Cray Wanderers vs Hanwell Town – FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round – Saturday 30th August – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 2
Allen 11, Raymond 61 pen
Hanwell Town 2
Woodcock 57, Mongoy 83
Cray Wanderers and Hanwell Town must go again Tuesday evening after a pulsating second half saw Hanwell Town twice come from behind to earn a replay for a place in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.
The first half was fairly scrappy but Cray led thanks to a 11th minute header from Luke Allen, his first for the club. The match came alive in the second half and Hanwell after pinning the Wands back levelled when Callum Woodcock was on hand to bundle the ball in from a Bradley Clayton cross twelve minutes after the break.
Four minutes later Cray were back in front after a hotly disputed penalty scored by Frankie Raymond after Josh Williams was adjudged to have been brought down by Harry Hoath. The Wands had a chance ten minutes later to put daylight between the teams with another penalty award, this time for a foul on Lateef Adaja but this time Raymond fired wide of the right post.
Cray came close twice through Josh Williams to make it 3-1 but seven minutes from time former Chatham Town striker Jordy Mongoy levelled when he turned inside the box and fired into the net. In the end the match finished in a draw which over the piece was probably the correct result.
The Wands were looking to bounce back from Monday’s defeat to Brentwood Town but were missing the suspended Quade Taylor, the injured Frankie Morgan and Remi Sutton and Tom Bonner was absent. There was one change with George Brooke coming in as left back for Taylor with Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera playing at centre-half. On the bench for Cray was defensive cover signing, ex-Bromley, Dulwich Hamlet, Merstham and Dartford defender Marc-Anthony Okoye. Also, striker Alex Hernandez who was suspended for the opening five games was on the bench.
Southern League Premier South Hanwell Town are a strong side and offered a different type of opponent to what Cray are used to and in a fairly tight first half perhaps edged the game but Cray looked to have a bit more cutting edge.
The first half chance of the game came in the 9th minute when from a corner down the right, Bradley Clayton ball in towards the near post was flicked on by Dwayne Duncan and came to Harry Hoath who planted his header into the arms of Harry Seaden.
Two minutes later with Cray’s first real incision took the lead with a well worked goal down the right with Ashley Nzala finding Josh Williams and his cross was pin point and beat keeper Sam Beasant and fell invitingly to Luke Allen who headed in from five yards.
Hanwell came close to levelling in the 22nd minute from a long throw in from Elijah Oladunjoye which was flicked on by Alfie Pendlebury for Jordy Mongoy who clipped the ball towards goal but Jamie Watson cleared the ball away and fell to Roberto Nditi who fired over.
Ten minute later Cray almost added a second from a Prosper Keto throw in down the right which came to Nods Bobomurodov whose shot was charged down and came to Chris Dickson who was denied by a good stop by the legs of Beasant.
The game became a bit more stop-start before half time with both teams having to make changes with Luke Allen going off for Cray to be replaced by Tom Jackson. Hanwell Town had to make two changes with both Oladunjoye and Duncan going off to be replaced by Seth Patrick and Addison Garnett.
The last opportunity of the half fell to Hanwell when Clayton linked up well with Callum Woodcock down the right of the area but drove his shot into the side netting.
HT: 1-0
Hanwell looked to get back on terms quickly after the break and forced Cray back and from a corner Clayton for Harry Seabrook was punched away by Harry Seaden and then Woodcock set up Mongoy who shot just wide.
In the 57th minute Hanwell Town drew level when Clayton who had a very influential second half down the left put over a hard to defend against cross and fell to Woodcock who also had a great game to bundle the ball in from a couple of yards out at the far post.
Cray needed to get going again and four minutes later won a hotly disputed penalty when down the right Williams was adjudged to have been brought down by Harry Hoath although it did seem he won the ball with his challenge. The penalty was confirmed after discussion with the Assistant and Frankie Morgan made no mistake from the spot.
Cray introduced Alex Hernandez, Marc-Anthony Okoye and Lateef Adaja in a bid to see out the game. Hanwell wouldn’t go away though and Woodcock shot wide and Ade Shokunbi hit a screamer from nearly 30 yards which only just cleared the crossbar.
For Cray, Hernandez had a half chance from a free kick out on the left from Raymond but turned in the box and his shot went across goal.
This led to Cray’s best spell of the game and in the 72nd minute the Wands earned a second penalty after Adaja down the left of the area was upended for a more obvious award by Addison Garnett. However, from the spot, Raymond saw his shot go past the right post for a rare penalty miss.
For Hanwell, Mongoy and Pendlebury saw shots held by Seaden while at the other end Dickson set up Hernandez who shot wide.
Cray had the chance to seal the game again when Josh Williams burst through down the right and looked destined to score but Beasant did superbly to block the shot and the follow up was cleared off the line by Garnett.
This save proved decisive as seven minutes from time Hanwell levelled again when Beasant’t ball forward aimed for Mongoy who managed to turn past Okoye and shot wide of Seaden into the net.
Neither team seemed to want a replay and Cray came close again to going ahead for a third time when Williams again did well to cut into the box but his near post shot was saved by Beasant.
In a frantic finish, Pendlebury set up Clayton for a shot saved by Seaden but in the end a draw was about the right outcome. The two teams will now meet on Tuesday 2nd September at the Oliver Connell and Son Community Stadium, Perivale, 7.45 pm.
Although not at their best Cray did have the chances to win the game in the second half but will now have to show doggedness and resolve to emerge from the replay. At least the Wands will be in Monday’s 2nd Qualifying Round draw where the National South teams come into the competition.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Jamie Watson, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, George Brooke (Marc-Anthony Okoye, 62), Frankie Raymond (Capt.) (Eduard Mare, 78), Luke Allen (Tom Jackson, 41), Nods Bobomurodov (Lateef Adaja, 62), Ashley Nzala (Alex Hernandez, 62), Josh Williams, Chris Dickson: Subs: Kevin Kardel, Michael Ihiedi
Booked: Brooke 26, Mare 90+1
Hanwell Town: Sam Beasant (Capt.), Roberto Nditi, Elijah Oladunjoye (Seth Patrick, 39), Harry Seabrook, Dwayne Duncan (Addison Garnett, 42), Harry Hoath, Ademola Shokunbi, Callum Woodcock, Alfie Pendlebury, Bradley Clayton, Jordy Mongoy (Kameron English, 90): Subs: Eddie Cooper, Trent Rodgers, Zion Nditi
Booked: Garnett 53, Shokunbi 90+2
Referee: Jake Woodman
Assistants: Dylan Wood, Tom Flanagan
Att: 201
