Cray Wanderers vs Carshalton Athletic – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 24th January – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Bridle 27
Carshalton Athletic 1
Mundele 19
Photos to follow
Cray Wanderers remain in sixth place in the Isthmian Premier League table after a thirteenth draw of the season against Carshalton Athletic at Flamingo Park as Harry Bridle’s first goal for the Wands cancelled out a Ben Mundele strike for the Robins who stay seventeenth in the table.
Cray were looking to return to the playoff places with a win while Carshalton after ten league games without a win were just a point off the bottom four and the match itself although engaging never reached any great heights and a draw in the end was probably the right result.
For the Wands, there were three changes to the side which drew at Hashtag United last Saturday with Quade Taylor in for Tom Bonner, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera for Prosper Keto who has re-joined Potters Bar Town and Harry Bridle for Chris Dickson. There was one change for Carshalton from the side beaten at home by Chatham Town with Mathias Bakare in for Sanchez Ming.
On a bright but chilly afternoon the match started at a fast pace and the Wands won a corner in the opening seconds of the game. Then in the third minute a good ball over the top found Harry Bridle down the left of the area who drove into the area but couldn’t get enough purchase on the ball for a shot on goal and keeper Matt Kerbey claimed the ball.
For Carshalton former Wands youth player Akola Salami glanced a header off target and in the eleventh minute fired in a shot from the edge of the area that was well gathered by Harry Seaden.
The match began to build momentum after the first fifteen minutes and after a good spell of passing down the left Jordy Mongoy set up Harry Waldock down the right for a smart volley which was well held at the near post by Kerbey.
Carshalton went in front in the 19th minute when from a corner down the left Fabio Saraiva’s ball came to the far post where Luke Read put a ball across for ex-Wand full back Ben Mundele to finish from inside the six yard box.
Cray though looked to hit back quickly and in the 27th minute drew level when from a free kick thirty yards from goal out on the right Frankie Raymond’s ball into the area was glanced on by Alex Hernandez into the area and Quade Taylor headed against the bar but fell nicely for Bridle to head his first goal for the Wands.
Carshalton threatened from another corner from which Read glanced a header wide while for Cray, Frankie Morgan played a great ball to Mongoy down the left who drove towards goal but fired into the side netting.
Before half time Cray came close from a Raymond left wing corner which came to the far post for Taylor to get in a firm header which was well held by Kerbey.
Just before the break the Robins were awarded a free kick just inside the D from which Saraiva’s shot went into the arms of Seaden.
HT: 1-1
The second half perhaps never quite got going until the latter stages as the game became quite scrappy with few real chances created.
For Cray, Alex Hernandez found space but his shot was well off target and then down the left Mongoy did well to pull a ball across for Hernandez but Kerbey did well to read the danger and claim the ball.
The game then went through a bit of a lull until the last twenty minutes and Raymond played a fine ball into the box for Hernandez but put his deft header just past the left post.
Then Lateef Adaja put over a cross from the right which was dropped by Kerbey with the ball eventually falling for Raymond but fired his shot well over the top. At the other end Saraiva fired a shot over the bar.
Going into the final stages Carshalton looked to go back in front and from a Saraiva corner from the left to the far post Salami put a header wide. Shortly after, substitute Tolu Ladapo down the left of the area fired in a shot that was comfortably saved at the near post by Seaden.
The Wands just couldn’t get into a position for a real goalscoring chance but did have the ball in the net in the last minute of the game when Freddie Price put over a great ball in from the left towards Mongoy down the right who fired home but was deemed to have strayed offside.
In added time Carshalton substitute Stanislaw Rzeznik down the left came close with a shot which was saved by the feet of Seaden for a corner but in the end the game finished in the second draw between the sides this season.
A win for Cray would have moved Tim O’Shea’s side back into 5th place after Dartford’s defeat at Burgess Hill Town with Cray on 43 points from 28 games and remain a point behind the Darts and three ahead of Burgess Hill Town in 7th but definitely in contention after three of the top five suffered defeats. Carshalton stayed 17th on 28 points and two clear of the relegation places.
The Wands will now finish January next Saturday with a first ever league visit to St Albans City and before returning to Flamingo Park for back to back Kent derbies matches to begin February against Ramsgate and Chatham Town.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Remi Sutton, Quade Taylor, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Harry Waldock, Lateef Adaja, Jordy Mongoy, Alex Hernandez, Harry Bridle (Freddie Price, 67): Subs: Archie Morley, Ralfi Hand, Billy Wall, Tom Borders
Booked: Morgan 35
Carshalton Athletic: Matt Kerbey, Ben Mundele, Mathias Bakare (Nikolai Krokhin, 77), Laurence Ernest, Olu Atewologun, Fabio Saraiva, Luke Read, Tommy Bradford (Capt.) (Mason Saunders-Henry, 80), Sharon Ifeanyi (Noah Nzuzi, 62), Eddie Oppong (Tolu Ladapo, 72), Akola Salami (Stanislaw Rzeznik, 80)
Booked: Salami 14, Salami 56
Referee: Derrick Laing
Assistants: Oliver Westgate, Samuel Gregory
Att: 525
