Cray Wanderers vs Margate
Isthmian Premier – Monday 26th December, 2023 – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 0
Margate 0
The match between the Wands and Margate was abandoned by the match official deep into injury time following a serious concussion injury to Yahya Bamba and the necessity of ambulance and paramedic assistance. The Isthmian League upon investigations have decided that the result of 0-0 stands and the game will not be replayed.
For the record and for its relevance, the game was one perhaps that wouldn’t live in the memory too long and two sides that have been struggling to win of late cancelled each other out in a dour Boxing Day encounter. Margate though played the last half hour with ten men following a red card for ex-Wand Tyrone Sterling. Despite the outcome Cray Wanderers moved up one place to 17th in the table.
The game took a little while to get going and Cray had the first half opening with Frankie Raymond’s free kick out on the right being played into the area to the left post and Jack Holland’s header was goalwards but Godfrey Poku did well to clear the ball away from goal.
A couple of minutes later from a Wands corner from Raymond down the right David Ijaha’s header was blocked inside the six yard box.
Margate came closest in the first half from a quickly taken free kick from Ben Greenhalgh which Shaun Rowley did well to push the ball out.
Then from a free kick out on the right, Greenhalgh looked to catch Rowley out but his effort looped over the top.
HT: 0-0
The second half saw even fewer chances with Margate close when Tyrone Sterling cut into the area down the left and his cross-shot was deflected off Cameron Black into the arms of Rowley. Then in the 50th minute after Fyn Rutherford’s flick into the area fell to Steve Cawley but his shot was blocked well by Rowley.
On the hour, Tyrone Sterling was sent off for Margate for a second bookable offence after a clip on Gary Lockyer on the right of the area.
The game was seemingly just drifting to a goalless draw but Cray looked to up the tempo in the latter stages. Firstly Raymond found Yahya Bamba down the left by the byline and pulled the ball back for Cameron Thompson whose shot was blocked.
Then down the right, Bamba cut inside from the right and fired in a near post shot held by Harry Seaden and then Jamie Mascoll fired into the side netting down the left.
With the game heading to the last couple of minutes, Sam Wood found Jamie Mascoll out on the left who played in Raymond who hooked the ball into the box and Lockyer cushioned a header to Ellis Brown who shot wide of the left post.
Finally with the game in the second minute of added on time Mascoll’s ball from the left to the far post was nudged across goal by Lockyer but Bamba after a collision with Seaden went down with a concussion injury which was serious enough to end the game early and require lengthy medical treatment and the game despite its importance in league terms was deemed entirley irrelevant.
From speaking to Neil Smith afterwards he said – With situations like this your priority is always with the player. Hopefully he is healthy and safe which to be fair having someone like Ally Maloney on the sideline who was amazing and also to the Margate physio as well. The Ambulance got here really quick and it seemed he did lose consciousness a bit but is able to speak at the moment and goe to Kings Hospital and hopefully we will know in 24 hours how much better he is.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Emmanuel Kwatchey (Cameron Thompson, 83), Cameron Black, Jack Holland, Jamie Mascoll, David Ijaha (Sam Wood, 82), Ellis Brown, Frankie Raymond, George Porter (Anthony Cook. 63), Yahya Bamba, Gary Lockyer: Subs: Alfie Evans, Tone Kusel-Gabriel
Booked: Lockyer 16, Ijaha 45+2, Black 78, Raymond 90+2
Margate: Harry Seaden, Godfrey Poku, Tyrone Sterling, Harry Hudson, Lewis Knight, Rohdell Gordon (Joshua Tobin, 66), Taner Dogan (Archie Johnson, 62), Ellis Ashworth, Ben Greenhalgh, Fyn Rutherford, Steve Cawley (Vinnie Bowman, 90+3): Subs: Reece Hobbs, Leo Mazzone
Sent Off: Sterling 60
Booked: Sterling 28, Rutherford 41, Tobin 88
Referee: Tolu Sangowara
Assistants: Richard Myers, Howard Collins
Att: 291
