Cray Wanderers vs Billericay Town – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 4th April – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 3
Hernandez 1 min, Adaja 27, Ogunwamide 66
Billericay Town 4
Watts 42, Bonne 74, Cerulli 79, Merrifield 90+4
Photos: Natalie Stribbling
Cray Wanderers playoff hopes took a knock as Billericay Town came from three one down to make it fourteen wins out of fifteen courtesy of Frankie Merrifield’s ninety fourth minute winner to complete the comeback.
Cray, in seventh got off to a dream start with a goal in the opening minute through an Alex Hernandez header. Then Lateef Adaja made it two nil in the twenty seventh minute with a fine strike for his ninth of the season. Billericay pulled a goal back three minutes before half time through Callum Watts.
The Wands restored the two goal advantage with Ola Ogunwamide getting on the end of a Frankie Raymond corner half way through the second half. Billericay though had a strong last sixteen minutes pulling one back through a Macauley Bonne screamer. Then eleven minutes from time the Essex side levelled with Alfie Ceculli following up an Elliot Long shot that was saved. Both teams could have won the match but it was Billericay who dealt the final blow in the ninety fourth minute through Frankie Merrifield from close range which moved Billericay into third place.
On an afternoon which brightened up after a grey start the game itself pitted two teams in great form and it turned out to be a fine match and one of a very high quality from beginning to end.
For Cray there was one change to the starting lineup from last Saturday’s similarly dramatic win at Aveley with Frankie Morgan coming in for Remi Sutton. Billericay also made one change from the side which beat Burgess Hill Town last Saturday with Teddy Collis starting in place of Alfie Cerulli.
Two attack minded sides promised a great match and it looked like it was going to be a cracker from the first minute when Cray carried on where they left off at Aveley by taking the lead with a well crafted goal to break open a strong defence.
Daniel Ajakaiye had a superb first half and worked space to burst down the left of the area and found Frankie Morgan who put over a pinpoint cross to the far post which was met by the head of Alex Hernandez who powered the ball into the net for the eighteenth of the season.
After conceding so early there was plenty of time for Billericay to get back into it but were maybe not quite at their best in the first half. They did win a corner and a free kick out on the left from which Jack Evans cross was headed wide by Collis.
The game became a tactical battle until the 27th minute when Cray scored a second goal and another thing of beauty. Lateef Adaja received the ball out on the left, broke forward and cut inside and from the edge of the area with space fired in a shot which beat Jacob Adams for his ninth of the season and netting in back to back games.
Billericay looked to respond and from a free kick to the left of the area Evans shot over the bar.
Billericay perhaps should have pulled one back when Callum Watts set up Charlie Ruff who broke into the area but saw his shot hit the outside of the left post and go behind for a goal kick. For Cray, Ajakaiye showed his quickness to work an opening down the right but fired over the top.
That was a warning not heeded as three minutes before the break Billericay did reduce the arrears after Frankie Merrifield proved a handful up against Tom Bonner and after hesitation in the area the ball came to Ruff whose shot was cleared off the line by Quade Taylor but fell to Watts who netted from eight yards.
The Essex side almost levelled a minute before the break when Keon Lewis-Burgess down the right saw his cross-shot pushed out well by former Billericay keeper Harry Seaden and away from Merrifield looking to benefit from the rebound. Frankie Raymond saw a shot blocked for Cray who led at the break after a breathless first half.
HT: 2-1
It looked like being a long half for Cray to defend the lead and early on a Hernandez free kick out on the left was whipped in but well claimed by Adams.
Then Billericay came close to levelling when a ball across from the left fell to Evans whose volley was saved by the face of Seaden and required a little treatment.
The game now was going from end to end with for Cray Hernandez breaking forward and hit a shot from fourteen yards which flew into the arms of Adams. Then for Billericay, Elliot Long saw a shot well held by Seaden and then Watts saw a shot blocked.
Then for the visitors good work down the left ended with a Jay Porter cross which fizzed across and just missed a touch from Merrifield and went behind for a goal kick.
In the 66th minute came what looked like a decisive moment when Cray from the second of back to back corners saw Frankie Raymond’s ball from the right towards the far post wasn’t well dealt with by Adams and came to Ola Ogunwamide who got a touch to get the ball over the line before a Hernandez touch for his third goal in four games for Cray to make it 3-1.
The Wands looked to put real daylight between the teams when Raymond set up Morgan for a well struck shot which was saved by Adams.
In the 74th minute Billericay pulled another goal back as substitute, ex Charlton Athletic and QPR midfielder Macauley Bonne who had only been on the field for less than a minute hit a sweet strike from twenty five yards which made it 3-2.
Shortly after Merrifield who caused Cray a lot of problems up front almost levelled straight away when down the right of the area pulled a shot wide of goal.
In the 79th minute Billericay drew level when Long down the left saw a driven shot pushed out but fell invitingly for another substitute, Alfie Cerulli to turn the ball into the net.
Cray came close from another Raymond corner for Hernandez but his header went wide. Both sides sought a winner and Lewis-Burgess saw a shot held, then Ryan Scott saw an effort deflected for a corner for Billericay and Hernandez from twenty yards tested Adams with a shot.
Going into the fourth minute of added time there was a sucker punch with Billericay taking the lead when patient build up saw Evans find Watts who played a great ball into the area for Cerulli whose flick into the six yard box fell to Merrifield who stabbed the ball into the net to complete the turnaround and with little time left the three points for Billericay.
Cray although disappointed to not hang on to the lead had once again showed their credentials against a promotion chasing side and to score three goals against Billericay in this recent good run of form is no mean feat.
The defeat leaves Cray’s playoff hopes dangling on a thread with four games to go and twelve points up for grabs remain seven points behind Brentwood Town in fifth. Billericay move up to third on 72 points and if form is a good indicator for the playoffs could well be the favourites to join Folkestone Invicta in the National South next season.
The good thing about such a hard defeat is that there is not time to wallow in self-pity and another game forty eight hours later follows at Cray Valley PM who require points to get out of the bottom four.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Crossley Lema, Quade Taylor, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Morgan (Remi Sutton, 85), Frankie Raymond, Alex Stepien-Iwumene, Lateef Adaja, Ola Ogunwamide (Jordy Mongoy, 71), Daniel Ajakaiye (Max Fiddes, 70), Alex Hernandez: Subs: Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Shae Hutchinson
Booked: Bonner 45+4, Morgan 57
Billericay Town: Jacob Adams, Jay Porter, Tommy Davis, Ryan Scott (Capt.), Jack Evans, Teddy Collis (Alfie Cerulli, 61), Frankie Merrifield, Elliot Long, Callum Watts, Charlie Ruff (Macauley Bonne, 73), Keon Lewis-Burgess: Subs: Jazzi Barnum-Bubb, Ollie Parsons, Tyrell Miller-Rodney
Booked: Evans 82
Referee: Thomas Berry
Assistants: Aaron Beswick, Richard Marus
Att: 777
