Brentwood Town vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 3rd January, 2026 – Match Report
Brentwood Town 1
Thomas 77
Cray Wanderers 4
Kader 6, 32, Hernandez 30, Adaja 45+3
Photos: Steve Cullum
Cray Wanderers moved up into 4th place in the Isthmian Premier after an outstanding team performance at fellow promotion chasers Brentwood Town with four excellent first half goals and a gritty second half display to start 2026 in style.
On a bitterly cold afternoon Cray warmed up superbly in the first half taking the game to the hosts with Soul Kader lofting the Wands in front in the sixth minute. Alex Hernandez netted his second excellent free kick in successive games to make it 2-0 on the half hour and then two minutes later Kader made it three with another sublime finish. The scoring wasn’t yet completed with Kader setting up Lateef Adaja for another cracking strike in added time at the end of the half.
Brentwood posed more threat in the second half and pulled a goal back in the 77th minute through Kymani Thomas and had the chance to reduce the arrears further from the penalty spot nine minutes later but Charlee Hughes spot kick was brilliantly saved by Harry Seaden at the left post and Cray were able to stifle the comeback.
The Wands had moved down to 6th in the table on 38 points following Aveley’s win against Canvey Island on Friday night but ended 2025 in fine form with a 5-0 win against Cray Valley PM on 27th December and Tim O’Shea named an unchanged side for the third match in a row.
Brentwood Town had a great start to the season and were 2nd in the table on 49 points at the start of the game and had won the last three games with last time out winning 4-1 at Welling United and had beaten Cray 5-1 at Flamingo Park in August.
The sun was shining but it was a very chilly January afternoon but the match got off to a quick start with Brentwood on the attack and the ball came to Kymani Thomas who hooked a shot wide of the right post.
Cray though were looking good going forward and in the 6th minute went in front after Brentwood were caught playing out from the back and after Alex Hernandez won the ball Soul Kader received the pass and in on goal made no mistake with a high quality lofted finish over Marvin Minter.
A minute later it could have been two nil when Kader was brought down just on the right edge of the area by Minter but only a yellow card was shown. From the free kick Hernandez shot was pushed out by Minter.
Cray continued to play well and Harry Waldock once again in fine form in midfield did well down the right to set up Hernandez who fired over the top. Then Jordy Mongoy cutting in from the left played in Lateef Adaja who from just inside the area fired wide of the right post.
In the 30th minute Cray scored a deserved second goal and for the second successive game, Hernandez showed his dead ball qualities when just over 20 yards out from the area curled a free kick round the wall and into the top left corner for his 11th goal of the season.
Two minutes later Cray had a cushion of a three goal lead when Frankie Raymond found Kader down the left of the area and once again with great precision hooked the ball with style over Minter and into the net for his fourth goal in four games.
For Brentwood from a thrown in the ball was eventually cleared out to Louie Johnson who fired well over the top. However it was still Cray looking the more potent and Raymond set up by Hernandez fired just past the right post.
The home side almost pulled a goal back just before half time from a free kick down the right of the area but Alejandro Machado’s free kick bending towards goal was well pushed over by Harry Seaden.
However, there was still time for Cray to score a fourth and in the third minute of added time and practically the last kick of the half Kader cushioned a pass to Adaja who cracked home a stunning shot from just outside the area into the top left to complete an incredible half for the Wands to go in at the break 4-0 up.
HT: 0-4
Brentwood as to be expected made a couple of changes at half time with Charlee Hughes and Reiss Webber coming on but despite a bit more pressure at the start of the half and Daniel Ogunleye seeing an effort blocked Cray were still looking good on the counter attack.
Jordy Mongoy had a fine game and curled a shot just past the right post and then set up Adaja looking for his second of the match but his effort was well turned aside by Minter.
Kymani Thomas fired a cross-shot wide for Brentwood but it was still Cray carving out the better openings and Frankie Morgan’s terrific left wing cross to the far post was headed wide by Adaja and then Adrian Gyamera found Kader on a hat-trick but under pressure from Matt Cripps shot wide. This was followed by Mongoy again finding Adaja but his shot just trickled past the right post.
Going into the last twenty minutes Brentwood began to exert more pressure looking for a way back into the game and Thomas who was a threat for the home side throughout looked like he had scored with a shot on goal down the left but Morgan headed superbly off the line. From the resulting corner the ball came to ex-Wand Charlie Edwards but his header went over the bar.
Brentwood did pull a goal back in the 77th minute when Thomas was found down the left and did well to fire across Harry Seaden and into the net to make it 4-1.
Four minutes later Brentwood had the chance to cut the Wands lead to two when Machado was brought down inside the area by Ralfi Hand. However, Seaden made it back to back penalty saves when he superbly turned aside Charlee Hughes spot kick saving at the left post.
This seemed to end the Brentwood comeback and Cray ended the game well with Tom Bonner and Remi Sutton at the back in great form and the Wands almost added a fifth goal towards the end when Kader unselfishly set up Hand down the left of the area but Minter made a great save to turn the ball aside.
In the end Cray saw out the remaining minutes for an excellent win against a side deserving of their league placing and continued a fine away record of just one defeat in thirteen on the road.
Cray now move up into fourth on 41 points and made it three straight wins and one defeat in eight games and high on confidence and a terrific team spirit instilled by one of the finest away performances I certainly have ever seen from a Wands team and were well disciplined defensively and superb going forward. Cray now prepare for Friday evening and a clash with another side in top form Aveley at Flamingo Park.
Also a word today for the Cray Massive who were in excellent voice throughout with the sound of drums despite the cold and a big thank you to all supporters through the season so far for the incredible support home and away.
Match highlights
Brentwood Town: Melvin Minter, Matt Cripps (Capt.), Montel Agyemang (Reiss Webber, H/T), Daniel Ogunleye (Benas Vaivada, 72), Ethan Kaiser, Andrew Freeman, Jesse Olukolu (Charlee Hughes, H/T), Louie Johnson (Charlie Edwards, 72), Kymani Thomas, Max Hudson, Alejandro Machado: Sub: Romel Royal
Booked: Minter 7, Agyemang 30
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Adrian Gyamera (Prosper Keto, 90+2), Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Harry Waldock, Jordy Mongoy (Freddie Price 90+3), Lateef Adaja, Alex Hernandez (Ralfi Hand, 53), Soul Kader: Subs: Chris Dickson, Quade Taylor.
Referee: Craig Wood
Assistants: Gary Baker, Daniel Davis
Att: 622
