Cray Wanderers vs Three Bridges – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 10th November – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 2
Ufuah 41, Spencer-Adams 59
Three Bridges 0
Photos: Steve Blunn
Cray Wanderers moved out of the bottom three and showed incredible powers of recovery just over forty eight hours after the FA Cup heroics on Sunday with a professional performance and result against Three Bridges at a very soggy Flamingo Park.
On a night for the real diehard fans and with free entry Cray showed patience in the first half but ended on a high and could have been four nil up at the break but did take the lead in the 41st minute when John Ufuah made it two goals in three starts with a quality finish from Sammie McLeod’s sublime through ball.
Three Bridges were a keen and quick moving side but the next goal was going to be decisive and it fell to the Wands just before the hour when from a corner down the right was helped on by Rob Strachan and Ufuah and fell to Bayli Spencer-Adams who applied a telling touch to score his first goal for the club.
The weather on the night was the complete opposite to the calm and bright afternoon on Sunday and had been teeming with rain from around 6 pm but credit to the players who stuck to their tasks in the conditions.
For Cray in 19th place it would have been forgiven if there were mass changes to the team after Sunday but there were only two from the side which started against Stockport County with Frankie Raymond and Crossley Lema rested and into the team came the trusted and reliable Seidou Sanogo and Tobi Tinibu with league points a priority. Due to the Wands home kit given commemorative status after the Stockport tie and the players being able to keep them there was not time for a replacement home kit so the Wands began in the claret away kit helped by Three Bridges wearing their home amber and black colours.
The Isthmian South-East Champions, Three Bridges, coached by Jamie Crellin who was a young player for Lewes when Tim O’Shea was manager there made one change to the side which drew at home to Brentwood Town with Dan Ferreira coming in for Reece Hallard.
From the start Cray took a little while to find their range and Three Bridges just edged the opening few minutes and were passing the ball around quickly and Bryan Villaviencio down the right of the area saw a shot blocked and JJ Briggs cleared the ball away.
The Wands produced their first real moment of danger before the fifteenth minute when Sanogo worked his way into the area down the left and found John Ufuah who set up Alex Hernandez for a smart header gathered by Sam Roberts.
Four minutes later Cray threatened again when the hard working Ade Yusuff saw a shot from just outside the area take a slight deflection and over for a corner.
Three Bridges though had a little spell and Dawid Przybylo hit a half volley wide of the right post and came close again when Josh Hallard drove a shot wide of the right post from out on the left.
In the 33rd minute Cray came closest yet when a great ball over the top came to John Ufuah down the right who took on Hayden Neathey and looked to shoot just outside the box but Sam Roberts made a fine blocked save.
Four minutes before the break Cray took the lead when Sammie McLeod whose fitness and stamina over the 120 + minutes on Sunday and a full ninety in this game played an excellent pass through to Ufuah who burst through and from 12 yards slotted the ball into the net with great economy to make it two goals in two league games.
A minute before half time Ola Ogunwamide cut inside from the right in customary style and cracked a shot towards goal which Roberts did brilliantly to turn aside.
There was still time in added time when down the right Yusuff who could have shot unselfishly laid the ball across to Ufuah who turned the ball wide of the left post.
HT: 1-0
Despite Cray playing well before half time Three Bridges were very much still in the game and five minutes after half time perhaps created their best chance of the game when Villavicencio set up Charlie Bennett down the left and his near post shot was superbly turned aside by JJ Briggs in goal and whose supreme handling in wet conditions was impressive throughout the second half.
Five minutes later Alex Hernandez after his potential FA Cup goal of the round contender on Sunday tried his luck a bit further out to the left with a free kick but fizzed along the ground and was gathered by Roberts probably much to his relief.
However, in the 59th minute it was two nil when from a corner down the right Hernandez played the ball into the area and Rob Strachan helped the ball on for Ufuah whose effort was turned in by Bayli Spencer-Adams who apple a neat back heel for his first Cray Wanderers goal.
Three Bridges to their credit kept going and Villavicencio fired wide of the left post from out on the right. For Cray Ogunwamide down the right worked his way to the byline and his ball across for Yusuff in the middle was almost turned into his own net by Neathey but cleared.
The visitors threatened again when Hayden Velvick saw a shot held by Briggs but Cray were looking a class act going forward especially Ogunwamide who worked an opening for himself and was unlucky to see his shot go just past the right post. This was followed by McLeod latching onto a stray kick from Roberts but his effort was blocked.
The match looked to be won for Cray and added the knowhow and reassurance of Alfie Payne, Shae Hutchinson and Lateef Adaja for the final few minutes. The final threat from Three Bridges came late on when Przybylo saw a low shot held by Briggs but the Wands were well worth the win and deserved the three points after a draining couple of day. The resilience of the side was superb and Sunday must have been sapping in many ways but you wouldn’t have thought so with the energy expended. Same for the Wands fans too who after the raw emotion of a first ever FA Cup 1st Round tie voiced their support for Tosh’s side in the rain and enjoyed the three points.
Cray now move up to 17th on eighteen points and only seven points behind Carshalton Athletic in 7th place and have a fair amount of games in hand with Cray now playing most Saturday-Tuesday’s up to mid January.
The Wands next return to cup tie action on Saturday in the FA Trophy 2nd Round with a visit to last season’s Isthmian Premier League champions Folkestone Invicta, 3 pm and will visit high in confidence.
Cray Wanderers: JJ Briggs, Bayli Spencer-Adams, Rob Strachan, Frankie Morgan (Lateef Adaja, 88), Tobi Tinibu, Seidou Sanogo, Sammie McLeod, Ola Ogunwamide, John Ufuah (Shae Hutchinson, 88), Alex Hernandez (Alfie Payne, 76), Ade Yusuff: Subs: Kian Eyers, Soul Kader
Booked: Morgan 19, Strachan 61
Three Bridges: Sam Roberts, Dan Ferreira, Josh Hallard, Ade Adeynika (Lewie Retter, 66), Hayden Neathey (Capt.) (Oscar Nsobya, 87), Bryan Villavicencio, Scott Malone, Hayden Velvick, Billy Irving, Dawid Przybylo (Noah Whitehouse, 90), Charlie Bennett
Booked: Adeyinka 29, Neathey 54, Przybylo 70
Referee: Tommy Fleming
Assistants: Thomas Amber, Benjamin Lepper
Att: 512
