Cray Wanderers vs Cheshunt – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 11th August – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 0
Cheshunt 0
Photos: Natalie Stribbling
Cray Wanderers and Cheshunt picked up a second point of the season after a lively goalless draw at Flamingo Park on a still summer night where despite the best endeavours of the Wands couldn’t find a breakthrough.
The teams both drew on the opening day of the season with Cray having to come from behind at Wingate & Finchley while Cheshunt drew at home to Stanway Rovers also nil nil.
The lack of goals was certainly not for the want of trying for the Wands who came closest to winning in added time when Dan Ajakaiye fired against the crossbar.
There was a nice atmosphere around the ground as pre-season now firmly behind us and the serious football has begun and there was a free flowing feel to the game although Cheshunt picked up three first half yellow cards where perhaps Cray had been on top,
For Cray there was one change to the starting line up from Saturday with Lateef Adaja in for Ola Ogunwamide who was on the bench. There were three changes for Cheshunt with Kaleb Kadimashi, Arthur Iontton and Antonis Vasiliou coming in for Dhorian Bitalo, Charlie Naylor and Kaya Halil.
Cray began on the front foot and played in a slick and fluid fashion and following a free kick from Frankie Raymond played into the box which led to a couple of blocked shots the ball came out to Alex Hernandez who volleyed over from outside the box. For Cheshunt, ex-Wand Kenny Coker saw a shot blocked.
In the 11th minute Cray came close when a fine ball over the top found Soul Kader who worked an opening but was denied by a save from the foot of R’Avan Constable.
Up at the other end Coker down the right bent a shot wide of the left post. Then down the left Iontton and Vasiliou found Sam Granville whose ball across was well claimed by Henry Molyneux.
Cray continued to probe for openings and the Cheshunt defence had to be on their toes but almost were caught out when Raymond’s free kick played into the area bounced to Ade Yusuff who hooked an effort over the top from ten yards.
Hernandez inside the area was denied by a fine block from Raul Fernandes Da Silva and then Kader found Alfie Payne whose whipped in cross was pushed out under pressure by Constable.
Perhaps the best opening of the half came following a Raymond corner down the right which was floated into the area for Hernandez who headed the ball wide of the left post.
Then Lateef Adaja shot over with a well struck drive and then down the right after a slick move Yusuff’s ball across came to Hernandez who couldn’t get enough of a contact to the ball and a miskick sent the ball across goal.
Depsite the lack of goals there was much to look forward to for the second half.
HT: 0-0
If anything Cheshunt had slightly more of the ball at the start of the second half but Cray broke away and Yusuff played a great ball out to Frankie Morgan down the left who found space and deserved better than to see his well struck shot go past the right post. Then Payne who had fine game in midfield saw his crisply hit shot down the right go wide of the left post.
The game went through a bit of a lull with substitutions and perhaps a touch of deadlock to the game although Coker fired well over from distance for Cheshunt.
The Wands were unlucky when Adaja down the right found space to cut inside and saw his shot fizz across goal possibly brushing the left post and came to Payne who shot wide. For Cheshunt Granville put a cross across the box but no takers in the middle.
In the 69th minute substitute Ola Ogunwamide was lively and cut into the box and seemed to certain to get a goal bound shot away but was thwarted again by a couple of key blocks.
More pressure from Ogunwamide and another sub Dan Ajakaiye saw the ball worked across the area and via an effort cleared away from the goal line the ball came to Kader who fired into the arms of Constable.
Cray continued to toil and from a free kick from Raymond down the right the ball came to Crossley Lema who saw his effort claimed by Constable.
Going into the 89th minute Cheshunt had a flurry at the other end Cole Dasilva’s cross came to Joe Re whose volley was blocked. Then Raul DaSilva’s cross was inviting for Tommy Wood but his header went across goal and was a really good chance to win it. Then another cross just missed Wood in the middle.
However in six minutes added time there was still time for Cray to come closest to grabbing the win when after a goal mouth scramble the ball came to Ajakaiye who smashed a shot against the bar and away.
The Wands kept on until the end but perhaps wasn’t quite their night in front of goal but the level of performance was of a high standard and at the back Bayli Spencer-Adams and Rob Strachan superbly marshalled the rearguard with Henry Molyneux composed and assured and with the season still very much in its infancy you feel that the goals will eventually flow and Cray will climb up the table.
The Wands next head to one of the early pacesetters Carshalton Athletic at Colston Avenue on Saturday but there can be no inferiority complex and the Wands can head to Surrey in confident mood.
Cray Wanderers: Henry Molyneux, Crossley Lema, Bayli Spencer-Adams, Rob Strachan, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Alfie Payne, Lateef Adaja (Ola Ogunwamide, 61), Alex Hernandez, Ade Yusuff (Dan Ajakaiye, 69), Soul Kader (Shae Hutchinson, 82): Subs: Quade Taylor, Mitchell Chapman
Cheshunt: R’Avan Constable, Kaleb Kadimashi (Malachi Ojo, H/T), Arthur Iontton, (Luka Chalwell, 64), Fletcher Ethan Hedge, Raul Fernandes Da Silva (Kaya Halil, 90+4), Joe Re, Sam Granville (Capt.), Cole Dasilva, Antonis Vasiliou (Dhorian Bitalo), Tommy Wood, Kenny Coker (Leandro Bevin, 80)
Booked: Iontton 31, Vasiliou 38, Kadimashi, 38
Referee: Joe Burgess
Assistants: Nazarij Bilanovski, Ciprian Jugunaru
Att: 606
