they re-took the lead in the 52nd minute when Ellie Rivers’ ball from the left was tucked into the bottom right corner by Chloe Obando for her first Cray goal.
Speaking of first goals, after Chloe Francis and Chloe Obando before her, Sarah White too got her first goal for Cray in the 56th minute when she headed a free kick into the bottom left corner.
Cray’s attack was clicking nicely at this point as they made it 4-1 in the 58th minute when a Maddie Bone ball from the right meant Ellie Rivers simply could not miss at the far left post.
After Megan Kemp was denied by Talisha Hickson for Kings Hill, Cray scored a fifth in the 66th minute when Hannah Gilmour’s pin point delivery from the right was headed home by Ellie Rivers for her second.
Speaking of seconds, Kings Hill got their second goal of the game two minutes later when a ball over the top was laid off by Megan Kemp for Rachael McCarthy to slot into the bottom left corner.
Cray however restored a four goal lead two minutes later when Jessica Oldfield’s ball was sliced towards her own net by Kings Hill defender Mel Cook and Sarah White dived in to head home from close range.
Cray had further opportunities to add to their lead when Ellie Rivers blazed over from a couple of yards out, and Jessica Oldfield’s chipped effort on a one on one attempt was denied.
Four minutes into stoppage time Cray achieved the same number of goals as last week when Lucy Rix headed home a corner to seal another impressive victory for the Wands Women in a great start to their season.
FT: 7-2.
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE MATCH
With two goals and assist, it’s fair to say Ellie Rivers made an impact off the bench at half time and is today’s player of the match!
Well done Ellie!
