Maldon & Tiptree vs Cray Wanderers – Match Preview – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 29th September, 7.45 pm
Pics: Natalie Stribbling
After a couple of weeks of cup excitement Cray Wanderers return to league action on Tuesday with a trip to Maldon & Tiptree in a match rescheduled from August. Kick off 7.45 pm.
The Wands will come into the game in 15th place on nine points albeit only played seven matches so certainly have this game in hand to try to move more into the top half of the table. Cray though can take heart from the league performances so far this season after games against a few of the fancied sides at the start of the season. The last league game on 15th September vs St Albans showed the Wands recent tenacity and resilience to grab a point from a 3-3 draw deep into added time through Seidou Sanogo’s goal.
Since then it has been about the cups. The FA Cup 2nd Qualifying saw arguably one of if not the finest result in Cray Wanderers history in beating Maidstone United in such thrilling fashion last Tuesday setting up a tie at home to Chippenham Town on Saturday.
Last Saturday Cray advanced in the FA Trophy after a tight game at Cheshunt that finished 1-1 after ninety minutes with Ade Yusuff scoring his seventh of the season. Cray held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out scoring all five with JJ Briggs who has impressed in his three games in goal so far saving Cheshunt’s fourth penalty and goals from Soul Kader and finally another young player, Jakob Lowe with many great years ahead of him slotting home the spot kick. Cray will now travel further north to Berkhamsted in the 1st Round on 24th October but there is plenty of football to be played before then.
Cray now head to Essex to face last season’s Isthmian North Champions Maldon & Tiptree who after a difficult summer off the pitch hence the postponement of the August fixture but do at least now seem to have recovered and can now let their football do the talking. They has been a change of manager since August with former Wands player and coach Ugo Udoji taking over. Maldon & Tiptree are level on points with Cray in 16th place but just behind on goal difference. They have lost their last four in league and cup and on Saturday, the Jammers were beaten in the FA Trophy, 0-2 at home to Egham Town.
Home league form hasn’t been too bad at all and have been competitive. Maldon & Tiptree beat Aveley (1-0) and Whitehawk (3-2) and were only beaten by two of the early season pacesetters, Dartford (1-2) and Carshalton Athletic (2-3). Away from home the Jammers won impressively at Leatherhead (4-1) but were beaten at Dulwich Hamlet (0-6), Ramsgate (1-2) and Brentwood Town (1-5). Maldon & Tiptree were knocked out of the FA Cup at Cambridge City in the 1st Qualifying Round. Former Wands midfielder Eze Ebuzoeme has two goals so far this season.
The two have met on just five occasions. For two seasons in the Isthmian North with Maldon & Tiptree winning twice, one draw and Cray’s only win came in the 2015-16 season on a very windy afternoon on 5th December 2015 with goals from Nathan Fox and James Duckworth in a 2-1 victory. The most recent meeting came in the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round on 26th October 2019 which Maldon & Tiptree won 3-0..
This will be a good test for Cray under the lights and on the road once again in what has been an entertaining start to the season.
ADMISSION & DIRECTIONS
Maldon Stadium, Park Drive, Maldon, Essex CM9 5JQ
Adults = £12
Concessions = £7
U18s = £3
U16’s = Free (if accompanied by a paying adult)
https://maldontiptreefc.ktckts.com/
Playing Surface: Grass
Printed Programme: Digital copy
DRIVING
From either direction off the A12, exit junction 18 signposted A414 to Maldon. Take the 3rd exit off roundabout onto Maldon Road / A414 and follow through the pretty village of Danbury. Eventually you will reach a main roundabout, take 1st exit, still signposted Maldon and A414. At the next roundabout, where Morrisons is located take the third exit into Limebrook Way. Follow this over 1st round about and then at the next one take 2nd exit into Park Drive. The ground is then on your left hand side. There is ample free parking at the ground, or next door in the leisure centre car park.
The nearest train station is at Hatfield Peverel, which is around 5 miles away and would require a cab to reach Maldon. Trains leave London Liverpool Street and there are two trains an hour during the week. Please note for the return the last train to Liverpool Street is 22:32 so perhaps the train may be a less desirable option for the return. Alternatively you’ll might find it easier to go to Witham (6 miles away) and take a taxi, or go to Chelmsford (11 miles away) and catch the 31 or 31X bus. Buses leave Chelmsford Bus Station at 05 and 35 minutes past the hour and takes approx 35-40 minutes. If you go to Witham you have more options of return trains with trains at 22:28, 22:46, 23:00 and the last at 23:14.
Nearest pub: Probably best as the ground is rather in the middle of nowhere to stick to Maldon or close to anywhere with a Taxi service or head to the ground. If you’ve plenty of time the nearest pub is the Borough Arms Motel and about fifteen minutes away. Address: 159 Wantz Road, Maldon CM9 5DD
Any other pubs are a fair distance away but as a suggestion there are
The Royal Oak, Fambridge Road CM9 6PE
The Muddy Duck, 1 Fullbridge CM9 4LE
The Queen’s Head Inn (by the Quayside) The Hythe, CM9 5HN
The Queen Victoria – Spital Road, Maldon CM9 6ED
The White Horse – Mundon, Maldon CM9 6PB
Please don’t head into Tiptree as going a fair way away from the ground.
Maldon is located on the Blackwater Estuary and the starting point of the Chelmer
and Blackwater Navigation and is popular with sailing enthusiasts. It is also home of the Maldon Mud Race where competitors run the estuary at low tide, along the bank and back through the water for charity. Like much of Essex and East Anglia, Maldon has evidence of an early Saxon residence and port and fended off an attack from Vikings in 924 but eventually fell in another raid in 991 and is regarded as the Battle of Maldon. This battle is commemorated with a window in St. Mary’s Church and a statue of the killed Saxon warrior Byrthnoth. The great-grandfather of George Washington is buried in Maldon. Maldon was also the location of the first self-service Tesco store opened in 1956. Former Essex and England cricketer Alistair Cook started his career at Maldon CC.
Tiptree lies around nine miles away from Maldon so just over a twenty minute drive. The Parish village is famed for its fruit preserves mainly jam which is where the club get their Jammers nickname.
