Cray Wanderers vs St Albans City – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 21st October – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 1
Isiaka 46
St Albans City 1
Sippetts 90+4
Photos to follow
Cray Wanderers remain in 4th place in the Isthmian Premier League following a sixth draw of the season against St Albans City as Kareem Isiaka’s early second half goal was cancelled out agonisingly in the fourth minute of added time by a George Sippetts strike in the first ever league game between the sides.
After a fairly cagey opening half with Troy Perez-Duah hitting the post for St Albans perhaps the closest to a goal the match opened up in the second and straight after the break Cray went in front as Isiaka netted his second in successive games converting Nods Bobomurodov’s cross.
The Wands had chances on the break to go two up especially when Chris Dickson was twice denied by goalline clearances but St Albans grabbed the late leveller when Sippetts netted from close range following a corner and amidst a melee in the box.
Both sides came into the match on a wet evening in decent form with Cray on 21 points in 4th place and St Albans in 10th on 15 points but both were unbeaten in the league since 25th August.
There were three changes to the Wands lineup to the team which showed character to draw 3-3 at Chatham on Saturday. Tom Bonner returned from suspension and Nods Bobomurodov and Ashley Nzala started in place of Quade Taylor, Josh Williams and Alex Hernandez who missed the game through illness.
St Albans City who face Burton Albion in the FA Cup 1st Round on 1st November made one change to the team which beat Welling United on Saturday with Elliott Betjeman coming in for Sam Smart.
Certainly this was a game befitting of two teams in form and perhaps slightly different to the last midweek match against Dulwich Hamlet which was all out attack here both defences showed their qualities and was a battle of wills and resolute rearguards from both teams.
The match began with Cray looking sharp and in the second minute, Ashley Nzala who netted the last gasp leveller at Chatham cut inside down the left and curled a shot just past the right post.
St Albans looked to get some passing going and looked to utilise the pace of Lewis Page down the left and Alex Wall up front but it was Cray who continued to look the more threatening and in the eighth minute came close when Kareem Isiaka pounced on a loose ball and from the right edge of the area fired a shot just past the left post.
Then the impressive Harry Waldock drove a shot wide of goal from 25 yards and for St Albans James Sweet tested Harry Seaden with a near post shot that was pushed out.
In the 18th minute St Albans came closest yet when from a free kick 25 yards out Troy Perez-Duah saw his shot hit the left post and the ball came to Kieran Gauthier whose follow up shot was cleared off the line by Adrian Gyamera.
The visitors were just beginning to get on top and were moving the ball quickly and five minutes later Alex Dyer won the ball and found Leo Sery down the right of the area and his shot was saved by the legs of Seaden.
For Cray just before the half hour Isiaka fired wide from outside the area before the game became cagey before the break with perhaps the nearest to a goal coming from Remi Sutton who made a charging run forward and from the edge of the box saw a shot charged down by Michael Bostwick.
At the break it was goalless and all very much to play for but Cray were certainly holding their own against a side that still looks very much like a National South team.
HT: 0-0
The second half began impressively for Cray taking the lead before two minutes had been played when Nzala won the ball of Dyer and made his way down the left hand side finding Nods Bobomurodov who laid the ball across for Isiaka to drive home at the near post to make it two in two games for the striker.
The match was now very much alive with Cray playing well and St Albans not getting too many sights of goal with Jack James following a free kick having a shot held the closest. For Cray Isiaka who was causing a lot of problems up front shot wide of the right post.
St Albans had to make their five substitutions to try to wrest back the initiative but Tom Bonner and Remi Sutton at the back were rock like and with Prosper Keto and Adrian Gyamera in tow the defence was superb.
St Albans did come close when Elliott Betjemann after a spell of pressure down the left saw his shot take a nick off Sutton and past the right post for a corner.
The Wands though had introduced the pace of Josh Williams and the experience of Chris Dickson for the latter stages of the game and Cray came close a few times to adding a second which would surely have sealed the three points.
Firstly in the 75th minute Lateef Adaja made a break down the left and in on goal but he looked to set up Dickson who with the ball slightly behind saw his first shot saved by Magnus Norman and the follow up was cleared off the line by Michael Bostwick.
The Wands almost scored twice in quick succession going into the last ten minutes with first Adaja from Bobomurodov’s pass down the left seeing his shot pushed away by Norman and then Williams down the right hit a shot to the near post which Norman did well to turn aside.
With two minutes left St Albans did come close when substitute Harrison Smith fired in a shot which only just went past the right post.
Cray though were still looking for the second goal with Williams seeing a shot held and then into added time Dickson was found by substitute Ralfi Hand and saw his shot deflected just past the right post.
There was still time for a sting in the tail and Jasper Mather saw a goalbound shot for St Albans that was incredibly defended by Tom Bonner who acrobatically headed the ball behind for a corner.
From the corner in the 94th minute from the right was played to the far post where Bostwick glanced the ball towards goal and off Sutton into the six yard box and a crowd scene and the ball was set up for George Sippetts to turn the ball into the net and wrest a point for the Hertfordshire side.
In the end there was no time for any more drama and the match ended in a third successive draw for Cray but had showed their hand against a tough side who could yet be there or thereabouts in the promotion picture come the end of the season and moved up to 8th on sixteen points. Cray meanwhile stay 4th on twenty two points and gave everything once again and now go into another big game against 6th placed Dartford on Saturday but can do with confidence.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Frankie Raymond, Harry Waldock, Lateef Adaja, Nods Bobomurodov (Ralfi Hand, 84), Ashley Nzala (Josh Williams, 69), Kareem Isiaka (Chris Dickson, 74): Subs: Quade Taylor, Kevin Kardel
Booked: Sutton 54, Waldock 57
St Albans City: Magnus Norman, Jack James, Lewis Page, Michael Bostwick (Capt.), Kieran Gauthier, Alex Dyer (Haziz Kone, 76), James Sweet (George Sippetts, 64), Leo Sery (Jasper Mather, 64), Troy Perez-Duah (Thomas Jennings, 76), Elliott Betjemann, Alex Wall (Harrison Smith, 64)
Booked: Dyer 19, Betjemann 52
Referee: Steven Goldup
Assistants: Byron Beard, Kennedy Kikulwe
Att: 423
