Cray Wanderers vs Herne Bay – Kent Senior Cup 1st Round – Tuesday 9th September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 0
Herne Bay 2
McFarlane 10, Duru 43
Cray Wanderers exited the Kent Senior Cup as Isthmian South-East Herne Bay produced a professional performance to advance to a home tie with Maidstone United in the 2nd Round.
The Wands whose side was a mix of first team and U23s players fell behind in the 10th minute to a Kamani McFarlane goal for Herne Bay. Cray looked to get back into the game and had one or two chances to score but Herne Bay finished the first half stronger. Firstly, James Rogers had the ball in the net but was disallowed for offside. Then, two minutes before half time Chinedu Duru took advantage of slack defending to make it 2-0.
Both teams looked to score in the second half but Herne Bay apart from a late flurry from the Wands were fairly comfortable and saw out the win.
Cray were looking to give some first team players requiring minutes some game time like Lateef Adaja, Nods Bobomurodov, Quade Taylor, George Brooke and Ashley Nzala as well as recent newcomers Marc-Anthony Okoye, Jamie Watson and Ben Wells. Into the team came Kevin Kardel in goal, Ed Mare and Victor Damyanov. There were five U23s/U18s players on the bench, Andy Dzontoh, Corey Holden, Uziel Bateki, Oliver Chiriseri and Breece Lenda all made second half appearances.
Liam Friend’s Herne Bay side were maybe not at full strength but utilised much of their squad and made the better start of the two sides during a fairly quiet and sedate first ten minutes.
Then with the first real incisive move of the match Herne Bay took the lead in the 10th minute. After winning the ball from a Cray attack the ball came to Scott Heard who moved forward in midfield and found Chinedu Duru who played a pass through to Kamani McFarlane down the right of the area and smashed home a fine finish high into the net at the right post.
Herne Bay continued to look dangerous going forward and Heard found Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo down the right and his ball across was turned behind by Jamie Watson for a corner.
Around the twenty five minute mark Cray began to get back into the game and Victor Damyanov hit a shot from twenty yards which was well held by Joe Coleman. Then a minute later, Ashley Nzala jinked into the box and looked to work his way round Coleman but couldn’t get enough power on his shot and the ball was cleared by Louie Procopi away from goal.
Then Nods Bobomurodov saw a shot blocked and Damyanov saw a shot from the edge of the area go over the top.
Both Quade Taylor and Ed Mare went into the referee’s notebook before Herne Bay began to wrest a bit more of the initiative again and in the 31st minute had the ball in the net again when McFarlane’s shot was blocked by Jamie Watson and the ball fell to James Rogers who put the ball in the net but was flagged for offside.
Then McFarlane who had a fine game especially in the first half made a run down the left and got in a shot which was saved at the left post by Kevin Kardel.
Three minutes before half time, Cray looked to level when Quade Taylor hit a volley from outside the area which was well struck but was saved low by Coleman.
Then in the 43rd minute Herne Bay scored a second as Cray switched off completely from a throw-in and left a three on one chance at the back and the ball came to Duru to score to give Cray plenty to think about at half time.
HT: 0-2
Cray introduced Andy Dzontoh, Corey Holden and Oliver Chiriseri at half time in a bid to turn things around but still it was the visitors who looked more like scoring and first, Duru pulled a shot wide and then Deese Madia in a good position to score hooked a shot past the left post.
Herne Bay threatened a third goal when McFarlane who was a thorn in Cray’s side showed good feet to work a chance in the box for Duru but again fired past the right post.
Cray weren’t getting much change out of the Herne Bay defence but Holden did set up Chiriseri who blazed a shot over the bar. Then Breece Lenda and Uziel Bateki were introduced to complete the five U23s representation in the match for Cray.
George Brooke did look to get Cray back into the game and came close after a fine piece of opportunism down the right and looked to hoist a ball from the right edge of the box towards goal but just looped over and shortly after worked an opening but his shot was held by Coleman.
Herne Bay were cleverly winding down the game with substitutions and good use of the ball and looked to add some more gloss to the scoreline.
Firstly, Jordan Ababio hit a shot just past the right post. Then another star performer of the night, Scott Heard hit a sweet strike from twenty-five yards which just cleared the cross bar.
In the 83rd minute it really should have been three nil when Jamie Lartice down the left put over a cross into the six yard box for Heard but missed the ball with his air-shot and the ball was cleared. Then, Lartice was in on goal but shot straight at Kardel.
Cray looked to set up a dramatic finish and Victor Damyanov set up Breece Lenda down the left of the area but Coleman made a good stop and the ball came to Damyanov who shot over.
The final action of a frantic last couple of minutes saw for Cray, Brooke set up Corey Holden for a shot which went wide. Then the ball went to the other end and Ababio pass came to Lartice who hit a first time volley but into the arms of Kardel.
In the end no-one could deny that Herne Bay hadn’t deserved to advance and took their chances first half and did what they had to do in the second to see the game out and now look to host Maidstone United in Round 2.
For Cray, it wasn’t their night at all and perhaps took far too long to get going and were rather flat and couldn’t get enough fluency going forward and were well worked at the back. As a result, the Wands exited their second cup competition in a week.
The Wands will now return to league action on Saturday at Carshalton Athletic looking to maintain a good start to the season with Cray in 8th place and to move swiftly on from tonight.
Cray Wanderers: Kevin Kardel, Ed Mare (Andy Dzontoh, H/T), Marc-Anthony Okoye, Jamie Watson, George Brooke, Ben Wells, Quade Taylor (Corey Holden, H/T), Nods Bobomurodov (Uziel Bateki, 67), Victor Damyanov, Lateef Adaja (Oliver Chiriseri, H/T), Ashley Nzala (Breece Lenda, 67)
Booked: Taylor 28, Mare 30, Brooke 41
Herne Bay: Joe Coleman, Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo, Frankie Smith, James Rogers (Jamie Lartice, 70), Joe Alatise (Harvey Brand, 79), Louie Procopi, Kamani McFarlane (Alfie Bloomfield, 70), Scott Heard, Chinedu Duru (Tyler Christian-Law, 70), Alfie Cutbush, Deese Madia (Jordan Ababio, 65)
Booked: Lartice 78
Referee: Simon Cutler
Assistants: Ben Al-Shaikh, Mitchell Bush
Att: 216
