Cray Wanderers vs Ashford United PSF
Saturday 26th July – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 3
Morgan 52, Nzala 65, 73
Ashford United 2
Bruno Tavares 28, Lewis 87
Cray Wanderers made it five unbeaten in pre-season as a second half fightback after falling behind at the interval defeated a tough Ashford United side at Flamingo Park.
The visitors shaded the first half and led at the break courtesy of a Bruno Tavares goal. However, Cray were very positive in the second half and Frankie Morgan netted his first goal for the club to level and then set up Ashley Nzala to put Cray in front. Nzala made it 3-1 with his fourth goal of pre-season from Alex Hernandez’ cross before Lorenzo Lewis pulled a goal back for Ashford late on.
Cray were looking to build on the positives of a 3-1 win against Sittingbourne on Tuesday night against an Ashford side who begin their season in earnest next Saturday in the FA Cup at Haywards Heath and looked a battle hardened side.
After an early spell of passing from both sides Ashford came close to taking the lead in the fifth minute when from a corner the ball towards the near post was met by a header from Jacob Strouts but Harry Seaden did well to tip over the bar.
At the other end Nods Bobomurodov played a good ball through to Frankie Morgan down the left and his ball into the box for Ashley Nzala was poked behind for a corner by Strouts.
The game then saw Ashford perhaps more in the ascendancy and both Noah Carney and ex-Wand Gary Lockyer saw efforts in the area blocked.
In the 28th minute Ashford took the lead after a ball into the box was helped on by Lockyer to the right of the area to Bruno Tavares who drilled a low shot wide of Harry Seaden and into the net.
Cray though responded well to going behind with Frankie Raymond clipping a shot wide of the left post. Then down the left a ball into the near post found Nzala but his effort was deflected to Harley Earle.
For Ashford, Lockyer lashed a shot from distance over the top while for Cray, Nzala found Tyrese Briscoe and Bobomurodov who saw efforts charged down. Morgan, fired well over as did Nzala before half time.
HT: 0-1
The second half saw a handful of changes for the Wands with Tom Bonner, Alex Hernandez, Luke Allen and George Brooke all coming on.
Ashford almost grabbed a second from a free kick when Williams Moses headed over the top but Cray were looking good going forward.
In the 52nd minute Cray levelled when Morgan down the left got the goal his performance deserved with a hooked cross-shot which went straight into the net.
The second half didn’t see many chances but Cray were very potent when they got near to goal and in the 65th minute completed the turnaround when after a decent passing move Morgan put over a cross into the area which was met by a firm header from Nzala to score.
Cray then looked to take the sting out of the game for a while and in the 73rd minute added a third goal to give comfort when this time down the right Hernandez cut into the area and laid the ball across towards the far post and Nzala was on hand to score from close range.
The Wands second half had defended well and restricted Ashford chances to one half opening for Lockyer which was comfortably held by George Clarke but the Nuts and Bolts did pull a goal back three minutes from time when substitute Lorenzo Lewis down the left of the area cut into the box and tucked home a tidy finish.
In the end though Cray had won the game and the team look to be ticking over nicely and now have just one more pre-season game to play at home to Maidstone United on Saturday 2nd August in what should be a great occasion.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Quade Taylor, Remi Sutton, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Tom Jackson, Nods Bobomurodov, Tyrese Briscoe, Josh Williams, Ashley Nzala: Subs: Tom Bonner, Alex Hernandez, Luke Allen, George Brooke, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, George Clarke
Ashford United: Harley Earle, Roarie Deacon, Barry Fuller, Jacob Strouts, Will Moses, Sam Hasler, Trialist, Noah Carney, Jefferson Aibangbee, Gary Lockyer, Bruno Tavares: Subs: Alfee Wincott, Kaleem Sobhee-Turner, Lorenzo Lewis, Jireh Okpanachi George
Referee: Abdul Olol
Assistants: Stephen Hughes, Kennedy Kikulkwe
Att: 221
