Cray Wanderers vs Welling United – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 18th April, 3 pm – Match Preview
Pics: Natalie Stribbling
Cray Wanderers complete the 2025-26 season home fixtures on Saturday as the Wands welcome Welling United for the first time at Flamingo Park and also the first home league meeting since 1977. Cray in seventh place face a Welling United side who after back to back home wins can seal safety by avoiding defeat or failures of Cray Valley, Hashtag United and Carshalton Athletic the teams immediately below them.
This match will be dedicated to Prostate Cancer UK and help with awareness and contributions to the charity and this extremely prevalent disease in men.
The match sees Cray Wanderers in seventh in the Isthmian Premier League table with sixty seven points and although the playoffs are out of reach, Tim O’Shea’s side are set for the second highest league position in the club’s history. Despite the 3-0 win Lewes last Saturday wins for Brentwood Town and Chatham Town above them meant barring a freakish set of results to befall Chatham Town coupled with back to back Wands wins means despite a great effort from the team will just fall short of a playoff place. Cray have been able to better last season’s tenth place which was one of the season’s main objectives. Cray could finish with two wins sixth if Dartford who are the side most likely to challenge Brentwood and Chatham lose both their final games but to finish seventh or eighth will prove steady progression.
Last Saturday, Cray got off to a flying start as Alex Hernandez converted an early penalty and in the second half Daniel Ajakaiye netted his first goal for the club. Hernandez scored a second nineteen minutes from time to take him to twenty goals for the season. Alex is one goal behind Folkestone Invicta’s Jake Hutchinson at the top of the League Golden Boot race and level with Brentwood Town’s Daniel Ogunleye. The top five is completed by St Albans City’s Leo Sery with seventeen goals and Dartford’s Olly Box with sixteen. The Wands Max Fiddes has fifteen goals for the season.
Cray will hope to finish the season on a high and have lost only three in sixteen games in 2026 and have won five out of the last six games. Cray finish the season at Burgess Hill Town who are eighth, three points behind the Wands with Cray having a better goal difference.
Welling United have timed their best spell of the season at the right time and Dean Gunner’s first half goal was enough to secure three points on Tuesday night vs relegated Potters Bar Town at Park View Road. That win coupled with last Saturday’s 2-0 win at home to Dulwich Hamlet means Welling stand seventeenth in the table with forty four points. The Wings have lost just one of the last seven games including four wins in a row at home. Should their fate still be undecided on the final day of the season Welling host playoff bound Billericay Town.
As it stands with Canvey Island and Potters Bar Town already relegated Cray Valley are 20th with thirty eight points, Hashtag United in nineteenth have thirty nine points and Carshalton Athletic in eighteenth with forty points. All three have tough games on Saturday with Cray Valley at home to champions Folkestone Invicta, Hashtag travel to Ramsgate and Carshalton are away at second placed Aveley,
League meetings between the two sides have been extremely rare with the only previous time Cray Wanderers and Welling United met in league competition was in the London Spartan League in the 1977-78 season. The Wands were 2-0 winners on 5th November 1977 at Oxford Road, Sidcup with goals from John Canavan and Gary Cooper. Welling were 3-2 winners in the reverse fixture on 14th January 1978 as Cray went on to retain their league title but the teams moved in different circles after that with Cray moving to the Kent League the following season and Welling to the Athenian and later Southern League.
When the teams met at Welling United on 15th November, Cray were 2-0 winners with first half goals from Harry Waldock and Alex Hernandez. At that time Welling who were relegated from the National South to the Isthmian League for the first time last season were struggling with Ryan Maxwell took over as manager in November have steadily kept going and now have a chance to preserve their place in the league for next season.
Away from home Welling have won at Chichester City (2-1), Ramsgate (2-1), Whitehawk (2-1), Canvey Island (3-1), Cray Valley (4-1) and Potters Bar Town (3-2). They drew at Wingate & Finchley (1-1) and lost their other games at Cheshunt (2-4), Dulwich Hamlet (1-3), Carshalton Athletic (1-2), Hashtag United (1-2), St Albans City (1-2), Dartford (1-3), Billericay Town (1-6), Lewes (0-1), Aveley (1-2), Folkestone Invicta (0-2), Chatham Town (1-3), Burgess Hill Town (1-2) and Brentwood Town (0-2). Welling’s top scorer is John Ufuah with six goals.
This should be a great way to bring the curtain down on a second season at Flamingo Park for Cray Wanderers with a local derby and pitting two sides in good form.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 U18s – available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/. Printed match programme £3 (available on the turnstile), merchandise, Golden Goal Tickets £1, Cray Wanderers 100 Club Draw for April, hot and cold food/drinks, bars. Large outdoor TV screen.
Please note following the game there will be an Awards Presentation evening starting from 7 pm which will be preceded by Happy Hour from 5.30/7pm with DJAJ on till late. This is free entry for all.
THE PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS/PROGRAMME NOTES OF TIM O’SHEA
Good afternoon, and a very warm welcome to everyone here at Flamingo Park—the proud home of the oldest team in London, Cray Wanderers.
I just wanted to share a few thoughts and highlights from the 2025/26 season, which, it’s fair to say, has been nothing short of brilliant (although at times hard on the ticker!!).
Like most seasons since I arrived over four years ago, the summer break and pre-season are all about building a squad that gives you the best possible chance. Having been lucky enough to play at the highest level, both club and internationally, you develop a winning mentality—and that never really leaves you. So, regardless of budgets or resources, the aim is always the same: win the league, or at the very least, be right in the mix for the play-offs.
As a squad, I feel we’ve really evolved this season, and that mentality has spread right through the group. These players fear no one, respect every opponent, but genuinely believe they can beat anyone.
There have been some fantastic away days and performances this season, and I’d like to highlight just a few.
First up, Billericay—never an easy place to go. Some of our football that day was fearless and really summed up what we’re about. At 0–0, just five minutes into the second half, Quado saw red. At that point, most teams might shut up shop and take a point—but not this lot. They pushed on, kept believing, and Dicko popped up in the 72nd minute with a deserved winner. Safe to say the away end enjoyed that one!
Another great day out was our trip to the Bauvil, home of the Chats. We seem to enjoy it there—and long may that continue. We started well, taking the lead through a great header from former Chats man Kareem Isiaka, only to find ourselves 2–1 down at half-time—which, if I’m honest, felt a bit harsh on the lads.
We regrouped, came out strong, and our top scorer Alex Hernandez decided he wasn’t having any of it and grabbed the equaliser. We pushed for the win, but then football being football, they scored in the 88th minute. With over 1,500 home fans already celebrating, it looked like it wasn’t our day… until, of course, up stepped another former Chat player, Ash Nzala, in injury time to level it. Not a bad way to silence a home crowd!
Finally, St Albans away—where the weather decided it wanted to be part of the game too. With a strong wind behind us in the first half, we made it count. We were excellent—Max ghosting in early, and Alex Hernandez finishing a superb move before grabbing his second before half-time.
We knew they’d come at us, and with the conditions now in their favour, on came “The Wall,” Alex Wall, and plenty of long balls to match. By the 57th minute, it was 3–2, and it was very much game on. But the lads dug in, defended like warriors, and saw it through. Not always pretty—but definitely effective!
Overall, we’ve surpassed expectations this season. We’ve stayed in the top eight throughout and spent a big chunk of it in the play-off places. We’ve also picked up more points than last season, in what I think is without doubt a tougher league. Of course, we would have liked a better run in the cup competitions—but that just gives us something to put right next year.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed leading this group and feel incredibly proud to have shared a dressing room with them. If we can keep the nucleus of this squad together and add two or three more, there’s no reason we can’t have another strong—and hopefully just as enjoyable—season in 2026/27.
None of this would be possible without the support of our owners, Gary Hillman and Mike Paye. They’ve been brilliant, especially during a season of change off the pitch, while staying fully focused on giving us the best chance on it. You can see the improvements happening all around the ground, and the future is looking very positive.
There are also so many people working tirelessly behind the scenes—Amanda, Natalie, Claire, Martin, Mark, and all the matchday staff and volunteers. Quite simply, we couldn’t do it without you—so thank you.
I’m a big believer in the phrase “there is no ‘I’ in team,” and I’d like to thank Stimmo, Roy, the beautiful Ally, Michelle, and Luca for their support throughout the season.
A special mention must go to my good friend Alfie, who came in with me over four years ago. He’s had more than his fair share to deal with two serious knee injuries— but has always put the team first. Thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with me (even if sometimes it’s on crutches!).
And finally, the Cray Massive—what can I say? You’ve been unbelievable. Your voices, your energy, and AJ on the drum have all played a huge part in what’s been a fantastic season. You’ve stuck with us home and away, and we appreciate every single one of you.
From all of us—thank you, genuinely, from the bottom of our hearts.
One last push this season… and then we go again for 2026/27.
TOSH
UP THE WANDS!
