Cray Wanderers vs Folkestone Invicta
Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 12th August, Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Bobomurodov 55
Folkestone Invicta 1
Odeniran 73
Photos: Steve Cullum
Cray Wanderers second of three consecutive home games saw the Wands pick up a hard fought point against Folkestone Invicta with both unbeaten after two games.
In a match that was a good watch played in a balmy evening heat after a goalless first half Cray took the lead ten minutes into the second with a clever lofted first Wands goal for Nods Bobomurodov. Folkestone though fought back strongly and levelled in the 73rd minute when Joel Odeniran netted from a corner.
Tim O’Shea’s side came into the match on the back of a 2-0 win vs Canvey Island on Saturday and there were two changes to the starting lineup with Frankie Raymond returning from suspension and also Nods Bobomurodov starting in place of George Brooke and Tom Jackson. Folkestone drew at Chichester City at the weekend and there was one change with Ade Yusuff coming in for Ronnie Dolan.
Despite the heat the game was played at a decent pace with Cray creating the first opening in the fifth minute moving the ball quickly and Luke Allen found Ashley Nzala with a clever pass down the left who beat a couple of defenders into the box and his shot went across goal perhaps looking for Josh Williams but the ball came off a Folkestone defender and was claimed by Ted Collins.
It took Folkestone a few minutes to get into their stride and they had to make a change before the quarter of an hour mark when influential midfielder Dean Rance was replaced by Mikey Berry.
Folkestone began to seek out half chances and Montel McKenzie was a threat particularly in the first half and he put over a left wing cross aiming for Jake Hutchinson but was put over by Remi Sutton for a corner. From a free kick by Jack Jebb the ball was flicked on by Kevin Lokko and well claimed by Harry Seaden. The Wands keeper also had to be alert to make a smart smothering save to deny Ade Yusuff down at the left post.
The best chance of the half fell to Folkestone in the 25th minute when another left wing McKenzie cross was just tipped by Seaden and fell to Yusuff who turned the ball over the bar from close range.
Cray looked to respond and Josh Williams put over a deep cross down the right towards the far post and Nzala met the ball with a header but went over the top.
The Wands looked particularly dangerous during the game when breaking from Invicta set plays and from one Folkestone corner Cray came close to taking the lead when Chris Dickson and Luke Allen broke away and found Williams down the left who advanced towards goal but just pulled his shot wide of the right post.
In the 39th minute Folkestone came close when Hutchinson who had a lively game up front saw a near post shot pushed out by Seaden. The ball came to Mikey Berry who applied an air shot but fell to Jack Jebb who shot over.
Just before half time for Cray, Frankie Raymond saw a free kick deflected just over for a corner. From the right wing corner by Raymond to the far post, Remi Sutton glanced a header across but was well defended on the line and behind for another corner. Chris Dickson saw a shot blocked but at the break an intriguing game with two good defences stood goalless.
HT: 0-0
The second half began much the way of the first with both sides looking for an early breakthrough. Bods Bobomurodov out on the left saw a cross-shot saved. Then at the other end McKenzie’s cross was met by a downward header from Hutchinson but was claimed by Seaden.
Cray again looked to break quickly and Nzala played a return pass through to Dickson who shot wide of the right post but was flagged offside. Then Josh Williams saw a shot deflected to Collins.
In the 55th minute the deadlock was broken following a Folkestone corner with the ball falling to Dickson on the edge of the Wands box and broke forward into midfield and played a ball through to Bobomurodov who had a lot of work to do to keep the ball under control and work an opening but managed to get into position to shoot from just outside the area and his clever lofted shot appeared maybe to get a slight nick but then looped over Collins and in what seemed an eternity dropped into the net.
Folkestone looked to respond and Jay Saunders side had a good few minutes of pressure looking to level the game. Firstly, Hutchinson saw a shot held by Seaden and then Donell Thomas and Hutchinson put balls across the box and Hutchinson saw a shot deflected for a corner.
In the 73rd minute Folkestone did get back on level terms from a corner down the right and Jebb’s ball towards the near post was flicked on and fell to Joel Odeniran who applied a composed finish from seven yards.
The Wands looked to respond and came closest to winning the game in the last quarter of an hour. Firstly, substitute George Brooke almost scored within thirty seconds of coming on when he exchanged passes with Ashley Nzala and down the right of the area saw his rasping drive come back off the woodwork and away from goal.
Towards the end the game a bit stretched but Cray came close when Prosper Keto and Nzala combined to set up Williams down the right of the area but his near post shot was claimed by Collins.
From a free kick out on the right Raymond found Keto and his cross into the box was met by the head of the imperious Tom Bonner and flicked on towards Nzala but the flag went up for offside.
The match in the end in a point apiece which over the game was probably the right result as both teams had good spells of pressure and also had to defend well at times. Cray after the point remain 5th in the early league table with four points and had got through one of the first real tests of the season against a highly fancied Invicta side.
Cray play again at home on Saturday with Wingate & Finchley the visitors, 3 pm ko.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Luke Allen (George Brooke, 78), Nods Bobomurodov (Quade Taylor, 67), Ashley Nzala, Josh Williams, Chris Dickson (Lateef Adaja, 73): Subs: Tom Jackson, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera
Supporters Club Man of the Match: Tom Bonner
Folkestone Invicta: Ted Collins, Montel McKenzie, Liam Smith, Joel Odeniran, Kevin Lokko (Capt.), Jack Jebb (Brad Walledge, 85), Josh Strouts (Kweku Lucan, 61), Dean Rance (Mikey Berry, 14), Donell Thomas, Jake Hutchinson, Ade Yusuff (Ronnie Dolan, 83): Sub: William Ademiluyi
Booked: Jebb 42, McKenzie 54, Berry 80
Referee: Adam Steele
Assistants: Ricardo Reynolds, Andreas Anastasiou
Att: 444
