Cray Wanderers vs. Chesham United
FA Trophy 1st Round – Saturday 28th October – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 3
Brown 18, Lockyer 22, Raymond 81
Chesham United 3
Murrell-Williamson 62, 90, Joseph 74
Cray Wanderers win 5-3 on penalties
Photos to follow.
Cray Wanderers advanced to the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy after a dramatic match against cup specialists Chesham United which finished in a 3-3 draw and held their nerve to win 5-3 on penalties.
The Wands put in a very positive attacking performance and played as well as any match at home this season and went in two nil up at half time through goals from Ellis Brown and Gary Lockyer.
Chesham though were unbeaten away from home and hung in the game and turned the game around with goals from ex-Wand Rhys Murrell-Williamson and Zak Joseph with still quarter of an hour to go. Cray though went back in front nine minutes from time courtesy of a quality Frankie Raymond free kick but once again were pegged back in the last minute when Murrell-Williamson scored his second goal to take the game to penalties.
In the shoot-out, Cray scored their first four penalties and Chesham three but Murrell-Williamson’s fourth kick was turned aside by Shaun Rowley and Yahya Bamba stroked home the fifth kick to put the Wands through to the 2nd Round draw on Monday.
Cray were looking to bounce back from the gutting defeat at Canvey Island on Tuesday when the team put in such a resolute display and from the team which started that game there was one change with Yahya Bamba coming in for George Porter.
Chesham are 3rd in the Southern League Premier South and also through to the 1st Round of the FA Cup and from the side that beat Hendon in the league on Tuesday there were a number of changes. Into the team came Bruno Andrade, Scott Shulton, Jordan Edwards, Lesley Duru and Eoin Casey for Jack Connors, Harry Rush, Ogo Ogbi, Ricardo German and Kieran Murphy.
After a superbly respected minute’s applause for the late Sir Bobby Charlton the game got off to a fairly sedate start for the first five minutes with Chesham passing the ball around at the back. The Wands though had the first opening in the sixth minute when Yahya Bamba was played through down the right of the area but was denied by a fine tackle by Lesley Duru whilst looking to shoot and went through to keeper Zaki Oualah.
Cray continued on the attack and Frankie Raymond found Bamba down the right whose looping ball towards goal perhaps looking to catch out Oualah just dropped onto the roof of the net.
Then Bamba played a ball out to Anthony Cook down the right and his ball towards the far post came to Ellis Brown but his effort was half hit and through to Oualah. This was followed by Brown being provider setting up Nyren Clunis whose backheel went past the left post. Then Clunis fired across goal after cutting in from the left.
Cray were looking the better side and in the 18th minute deservedly went ahead when Shaun Rowley found Bamba who played the ball through to Brown down the left of the area who fired home a very tidy finish into the bottom right corner for his third goal for the Wands and second in the competition for the former FA Trophy winner.
Chesham looked to counter and Bruno Andrade looking to chip Rowley from 35 yards fired well off target.
However, in the 22nd minute it was 2-0 when Oualah was closed down by Gary Lockyer and the keeper’s attempted clearance went to Brown who unselfishly laid the ball across to Lockyer to stroke home into a virtually empty net for his second goal in successive matches.
Chesham gradually looked to work their way back into the game but Cray were defending well. The Generals did create one good chance when down the right Avan Jones laid the ball across to the near post for Lucas Sinclair but on the stretch turned the ball wide of the right post.
Then a free kick out on the left of the area curled into the area by Andrade was headed out well by Lockyer.
Cray ended the half well and Ijaha made a run forward and set up Bamba for a shot from outside the area which fizzed through to Oualah who made a smart save.
HT: 2-0
Cray began the second half much the same as they played in the first and played on the front foot.
In the 49th minute, Bamba made a positive run forward and with options laid the ball through to Nyren Clunis down the right who fired over.
Then Bamba down the right played a fine ball across to the far post for Brown but Jones got there first to put the ball behind for a corner.
From the corner from Raymond down the right, the ball came to Jack Holland who turned the ball wide. For Chesham, T’Sharne Gallimore set up Bruno Andrade who shot over the top.
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Chesham though just before the hour made a positive change as ex-Wand Rhys Murrell-Williamson came on for Lucas Sinclair and within three minutes got Chesham back in the game when down the right he cut inside and found space to drill home a shot into the bottom left corner.
Cray still looked the better side and a combination of Raymond, Brown and Clunis set up Lockyer who turned the ball over the bar.
Then from a corner down the left, Raymond’s cross was glanced wide by Holland. Then from a free kick in a central position, Anthony Cook fired over the wall but into the arms of Oualah.
The game was going from end to end and Chesham almost levelled when Zak Joseph and Jordan Edwards combined to find Andrade down the left of the area but Rowley did well to come and make a smart block.
Soon after in the 74th minute Chesham were back on level terms when Joseph found space just outside the box and his shot perhaps took a slight nick and wrong footed Rowley and into the net.
Neither side really wanted penalties and sought a winner in the last quarter of an hour. Andrade shot wide of the left post for Chesham and for Cray, Bamba hit a sweet shot which was held by Oualah.
In the 81st minute, Cray went back in front when from a free kick down the right, Raymond curled a superb free kick which flicked the right post and into the left corner of the net for his third goal of the season.
Cray looked to see out the remaining minutes and looked in control but there was a sting in the tail as the game entered its final minute when from a corner down the left, Andrade found Gallimore who set up Murrell-Williamson who curled in a shot from outside the area which hit the back of the net and made it 3-3.
The Wands pressed for a winner and from a corner down the left, Raymond’s ball into the box was glanced by Lockyer towards goal and Oualah had to palm the ball over for another corner.
In the end though the game ended all square and with no extra-time the game would be decided on a penalty shoot-out.
The penalties were taken at the Glyn Beverly Stand end and the first seven penalties were expertly taken. Cray stepped up first with Anthony Cook scoring followed by Andrade for Chesham, then goals from Ellis Brown and Frankie Raymond for Cray and Jordan Edwards and Ricardo German for Chesham made it 3-3. Then, Lockyer scored for Cray to make it 4-3 and for Chesham, Murrell-Williamson saw his spot kick turned aside at the right post by Rowley. This meant Cray just needed to score with their last kick and with a confident strike Bamba placed the ball wide of Oualah and the Wands had made it through to the 2nd Round after a monumental clash.
Overall though against a side brimming with confidence this was possibly Cray’s best performance at home this season and in a match where perhaps at the start of the match the Wands were underdogs played very well and over the ninety minutes and merited the victory.
There were some very good performances in particular Ellis Brown, Frankie Raymond, Nyren Clunis and Gary Lockyer in particular going forward but the team as a whole played very well and were very disciplined.
The draw for the 2nd Round will be on Monday, 30th October and because of Cray advancing the league game at Bognor Regis Town on 18th November will now be rearranged.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Anthony Cook, Cameron Black (Sam Wood, 84), Jack Holland, Jamie Mascoll, David Ijaha, Ellis Brown, Frankie Raymond, Nyren Clunis,
Yahya Bamba, Gary Lockyer: Subs: Alex MacAllister, Tom Penfold, George Brooke, Reggie Rye.
Penalties: Cook, Brown, Raymond, Lockyer, Bamba scored
Booked: Ijaha 39, Lockyer 45, Wood 90+3
Chesham United: Zaki Oualah, Avan Jones, Lesley Duru (Ricardo German, 90), Eoin Casey (Kieran Murphy 85), Steve Brown, T’Sharne Gallimore, Bruno Andrade, Scott Shulton, Jordan Edwards, Zak Joseph, Lucas Sinclair (Rhys Murrell-Williamson, 59): Subs: Callum Adebiyi, Harry Rush
Penalties: Andrade, Joseph, German scored, Murrell-Williamson saved.
Booked: Shulton 81, Joseph 87
Referee: Ciaran Fidler
Assistants: Pablo Aguilar Cabanes, Adam Everett
Att: 171
