Cray Valley PM vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Monday 6th April – 3 pm – Match Preview
The Artic Stadium 24 Middle Park Avenue, Eltham London SE9 5HP
Pics: Steve Cullum and Natalie Stribbling
The traditional Easter double header comes to a conclusion on Monday with the long awaited Cray derby as Cray Wanderers travel to Cray Valley PM for only the second ever league game at the Artic Stadium. Kick off 3 pm.
The Wands head to SE9 on the back of a hard to take defeat against Billericay Town on Saturday where Cray’s outside chance of the playoffs took a hit as Billericay fought back from 0-2 and 1-3 down to win 4-3 and leave Tim O’Shea’s side in seventh place, seven off Brentwood Town in fifth and four behind sixth placed Dartford. Cray Valley though need a win for different reasons after dropping back into the bottom four after briefly moving to eighteenth after their 1-0 win at Ramsgate on Good Friday. Cray Wanderers though have been strong on their travels with just two defeats in nineteen away from home with four wins and two draws in 2026.
Cray can certainly be buoyed at the number of chances created in the last two matches against promotion chasing clubs in Aveley and Billericay Town and three goals in each game is no mean feat against traditionally solid defences.
Saturday saw Cray Wanderers get off to an absolute flyer with Alex Hernandez heading in his eighteenth goal of the season putting him one behind joint leaders Jake Hutchinson (Folkestone Invicta) and Daniel Ogunleye (Brentwood Town) in the race for the Isthmian Premier League top scorer and had a fine match throughout.
Lateef Adaja has been in good form and made it two in two games with a classic run and shot for his ninth of the campaign and is finishing the season well.
After Billericay pulled one back, the Wands restored the two goal advantage with ex-Miller Ola Ogunwamide making it three goals in four games getting the key touch to turn the ball into the net before Billericay’s dramatic fightback in the last twenty minutes including injury time. Certainly the game showed football at its best and was a terrific contest. Also how sometimes fates converge in football and the Wands benefited from an injury time winner at Aveley and a week later were on the receiving end but I suppose that is why we love football so much. The good thing about the defeat is there is no time to dwell and the Wands can move on to another game with plenty at stake.
Cray Valley after reaching the playoffs in 2024-25 have had a much more difficult season especially at home where the Millers have only won three times and won more on their travels. Friday’s win at Ramsgate which came courtesy of ex-Wand Chris Dickson’s first goal for the club made it back to back shut out wins for Cray Valley which followed up a 2-0 win at home to St Albans City on 28th March.
The Wands produced their most complete home display of the season to beat Cray Valley 5-0 on 29th December at Flamingo Park with Alex Hernandez (2), Harry Waldock, Sol Kader and Jordy Mongoy on target.
This was part of bad run for Cray Valley of ten winless matches between December and February which saw the ex-Charlton Athletic striker Kevin Lisbie take charge following the departure of Steve McKimm and looked to arrest the slide and bolster the team. A win at Lewes in February helped and the win at Ramsgate puts the Millers on thirty seven points, one behind Hashtag United and Welling United who have a game in hand. After Monday, Cray Valley end the season with a huge match at Hashtag United next Saturday before hosting champions-elect Folkestone Invicta on 18th April and then away to Dartford who may need the points themselves to reach the playoffs on the final day. Cray Valley have a bit of a points cushion over Canvey Island (27) and Potters Bar Town (29) in 22nd and 21st places respectively. Carshalton in 17th with 40 points and Lewes and Wingate & Finchley on 42 are still very much in the mix with Cheshunt on 44 points having a little wriggle room but certainly not safe.
At home Cray Valley have beaten Ramsgate (4-1), Wingate & Finchley (4-1) and St Albans City (2-0). They drew with Canvey Island (1-1), Lewes (1-1), Dartford (1-1) and Cheshunt (3-3) with defeats coming against Carshalton Athletic (0-2), Burgess Hill Town (1-2), Hashtag United (1-2), Chatham Town (0-1), Brentwood Town (1-3), Aveley (1-4), Whitehawk (0-2), Potters Bar Town (1-2), Dulwich Hamlet (1-2), Welling United (1-4), Billericay Town (1-4) and Chichester City (1-4). Current leading scorer is ex-Wand Tom Beere with seven goals.
The only other previous league game at Cray Valley took place on 5th November 2024 with Cray Valley coming from behind to win 2-1 after Lateef Adaja scored for the Wands after forty seconds via an own goal and Beere strike.
This should be a great game and occasion and the first afternoon game between the sides at Cray Valley should attract a bumper crowd.
ADMISSION & DIRECTIONS TO CRAY VALLEY PM FC
Address:
The Artic Stadium 24 Middle Park Avenue Eltham London SE9 5HP
Adults £14 (£12 in advance), concessions 65+, 16-17, Students (all with proof) £7.
U16s Free (must be accompanied by a paying adult or senior concession (max two)
Please note current policy does not admit unaccompanied U16s into the ground without prior approval. Cray Valley PM also has a no drums or instruments policy at the ground.
Pay on gate or online at: https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Fixtures
Programme: Printed
The ground is really easy to find if you are coming by car. It is located just off the South Circular A205 at the Yorkshire Grey roundabout. If you are coming from the A2 (either north or south), head onto the South Circular s/p Catford. At the roundabout take the second exit into Middle Park Avenue. The entrance to the ground is on your right hand side.
If you are coming up the A20 then when you reach the Cliftons Roundabout (junction
with A205 South Circular) go all the way around the roundabout and head back onto the A20 then turn left immediately before Goals 5-a-side centre into Eltham Palace Road. At the end turn left at the roundabout and the entrance to the ground is on your left hand side.
There is a car park at the ground with room for approximately 80 cars in the car park which operates on a first come basis. Free street parking is also available around the ground where there are no restrictions. Please be aware the ground is situated within the new ULEZ zone so certain vehicles could be subject to charge.
The nearest train station is Mottingham and if you find yourself there it is about a 15 minute walk away. Exit the station (from London turn left, from Sidcup/Dartford cross bridge then turn left) into Middle Park Avenue and follow this for about a mile. The ground is at the end of this road on your left hand side. Mottingham is on the Sidcup line from Gravesend going to Charing Cross and trains are running on Easter Monday. Trains are also running to Eltham if you prefer on the Bexleyheath line with more choice of amenities but a bit further away.
A 124 bus from outside the station will take you halfway up Middle Park Avenue but if you alight at the Bingo Hall at Eltham Hill/Kingsground just walk down towards the Yorkshire Grey roundabout (about 10 minutes) and the first left before the roundabout is Middle Park Avenue and it is a minute walk up that road. You can also catch the 160 bus which stops pretty much outside the ground which goes from Sidcup, Chislehurst or New Eltham. From Eltham High Street it is around a fifteen/twenty minute walk up to the High Street and then at the church cross over the zebra crossing and go down Eltham Hill which can test the legs at a fast past. Once you get to the Yorkshire Grey roundabout (there is a McDonalds there) take the second exit into Middle Park Avenue and it is a one minute walk up that road.
The nearest pubs to the ground are in Eltham High Street like The White Hart, The Draughts of Eltham, the Rusty Bucket and the Rising Sun (going a bit away from the ground though) there is also a Social Club on Eltham Hill. In Passey Place just off the High Street are the Eltham GPO, an old post office converted to a pub and the Park Tavern opposite the Community Hospital is very relaxed and pipes through classical music for the culture lovers amongst you. Please note with the closure of the Bankers Draft there is currently no Wetherspoon’s pub in Eltham. There is also the clubhouse at the ground (or Badgers Bar as I prefer) which is very good.
If you come in via New Eltham Station and wish to catch the 160 bus to outside the ground, the Beehive pub a few yards from the station on Footscray Road looks like being the must meeting point for Wands supporters on Monday.
For a chippie I would recommend the Eltham Grill House in Chequers Parade near Argos that does fantastic chips, ideally open.
The ground lies in the LB Greenwich with its huge links to the Thames and British Maritime History and of course of being the main focal point of time from the Meridian. A bit out of the way I suppose but if you are in that area a nice stroll through Greenwich Park or a steep walk up to the Observatory and Meridian is recommended. Or perhaps a walk through the foot tunnel under the Thames (takes about five minutes) and from the other side you can see all of Greenwich in its splendour and enjoy the Island Gardens. The Cutty Sark vintage tea clipper is steeped in history and also the pier has plenty of eating establishments en route but can be a bit pricey. There are loads of pubs in Greenwich with many links to the Maritime past, The Gipsy Moth, The Trafalgar, The Yacht, The Cutty Sark, Trafalgar, The Yacht, The Cutty Sark, The Old Brewery at the Old Royal Naval College, The Admiral Hardy and its maritime heritage, The Gate Clock (Wetherspoon), and The Lost Hour.
Much nearer to the ground is Eltham Palace, the former home of Henry VIII when he was a Prince is worth a look round the impressive gardens. Mottingham and Eltham feature as part of Green Chain Walk a 50 mile stretch of green walkways over 12 sections across South East London which you can get to from Oxleas Wood and also covers Middle Park, Avery Hill Park and the Tarnwood Park which is a bird sanctuary and has an Ice Well and you could start your walk up Middle Park Avenue to the ground. From Mottingham Lane, the 8th and 9th sections take you to Beckenham.
