Cray Wanderers vs Brentwood Town – Isthmian Premier – Monday 25th August – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Williams 12
Brentwood Town 5
Ogunleye 33, Royal 63,
Vaivada 71, Edwards 74, Park 90+1
Photos to follow:
Cray Wanderers unbeaten start to the 2025-26 season came to a crashing end as a sleek, smooth and enterprising Brentwood Town side moved to the top of the Isthmian Premier after coming from behind to win with four second half goals to become only the second side in 2025 to win at Flamingo Park.
The Wands fresh from a resilient display to win at Billericay Town on Saturday started the game well and took the lead on 12 minutes with a high speed breakaway as Prosper Keto won the ball and set up Josh Williams for a direct run on goal and classy finish.
However, Brentwood were dangerous going forward and levelled in the 33rd minute, barely thirty seconds after Harry Seaden pulled off a fine penalty save to deny Daniel Ogunleye. However, one of Cray’s early season Achilles Heel’s has been defending from set pieces and from the resultant corner Ogunleye turned the ball home from eight yards.
Brentwood had a number of chances to take the lead before half time and Cray just about held on but in the second half despite creating less chances Brentwood were ruthless with three goals in eleven minutes proving decisive. Again, a set piece was the undoing as a corner down the right into the area was headed in by Romel Royal in the 63rd minute. Town made it 3-1 on 71 minutes when Ogunleye set up substitute Benas Vaivada for a close range finish. Then, three minutes later ex-Wand Charlie Edwards made it four with an accomplished finish down the left of the area.
The game was long over before in added time Sam Park’s free kick down the left was hoisted towards the far post and Seaden despite getting his hands to the ball couldn’t prevent a fifth goal for Brentwood and popped the Wands balloon that had been floating since the start of the season.
Cray came into the game high on confidence after the win at Billericay and in 3rd place on ten points but with injuries to Remi Sutton and Frankie Morgan and Tom Bonner absent it meant a bit of a shuffle of the pack from Tim O’Shea from a thin squad. Into the side came Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera and Jamie Watson at the back as the two changes from Saturday.
If Cray were confident then so were Brentwood and the Isthmian North Champions were only one place behind Cray at the start of the game also on ten points and made three changes to the side which beat Burgess Hill Town on Saturday with Romel Royal, Charlie Edwards and Jesse Olukolu coming in for Aron Pollock, Sam Park and Charlee Hughes.
On a very bright and sunny Bank Holiday Monday both teams started the game at a very quick and enterprising pace and Nods Bobomurodov down the right put over a great cross towards Chris Dickson but was blocked. Brentwood with the pace of Ade Cole and Kymani Thomas with Daniel Ogunleye up front were looking very dangerous when going forward.
For Brentwood one of two corners down the right from Cole found Matt Cripps and his header was blocked close to goal.
In the 12th minute Cray took the lead with a goal that owed much to the determination of Prosper Keto who won the ball in a good tackle close to the Wands left byline, moved forward and played a fine ball out to Josh Williams who showed great pace and composure to storm through the middle and placed a shot wide of Melvin Minter for a goal of real beauty.
Brentwood threatened a leveller and Romel Royal turned the ball over from a corner but Cray almost added a second when Bobomurodov did well to get a shot in which Minter did well to get down to save.
Brentwood were presented with a chance to level in the 32nd minute when Kymani Thomas was brought down by Keto inside the area. However, last season’s top scorer, Daniel Ogunleye saw his spot kick saved by Harry Seaden at the right post and the ball was put behind for a corner. The let off though was short lived as Brentwood equalised with a soft goal when the impressive Max Hudson’s corner into the area was turned in by Ogunleye to make it 1-1.
The visitors who had been behind in every game so far this season then had a purple patch before half time and could have been out of sight. Firstly, Wyan Reid from 25 yards hit a cracking shot which Seaden did very well to push over the bar. This was followed by Charlie Edwards firing a shot wide and then Ogunleye again despite appeals for a foul outside the area saw a shot go just over the top and then Thomas shot held. A fine piece of skill down the right by Cripps cutting into the area put over a great cross to Hudson who shot over.
The last action of the half saw another corner to the far post lead to carnage and Royal’s header was clawed away off the line by Seaden with the visitors appealing the ball had gone over the line but at half time the Wands were relieved to go in all square.
HT: 1-1
The second half began with a change for Cray with Lateef Adaja on for Ashley Nzala and for the first quarter of an hour was played at a slower pace with Cray looking to threaten with another Bobomurodov cross into the box. Then Frankie Raymond and Josh Williams combined to find Chris Dickson but was denied by a tackle for a corner.
On the hour Charlie Edwards shot wide but Brentwood were just beginning to get on top and three minutes later took the lead again from a corner. From the right, Hudson’s ball was pinpoint and came to Romel Royal who was unlucky not to score in the first half to steer in a header and at this stage was looking like a tough ask for Cray.
From here Brentwood had a bit more depth on the bench and in the 71st minute substitute Benas Vaivada was in the right place at the right time to score from Ogunleye’s right wing cross.
Three minutes later and the game was done and dusted as Edwards who had a great game in midfield certainly deserved a goal for his performance and down the left of the area found a little space to fire in a shot into the bottom right.
Cray introduced Michael Ihiedi and George Brooke off the bench and certainly added something to the latter stages and the Wands threaten at least a consolation goal when Quade Taylor set up Brooke for a first time shot which went across goal.
Brentwood looked to finish with a flourish and Seaden did well to to save from Charlee Hughes’ header and then the very busy Wands keeper made another good stop to deny Royal during a goalmouth scramble.
There was still time in the first minute of added time for Brentwood to score a fifth goal when from a free kick down the left of the area another substitute Sam Park’s hoisted ball to the far post found its way into the top corner via the fingertips of Seaden to make it a chastening second half and ultimately afternoon for Cray.
As a result of Dulwich Hamlet, Chatham Town and Cray all losing Brentwood moved to the top of the table onto 13 points and look like a side well equipped for the challenges of the season ahead. The Wands drop down to eighth but after five games many would have taken ten points as a haul from what is always a busy first three weeks of the season but certainly this wasn’t one of the team’s better days and finished the game well beaten.
Cray will need now to regroup ahead of a tough FA Cup tie against Southern League Premier Hanwell Town on Saturday at Flamingo Park who may provide a more physical challenge than Brentwood who were very disciplined throughout but Cray have showed resilience already this season but certainly will have to cut out the set piece frailties at the back.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Jamie Watson, Quade Taylor, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Luke Allen (Tom Jackson, 73), Nods Bobomurodov (Michael Ihiedi, 67), Ashley Nzala (Lateef Adaja, H/T), Josh Williams, Chris Dickson (George Brooke, 68): Sub: Kevin Kardel
Booked: Adaja 86, Raymond 90+3
Cray Wanderers Supporters Man of the Match: Harry Seaden
Brentwood Town: Melvin Minter, Wyan Reid (Jonathan Nzengo, 82), Romel Royal, Matt Cripps (Capt.), Max Hudson, Jesse Olukolu (Charlee Hughes, 62), Louie Johnson (Emmanuel Harvest, 75), Ade Cole (Sam Park, 78), Charlie Edwards, Kymani Thomas (Benas Vaivada, 59), Daniel Ogunleye
Referee: Joe Burgess
Assistants: Jake Symes, Promise Phillips
Att: 627
