Cray Wanderers 0 Bishop’s Stortford 1 – Isthmian Premier, 11/12/21 – Match Report

Cray Wanderers vs. Bishop’s Stortford

 Isthmian Premier – Saturday 11^th December, 2021 – Match Report

 Pics: Jon Hilliger – www.hilligerpix.com

Cray Wanderers                                0

Bishop’s Stortford                            1

Cray Wanderers five game unbeaten home run came to an end as a solitary first half goal was enough for Bishop’s Stortford to claim the three points at a wet and soggy Hayes Lane.  The Wands remain 19^th in the table after the game with Bishop’s Stortford who are now unbeaten in fifteen games staying 5^th and in the playoff places.  

After a whirlwind start from the visitors where they could have scored four in the first ten minutes, the game settled for a spell with Cray coming back into it but the winning goal came to Bishop’s Stortford in the 37^th minute when Anthony Church headed into the net from Jake Cass’s flick on.  Cray applied a lot of pressure in the second half with the best chance coming in the last minute when Chris Dickson saw an on-target shot deflected behind for a corner.  In the end Bishop’s Stortford who defended stoutly in the second half held on for the win.  

For Danny Kedwell’s side there were a couple of changes to the side which beat Horsham on Wednesday.  Newly signed goalkeeper Bailey Vose made his debut in goal and Anthony Cook in place of the unavailable Sam Skeffington.  There were two changes to the Bishop’s Stortford side which drew at Folkestone on Tuesday with Jonathan Giles and Chris Harris coming in for Jack Thomas and Ryan Charles.

The game started in drizzly rain but there was a quick tempo to the early stages and Bishop’s Stortford came out of the traps rapidly and from Johnville Renee’s second minute cross, Giles headed over the bar.  Then another cross from the right into the box found Jake Cass but was thwarted by a great challenge and block from Freddy Barton. Then with Cray rocking somewhat Darren Foxley hit a shot from just outside the area which smacked the right post.

In the 8^th minute another fine cross from the impressive Renee from the right was headed over by Anthony Church.  Then, two minutes later Cass fired over from close to 30 yards out.

Cray began to get a foothold and won a corner down the right but Bishop’s Stortford were sharp going forward and Ben Marlow hit a rasping drive from 25 yards which only just went past the left post.

For Cray, Anthony Cook made a strong run into the box from midfield but keeper Jack Giddens did well to come and claim on the wet surface.

 Then the ball was worked down the left to Jamie Yila who played the ball back out of the area to Cameron Brodie shot wide of the right post.

 On the half hour, Yila received the ball and made a run to 20 yards from goal down the right and his shot was well struck but well claimed by Giddens.

This was followed by a great cross from Barton down the right which zipped across the box with no-one able to get a touch.  Then Cook set up Jai Reason for another well hit shot which Giddens got down to save.

Two minutes later, Bishop’s Stortford came close again when another cross , this time from the left of the area from Renee was met by a firm header from Harris but was well held on the line by Vose.

The goal that Bishop’s Stortford had been threatening from the start came on 37 minutes and came from a free kick down the right and Giles ball into the box saw Cass get to the ball before Vose to knock the ball across for Church to head in from four yards.

A minute later there was a moment’s applause for former Hornchurch, Potters Bar Town and Wingate & Finchley player Marvin Morgan.

Bishop’s Stortford had looked a very good side first half and at the back Sam Robbins and Ryan Henshaw were exceptional with Henshaw winning seemingly every header and merited their lead at half time.

HT:  0-1

The second half started with the drizzle making way for wintery rain and certainly the zip that the game had in the first half began to disappear.  Cray had a lot of possession and carried the fight to Bishop’s Stortford but in the early stages of the half couldn’t quite create that one big chance despite the sterling efforts of Kyel Reid and Kasim Aidoo going forward and showed good pace on the counter-attack.

There were few chances in the second half although Reason and Chris Dickson combined to find Brodie who shot well wide from distance.

Andy Drury was introduced with twenty minutes to go and after the game went into a lull began to spring into life in the latter stages.

Cray won a couple of corners down the left and from the second of these, Reason’s ball to the far post was knocked across by Ethan Kaiser towards Yila who diverted the ball goalwards towards Drury in the box but Giles got a vital touch to clear the ball from the box.

Bishop’s Stortford had defended well and perhaps were not quite as potent in attack as in the first half but still came close to scoring a second when Giles cross found Marlow and his goalbound shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Cray continued to go forward to their credit and were playing well and now with Fjord Rogers and Erald Desa on the pitch. Giddens almost contributed to a scary moment for the visitors when he came out to clear the ball and seemed to slip with Reid in close attendance but Robbins managed to clear the ball away.

Possibly the best chance of the game for Cray came in the 89^th minute when down the Rogers found Dickson and turning in the box was unlucky to see his shot deflected wide of the left post for a corner. From the corner, Drury’s header landed on the roof of the net.

Into four minutes of added on time and still Cray probed and searched for a goal and the lively Desa received a pass from Cook and his shot from the right edge of the area was well gathered by a diving Giddens.

In the end Cray just couldn’t find their way through a tough and durable Bishop’s side who showed both sides of their game, strong and potent in attack in the first half and in the second showed solidity and the ability to soak up pressure.

For Cray, there was no disgrace in losing the game and after a difficult first ten minutes when they couldn’t get the ball played well and perhaps on another day may have had more luck in front of goal.   Cray remain 19^th in the table but are putting in decent performances week in week out and have played a few sides of late near the top of the table.  Bishop’s certainly look like promotion contenders and the Wands make the trip to Hertfordshire on the last day of the season but there is plenty of football to be played before then.  Cray next concentrate on cup ties with the Kent Senior Cup visit to Corinthian on Tuesday, 14^th December and then on Saturday entertain National South joint leaders Dartford in the 3^rd Round of the FA Trophy.                  

Cray Wanderers:       Bailey Vose, Freddy Barton, Dean Beckwith (Capt.), Ethan Kaiser, Kasim Aidoo (Erald Desa, 85), Cameron Brodie (Andy Drury, 70), Jai Reason, Anthony Cook, Jamie Yila (Fjord Rogers, 79), Kyel Reid, Chris Dickson:  Tom Hanfrey, Jack Hanson

Booked:         Reid

MOM:   Freddy Barton

Bishop’s:       Jack Giddens, James Thomas, Sam Robbins, Ryan Henshaw (Capt.), Anthony Church, Ben Marlow, Jonathan Giles, Darren Foxley, Johnville Renee , Jake Cass (Jack Thomas, 73), Chris Harris (Frankie Merrifield, 58): Subs: William Cracknell, James Baker  

Scorer:           Church 37

Booked:         Renee

Referee:         Isaac Searle

Assistants:    Myles Hewson, Matthew Charles

 

 

Att:      161