Cray Wanderers vs Brightlingsea Regent – Match Report
Isthmian Premier – Wednesday 19th October, 7.45 pm
Pics: Ozay Booth
Cray Wanderers 4
Krauhaus 49, 75, 80, Derry 79
Brightlingsea Regent 0
Cray Wanderers moved up to 4th in the Isthmian Premier League table after turning on the power after half time to score four goals including a hat-trick for Ben Krauhaus for Cray to record their biggest win of the season vs. Brightlingsea Regent.
Cray had chances in a goalless first half but remained patient and after a bright start to the second half from Brightlingsea, the Wands edged ahead in the 49th minute when Krauhaus steered in Dan Bassett’s right wing cross. One Nil is never a comfortable lead but Cray finished the game strongly and scored three in five minutes firstly when Krauhaus scored a second at the second attempt after his initial shot was blocked. In the 79th minute, Tom Derry scored a third with a crisp strike from the edge of the area and a minute later Krauhahs completed his hat-trick to round off a fine night’s work.
The Wands came into the game in 10th and were looking to build on the positives of a 1-1 draw at Potters Bar on Saturday. There were a couple of changes to the starting lineup with an injury to Sam Wood meaning a debut for new loan signing Harrison Sodje. Dan Bassett returned in place of Billy Crook. Brightlingsea came into the game in 20th place and from the side which lost at Kingstonian on 12th October into the team came Charlie Durling, Abelardo Pinto and Carlos Rocha in place of Luke Skinner, Ollie Bell and Harrison Carnegie.
On a slightly breezy night at Hayes Lane, Cray began on the front foot and from a free kick out on the left the ball eventually came to Sam Skeffington who fired over the top.
Brightlingsea had a decent opportunity of their own early on when Zack Littlejohn’s shot was deflected wide of the left post.
In the early stages Cray were getting some joy down the right and three or four crosses from Nyren Clunis only just missed an onrushing forward.
In the 14th minute, Cray had their first real chance when Clunis was played in down the right of the area but fired just over the top.
Then Skeffington put a good ball through to Tom Derry in the area but Charlie Turner in goal did well to get down to block the ball. Then a Clunis corner down the left to the far post was knocked behind by Dan Bassett.
The game then went through a scrappy phase but in the 31st minute the Wands came closest yet when Krauhaus made a good run forward and was unlucky to see his shot come back off the left post.
Then a cross from Clunis to the far post met by the head of Derry but well claimed by Turner. Then Derry saw a shot blocked in the area but at half time despite being well on top, there were no goals but it wasn’t for the lack of trying.
HT: 0-0
Half time probably came at the right time for Brightlingsea who came out a different side after the break and a minute after the restart Shaun Rowley errant pass forward was latched onto by Carlos Rocha but the Wands keeper redeemed himself by pushing the ball behind for a corner.
Then, from a free kick out on the right the ball came to Adalberton Pinto who saw his shot pushed onto the crossbar by Rowley and Cray were on the back foot and the follow up was blocked.
However from that let off Cray broke away down the right and Bassett by the byline played the ball across and Krauhaus made no mistake scoring from 9 yards for his second goal for the Wands.
Cray had their tails up and Derry saw a shot deflected over for a corner and then Sodje set up Bassett for a curler down the left which also took a deflection wide,
Brightlingsea to be fair to them kept going and didn’t play at all badly second half and Rocha saw a shot held by Rowley and Jermaine Anderson shot wide.
Cray though had a good spell in the last twenty minutes and Skeffington shot over from 30 yards and then Anthony Cook was found down the right by Kellen Fisher and his lob went just over the bar and then shot over from Bassett’s pass.
The second goal Cray needed for comfort came with fifteen minutes to go when Bassett found Krauhaus down the left who broke into the area and his initial shot was blocked by Turner but didn’t give up the ghost and tucked home the rebound from four yards to make it 2-0
Cray now had the bit their teeth and in the 79th minute scored a third when Krauhaus became provider to set up Derry who lashed home an unstoppable finish from the edge of the area to seal the three points.
A minute later, the cherry on the cake was a fourth goal scored by Krauhaus for a hat-trick which surely make him a candidate for the Wands youngest ever hat-trick scorer in an Isthmian League game when he latched onto Cook’s pass down the left and clinically drive the ball past Turner into the bottom right corner.
Before the end, Derry saw a shot held and a cross down the left from Sodje was met by a header from Michael Ademiluyi but was saved by Turner.
In the end Cray were more than worthy winners and had to show patience when things weren’t quite going there way first half and took their goals well, excellent substitutions with the experience of Cook and David Ijaha coming on and with a very young back four with two 18 year olds as full backs a clean sheet was another bonus.
Brightlingsea gave it their all but their strength usually comes with their home form and staved off relegation last season and have the ability to do so again.
This was Cray’s night and after one or two flat home performances this was a very positive one and one where everyone made their mark and can now go into a match with third placed Enfield Town with confidence
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Kellen Fisher, Jalen Jones, Sinn’kaye Christie, Harrison Sodje, Sam Skeffington, Mitch Chapman (David Ijaha, 74), Ben Krauhaus (Michael Ademiluyi, 83), Nyren Clunis (Anthony Cook, 69), Dan Bassett, Tom Derry: Subs: Tom Stagg, Cerny Ando
Brightlingsea Charlie Turner, Andy George, Jermaine Anderson, Charlie Durling, Jake Thompson, Zack Littlejohn, Josh Rusoke (Samuel Jeremiah, H/T), Adalberto Pinto, Ollie Sotoyinbo (Harrison Carnegie, 66), Carlos Rocha, Luke Woodward (Andre Odeku, 80): Subs: Ollie Bell, Temi Olade
Booked: Rusoke
Referee: Joe McKay
Assistants: Samuel Hall, Abdul Olon
Att: 157
