Cray Wanderers vs Sittingbourne – Pre-Season Friendly – 22/7/25
Photos to follow
Cray Wanderers 3
Nzala 32 pen, Bobomurodov 36, Williams 69
Sittingbourne 1
Foxley 66
Cray Wanderers made it four unbeaten in pre-season with a fine win against a strong Sittingbourne side at Flamingo Park.
The Wands were looking to build on the opening three games which had the aim of giving minutes to players and look at a handful of trialists whereas the visit of Sittingbourne and the remaining two games aim to be more along the lines of where the team want to be ahead of the season kick off on 9th August.
This was a competitive friendly with a few free kicks awarded and a red card for Sittingbourne’s Jean Baptiste Fischer but overall it was a good spectacle on a Tuesday night while the England v Italy Euro 2025 Semi-Final was televised at the same time.
The first twenty minutes was very even with Cray shading the opening ten and then Sittingbourne had a decent spell before the Wands took control before the break.
Cray began on the front foot and Ashley Nzala down the left made a run towards the area and set up Tyrese Briscoe for a shot that was blocked. Then Cray won a corner down the right and Frankie Raymond’s cross to the far post was nodded off target by Remi Sutton.
Sittingbourne looked to get into it and from a free kick the ball came to Erin Kinali who shot wide. Then The Brickies came close when Chris Dickson set up Ayman El-Mogharbel down the right and shot across goal and wide.
The game went through a little lull but ex-Wand Dickson almost caught the Wands out with an opportunist hooked effort from 35 yards which cleared the bar.
In the 32nd minute Cray took the lead when Nzala who had a good game up front inside the box was upended by Jaden Crowhurst and from the spot netted his second goal of pre-season.
The Brickies almost levelled straight away when from corner Dickson headed wide of the right post.
Cray added a second in the 36th minute and was well crafted with some neat passing in the buildup and then the ball came to Frankie Morgan down the left and his ball towards the far post was helped on by Josh Williams and fell to Nods Bobomurodov who did well to drill in a shot at the near post for his first goal of pre-season.
Before the break Briscoe saw a shot well held by Mitchell Beeney but at half time Cray held the edge.
HT: 2-0
Sittingbourne made a handful of changes at half time but Cray stayed as they were and almost netted again shortly after the restart when Williams’ cross into the area fell to Nzala but his off the shoulder volley was claimed by Beeney. For Sittingbourne, one of the substitutes, Troy Chiabi fired a shot wide.
Cray remained largely in control but just after the hour Sittingbourne began to threaten and Zain Walker tested Harry Seaden with a well struck shot which the Wands keeper got down to save.
In the 66th minute Sittingbourne reduced the arrears when Darren Foxley broke through on goal and despite Seaden doing well to block the shot the former Bishop’s Stortford player followed up to nod into the net.
Cray though just upped the gears once again and three minutes later restored the two goal advantage with the goal of the night when Josh Williams, celebrating his birthday received the ball down the right, turned in the box and fired in a confident and expert finish past Beeney for his second goal of pre-season.
The competitive nature of the game led to a skirmish following a tackle in midfield and Jean Baptiste Fischer for Sittingbourne was unusually perhaps for pre-season shown a red card for starting the melee with Quade Taylor booked for Cray.
In the closing stages for Sittingbourne from a corner down the right, the cross to the far post was met by a Chiabi header which was claimed by Seaden. Then at the other end, Williams came close again with a well struck shot that was saved by Beeney.
In the end Cray had done enough to win the game and there were plenty of positives to take from the game especially in the forward areas and the always dependable pairing of Taylor and Sutton at the back coupled with positive full back play from new signings Prosper Keto and Frankie Morgan mirrors the form of last season. Also the trialist no 15 has had a couple of standout games in midfield and could be a major asset if signed.
Cray Wanderers next host Ashford United on Saturday 26th July, 3 pm before finishing things off against National South Maidstone United the following Saturday (2nd August), 3 pm.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Quade Taylor, Remi Sutton, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Trialist, Nods Bobomurodov, Tyrese Briscoe, Ashley Nzala, Josh Williams: Subs used: Alex Hernandez, Trialist, Victor Damyanov, George Brooke, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera
Sittingbourne: Mitchell Beeney, Jaden Crowhurst, Bagasan Graham, Luke Woodward, Chris Arthur, Gavin Hoyte, Ellis Brown, Ayman El-Mogharbel, Chris Dickson, Erin Kinali, Kai Brown: Subs: Darren Foxley, Trialist, Troy Chiabi, Correy Davidson, Zain Walker, Jean Baptiste-Fischer
Referee: Harry Phillips
Assistants: Ben Al-Sheikh, Dane Johnson
Att: 211
