Cray Wanderers vs Welling United – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 18th April – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 2
Ogunwamide 2, Fiddes 31
Welling United 3
Stewart 60, El-Mogharbel 75.
Akanbi 90+1
Pics: Natalie Stribbling
In a classic game of two halves Welling United guaranteed safety in the Isthmian Premier as the Wings fought back from two nil down to win courtesy of a superb Ibby Akanbi free kick in added time after Cray Wanderers appeared to be cruising at the break.
Cray produced a slick performance in the first half and not for the first time in recent home games hit the ground running and took the lead in the 2nd minute through a classy Ola Ogunwamide strike for his fourth goal for the Wands. Max Fiddes extended the lead just after the half hour for his sixteenth of the season to leave Welling still a bit to do.
The Wings though looked a completely different team after the break and pulled a goal back on the hour when after John Ufuah went down in the box his penalty was saved but Noah Stewart turned in the rebound. Welling levelled fifteen minutes from time when Ayman El-Mogharbel who had a brief spell at Cray earlier in the season took advantage of slack defending to score via the right post.
It looked like a draw would be the final outcome but in the first minute of added time, Ibby Akanbi with a superb free kick strike from twenty five yards crashed into the net to complete the comeback.
Both teams came into the game in good form winning five of the previous six games while Welling United had won back to back home games vs Dulwich Hamlet and Potters Bar Town and had lost one of the last seven to move out of the bottom four and were four points clear of Carshalton and five clear of Hashtag United.
For Cray who stood seventh and realistically out of the playoffs could relax and put on a show and from the side which beat Lewes last Saturday there were two changes with skipper Tom Bonner and Max Fiddes starting in place of Quade Taylor and Daniel Ajakaiye. For Welling there were three changes from midweek with Jack Thomas, Ayman El-Mogharbel, and Noah Stewart in for John Ufuah, Lewis Gard and Troy Howard.
The scene was set for the last home game of the season and the day had that feel of spring in full bloom, bright and sunny, the beer stations doing well and maybe the last chance for fans to see each other for a couple of months.
Before the game the Wands skipper Tom Bonner was presented with the Shepherd Neame’ Performance of the Month award for the win at Aveley on 28th March.
I think it is fair to say that Welling made a very nervous start as Cray began once again at home on the front foot and almost took the lead after ninety seconds when down the left Max Fiddes cross was almost turned into his own net by Jack Thomas but Mackenzie Foley in goal had to scoop the ball away and behind for a corner.
Then in the 2nd minute Cray took the lead when following the corner the ball came out to Ola Ogunwamide down the right who moved inside, and with space cracked home a superb finish high into the net.
Welling looked to get a foothold in the match and applied some pressure with Sam Smith seeing a shot well held by Harry Seaden. Then following a throw in the ball fell to Smith who lashed over.
Cray though played some great football in the first half, easy on the eye and came close to a second when Frankie Morgan found Alex Hernandez whose shot was blocked and fell to Max Fiddes who shot just wide.
At this stage, Oluwamide and Lateef Adaja were causing all sorts of problems and in the 31st minute it was 2-0 to Cray when Morgan and Adaja combined to find Hernandez who laid the ball unselfishly for Fiddes to stride forward and place the ball past Foley for his sixteenth goal of the season.
From here the game settled down for the remainder of the half with Welling having a half chance as Jamie Reynolds saw a shot blocked by Crossley Lema but at half time Cray were very much in the ascendancy.
HT: 2-0
With neither of the three teams below them losing at the break the visitors still had quite a bit to do and there were two changes at half time with John Ufuah and Chris Reeve coming on.
The pattern of the game still seemed the same to start with but Welling gradually looked more threatening with Lekan Majoyegbe who had a very good game firing well over. Then a free kick out on the left from Reynolds floated to the far post was glanced wide by Zak O’Keefe.
However, things were going to change and on the hour Welling were awarded a penalty when Ade Azeez found John Ufuah down the left of the area and was adjudged to have been pushed over by Remi Sutton. From the spot kick Harry Seaden did well to push out Ufuah’s shot at his right post but Welling were quicker to react and Noah Stewart tucked home the rebound.
Cray looked to respond by bringing on three attacking players in Shae Hutchinson, Jordy Mongoy and Daniel Ajakaiye and Fiddes put over a good cross which Foley did well to claim.
With fifteen minutes to go Welling drew level when Majoyegbe ball across wasn’t well dealt with by the Wands defence and fell to El-Mogharbel who took aim and hit a fine shot which went in off the right post.
The Wands went back on the attack and Frankie Raymond made a run forward and shot just wide and then from a corner down the left, Raymond’s ball came to Ajakaiye whose ball across was volleyed over by Sutton. This was followed by a trickler of a shot from Fiddes deflecting off Ajakaiye and gathered by Foley in goal.
Whether a point would have been enough to ensure safety for Welling was uncertain but there was still time for a winner and just as it looked like being a draw there was a sting in the tail.
Welling were awarded a free kick twenty five yards out almost central and from the kick another substitute Ibby Akanbi curled a shot round the wall and into the top right postage stamp and complete the comeback.
For Cray there was obvious disappointment as the second time three home games a two goal lead has disappeared during the second half but in a season where the team have given everything and only missed out on the playoffs in April it would be churlish to criticise too heavily. Credit is due to Welling not just on the comeback on the day but also for showing the character to escape relegation when things looked dicey for much of the season.
Cray from here are almost certainly guaranteed a seventh placed finish and considering one of the key objectives was a higher finish than the previous season that was achieved and the Wands hadn’t left the top seven all season.
The Wands finish the season at eighth placed Burgess Hill Town and should be chilled and relaxed afternoon in West Sussex to bring the curtain down on an excellent season and raises the bar and expectation levels for the next campaign.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Crossley Lema, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Alex Stepien-Iwumene, Lateef Adaja (Daniel Ajakaiye, 61), Ola Ogunwamide (Jordy Mongoy, 61), Max Fiddes, Alex Hernandez (Shae Hutchinson, 61): Subs: Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Ralfi Hand
Booked: Raymond 68, Bonner 90
Welling United: Mackenzie Foley, Lekan Majoyegbe, Jack Thomas, Chris Arthur (Oliver Reeve, H/T), Jamie Reynolds, Ayman El-Mogharbel (Olu Oluwatimilehin, 85), Ade Azeez, Dean Gunner (Capt.), Zak O’Keefe, Sam Smith (John Ufuah, H/T), Noah Stewart (Ibby Akanbi, 77): Sub: Vladimir Paternoster
Booked: O’Keefe 25, Majoyegbe 32, El-Mogharbel 67, Gunner 74
Referee: Craig Charles
Assistants: Byron Beard, Ashley Diamond
Att: 1182
