Cray Wanderers vs Potters Bar Town – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 21st March – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Ogunwamide 22
Potters Bar Town 0
Photos: Natalie Stribbling
Cray Wanderers kept their Isthmian Premier playoff hopes alive after a narrow but merited victory against Potters Bar Town at Flamingo Park after Ola Ogunwamide’s goal saw the Wands move up to seventh but remain eight points behind Billericay Town in fifth.
The match was important at both ends of the table as Potters Bar Town second from bottom require points to beat the drop but in the end remain nine points off safety.
The Wands were looking to build on the fine 3-0 win at Whitehawk last Saturday and Tim O’Shea was able to name an unchanged lineup and subs bench with Remi Sutton still the major absentee through injury. Alex Stepien-Iwumene on loan from Bromley was making his home debut as was Daniel Ajakaiye on the bench.
Potters Bar Town had lost their last four on their travels and from the side beaten at home by Welling United last Saturday there was one change to their lineup with Kiril Romanovich Halenin coming in for Ryan Blackman. Former Wand, Prosper Keto was on the bench.
On a lovely and warm March afternoon the game began with Potters Bar perhaps having their best spell of the match and in the second minute, Joe Re saw a shot blocked and then Nana Kyei cut inside from the right and fired a shot into the arms of Harry Seaden.
Cray though began to exert their authority and came close in the ninth minute when Jordy Mongoy down the left worked his way to the edge of the area and curled a shot towards goal which looked to be going in but keeper Josh Shattell got down to push away from the right post. Following up the ball came to Alex Hernandez whose effort was deflected behind for a corner. From the corner the ball came to Tom Bonner who headed over.
The Wands had to make an early change before the quarter of an hour mark as Mongoy who went down a couple of minutes earlier had to go off with an injury and was replaced by Lateef Adaja. Shortly after Frankie Raymond saw a shot held.
The breakthrough and ultimately the decisive moment of the match came in the 22nd minute as Cray took the lead as Ola Ogunwamide broke down the right, moved inside and fired in a shot from just outside the area and his shot was on target but took a deflection and wrong footed Shattell to notch his second goal in successive games.
Cray were now well on top and almost added a second shortly after as Max Fiddes one on one inside the area saw his shot held by Shattell. Then in the 33rd minute Hernandez found Ogunwamide again down the right and in a similar position to his goal placed a shot just past the left post.
The game went through a bit of a lull before Cray almost scored again before half time. Adaja down the left saw his shot blocked away by the Potters Bar defence and the ball came to Hernandez who was denied by a fine save from Shattell at his left post. Then Adaja saw another shot blocked but at half time Cray had deserved to go in one nil up.
HT: 1-0
Potters Bar probably needed to be a bit more adventurous and brought on a couple of second half substitutes in Luka Chalwell and Tyler Young but still it was Cray who looked the more likely to score early on.
Firstly, Frankie Morgan down the left put over a telling cross which Hernandez just couldn’t apply a header inside the six yard box. Then down the left, Fiddes set up Adaja whose near post shot was deflected into the side netting for a corner.
For Potters Bar Marcel Guzynski fired a shot well wide but were still hanging in the game without creating too much.
Cray sought a second goal which would give more comfort and Adaja who had a good game down the left fired a shot just over the bar. Then Stepien-Iwumene saw a shot blocked.
There was a worrying moment around the hour mark when Quade Taylor was caught with an elbow in a challenge with Chalwell who was booked and required treatment for a head wound and was replaced by Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera.
Daniel Ajakaiye came on for Fiddes and came close to a goal when down the right who fired in a cross shot with some pace which Shattell did well to palm aside. Then Hernandez on seventeen goals for the season saw a shot go straight to Shattell.
Still Cray couldn’t find a second goal despite their best efforts. Owiredu-Gyamera down the right found Hernandez who found space to hit a shot which just went over the angle of post and crossbar.
Potters Bar had a bit more possession in the latter stages but Harry Seaden was well protected with the excellent Crossley Lema partnering Tom Bonner in Quade Taylor’s enforced absence.
Towards the end Lema set up Adaja for a shot that was parried by Shattell. The final real moment of activity came in the second of six additional minutes of stoppage when from a free kick in a central position Hernandez’ shot was deflected and clipped the top of the crossbar and over for a corner.
In the end Cray saw out the remaining minutes to keep their playoff hopes alive. Perhaps it wasn’t the most entertaining of games but the Wands certainly deserved to win while perhaps having another couple of extra gears to go up and were well disciplined and Potters Bar Town never really created a chance of note in the second half. Potters Bar Town remain 21st on twenty six points and still have a game in hand which is against fellow strugglers Welling United but are nine behind Hashtag United in 18th place.
The Wands moved up one place to seventh in the table on fifty eight points with six games to go. Cray remain eight points behind Billericay Town who are the next visitors to Flamingo Park on 4th April and nine behind Brentwood Town. Cray are next off to second placed Aveley on 28th March which will be a stern test and are ten points clear of the Wands. Cray
Cray though are still punching well and can go into the next two matches against teams in the playoff places with confidence.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Crossley Lema, Quade Taylor (Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, 62), Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Alex Stepien-Iwumene, Jordy Mongoy (Lateef Adaja, 14), Ola Ogunwamide, Alex Hernandez, Max Fiddes (Daniel Ajakaiye, 68): Subs: Shae Hutchinson, Ralfi Hand
Booked: Hernandez 45+3
Potters Bar Town: Josh Shattell, Dylan Adjei-Hersey, Marcel Guzynski (Prosper Keto, 71), Kiril Romanovich Halenin (Tyler Young, H/T), Cole Kpekawa (Capt.), Jacques Kpohomouh, Joe Re, Brandon Adams, Kana Kyei (Marcel Kiwomya, 88), Damary Anyadike, Jedidah Brown-Johnson (Luka Chalwell, H/T): Sub: Ruben Kibrom
Booked: Adams 45+2, Guzynski 58, Chalwell 60, Young 82
Referee: Daniel Trout
Assistants: Nigel Owen, Jonathan Was
Att: 433
