Cheshunt vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 1st November – Match Report
Cheshunt 1
Gibson-Hammond 83
Cray Wanderers 1
Williams 90+2
Cray Wanderers remain unbeaten away from home as a goal two minutes into added time by Josh Williams made it six successive draws on the road to earn a point at Cheshunt.
On a wet afternoon after a bright start to the day the Wands came out of the traps quickly and could have scored twice in the first eight minutes through Harry Waldock and Remi Sutton before the game became a stalemate for the majority of the match.
With Harry Seaden out with a broken leg Ethan Binnie was brought in from Norwich City Development on loan and made an outstanding save eleven minutes from time to push over George Nunn’s header. However, seven minutes from time Cheshunt took the lead when substitute Alex Gibson-Hammond cracked home a shot from twenty yards.
Cray though once again as at Lewes and Chatham Town showed resilience and in added time another substitute, Josh Williams out on the right played in a free kick into the area and straight into the net ahead of Waldock to earn Cray a merited point.
The Wands, starting in fourth place were looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat at home to Dartford and as well as Binnie making his debut, Ashley Nzala and Chris Dickson were brought in for Williams and Kareem Isiaka.
For the home side in seventh there were three changes to the team beaten at Lewes on Tuesday night with Jesse Effa, Raul Da Silva and Connor Kurran-Browne coming in for Darion Furlong, Alex Gibson-Hammond and Matthias Fanimo.
Like many games this season Cray began the game well and Ashley Nzala saw an early effort blocked for a corner.
In the 5th minute, Cray came very close to scoring when from a free kick out on the left, Frankie Raymond’s ball into the box fell to Harry Waldock who from twenty yards saw a flicked volley come back off the left post with the keeper beaten.
Three minutes later, the Wands came close again from one of a slew of corner kicks during the game and Lateef Adaja’s ball to the near post was met by the head of Remi Sutton but Aymen Azaze in the Ambers goal made a smart instinctive save to push the ball out.
Then Adaja and Alex Hernandez down the right combined to find Chris Dickson just outside the area and his shot was deflected through to Azaze.
At the other end Cray were defending superbly and kept Ethan Binnie well protected with the outstanding Prosper Keto winning a fine tackle to deny Jesse Effa a crossing chance down the right.
The game then with the weather getting wetter and the skies darker got bogged down for the last quarter of the half.
Cheshunt did begin to threaten and a cross from the right by Connor Kurran Browne was met by the head of George Nunn but under pressure from Tom Bonner put his header off target.
Then down the right Effa put over a fine cross which just missed George Hunt and Browne in the area.
In the 39th minute Cray almost took the lead when Frankie Raymond played a fine ball through to Nzala down the left of the area but Azaze did well to block the shot with his feet.
The with the last minute of the half Cray had the ball in the net when Keto found Hernandez who set up Dickson down the right of the area who fired into the bottom left corner but the flag perhaps a touch belated went up for offside.
HT: 0-0
The second half began with a lot more zip from both sides but once again real chances were few and far between.
Five minutes after the break Remi Sutton found Nzala down the left and his ball across towards the far post came to Adaja but couldn’t get a firm enough purchase on his shot and went wide. Then Waldock, another player who had an exceptional saw a shot well blocked.
Then just before the hour Dickson found Nzala with a return pass but from the left edge of the area saw his shot perhaps lack power and was saved by Azaze.
The Wands introduced the guile of Nods Bobomurodov and Kareem Isiaks and later Josh Williams in a bid to win the game but once again with the rain falling steadily the match looked to be heading for a goalless draw.
Cheshunt did begin to exert some pressure and Charlie Naylor throw ins were a feature of their game and one such throw led to to a melee inside the box and Nunn saw an effort blocked close to goal.
Then Kurran Browne put over a cross from the right which Tom Bonner put behind for a corner.
In the 79th minute Cheshunt carved out the best chance of the match when Lordon Akobire found Kurran Browne put over a great cross from the right into the area and met by the head of Nunn but Binnie did superbly to turn the ball over from six yards for a special moment for the nineteen year old keeper.
At the other end Williams showed good pace and skill to look to cut inside down the right but blazed his cross-shot over.
In the 83rd minute the deadlock was broken when Cheshunt won a corner down the right. Matthias Fanimo’s corner kick came to Naylor who set up substitute Alex Gibson-Hammond for a shot from twenty yards with perhaps Binnie unsighted with a crowded box and crashed into the net.
Again Williams fired over and despite winning corners and a fair amount of pressure it looked like Cray’s unbeaten away record was coming to an end.
However, this team don’t really know the meaning of defeat and in the second of four minutes added time from a free kick down the right close to the touchline, Williams ball into the box went straight through ahead of Waldock and into the net to gain what was a merited point in tough conditions and after a real war of attrition.
Despite the point, Cray moved down one place to fifth on twenty three points but are still fighting on with a great team spirit and although not always getting their just rewards with wins are still picking up points and picked up their eight draw of the season.
The Wands next entertain Chichester City before two Kent away trips to Folkestone Invicta and Welling United and can go into those games with confidence and in the knowledge they merit their place in the top five.
Cheshunt: Aymem Azaze, Lordon Akolbire, Bradley Roberts, Dequane Wilson-Braithwaite, Charlie Naylor, Raul Fernandes Da Silva, Jesse Effa (Matthias Fanimo, 64), George Hunt (Alex Gibson-Hammond, 72), George Nunn, Sam Granville (Capt.), Connor Kurran-Browne (Antonis Vasiliou, 79): Subs: Arthur Iontton, Reon Smith-Kouassi
Booked: Wilson-Braithwaite 25, Da Silva 77, Granville 88
Cray Wanderers: Ethan Binnie, Prosper Keto, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Raymond, Harry Waldock, Lateef Adaja, Ashley Nzala (Josh Williams, 72), Alex Hernandez (Nods Bobomurodov, 64), Chris Dickson (Kareem Isiaka, 65): Subs: Quade Taylor, Ralfi Hand
Referee: Paul Stratton
Assistants: Daniel Squibb, Royan Campbell
Att: 218
