Cray Wanderers vs Dulwich Hamlet – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 30th September – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 4
Hernandez 8, Adaja 17, Bonner 45
Williams 89
Dulwich Hamlet 2
Mills 78, Baugh 90+5
Photos from Steve Cullum
Cray Wanderers moved up to 4th in the Isthmian Premier League table after an excellent performance and result to defeat 5th placed Dulwich Hamlet in a tremendous, fast paced match that was superbly refereed.
The Wands produced their finest first half performance of the season against a very strong Hamlet side to lead 3-0 at the break with goals from Alex Hernandez, Lateef Adaja and on half time from Tom Bonner. Dulwich came more into it after the break and pulled a goal back twelve minutes from time through Danny Mills but the Wands restored the three goal advantage in the 89th minute with a well taken Josh Williams strike. Dulwich had the last word with a quality goal in added time from Sol Baugh but Cray were good value for the win.
Both teams started in the playoff places and on 16 points separated only by goal difference. Tim O’Shea was able to name an unchanged side from the team which drew at Ramsgate on Saturday. Dulwich made one change from Saturday’s game with Brentwood Town with top scorer Luke Wanadio in for Anthony Jeffrey.
Before the match there was an impeccably observed minute silence for Chichester City player Billy Vigar who tragically passed away last week.
On a pretty still and fairly mild night the game began with both teams looking confident on the ball but Cray had the first half chance with a fine passing move with Adrian Owiredu Gyamera finding Ashley Nzala down the left and his pass found Kareem Isiaka whose shot was blocked. Unfortunately, Kareem had to go off in the 7th minute with an injury and was replaced by Chris Dickson.
A minute later Cray went in front with a well worked goal started by Freddie Taylor who found Frankie Raymond who played a fine long pass through to Dickson in on goal who took the ball round keeper Toby Bull to unselfishly leave the ball for Alex Hernandez to score his fourth goal of the season.
This set the touch paper for the remainder of the game with Dulwich in impressive green and white chequered shirts looking to respond. Firstly, Tom Chambers down the left saw a low shot well saved by Harry Seaden at his near post. Then, ex-Wand and Hamlet legend Nyren Clunis saw a strike well held and another shot from Luke Wanadio was saved comfortably by Seaden.
Cray though were looking deadly going forward and made it 2-0 in the 17th minute when Raymond found Harry Waldock who played perhaps the pass of the night to put in-form Lateef Adaja through on a one on one down the right of the area who impressively slotted into the net for his fourth goal in three games.
Cray had the ball in the net again through Chris Dickson shortly after but was disallowed for offside. Then Dickson who had an incredible game came close to scoring when he too took advantage of some slack defending to find himself in the box, went round Bull but his shot was blocked close to the goalline by Michael Chambers.
Dulwich were still very much in the game and from a corner Lonit Talla set up Clunis for a curler down the right which went just past the left post.
There was a whirlwind final few minutes of the first half for Cray as firstly down the left Dickson cut into the box and played the ball across and with a first time volley on the stretch Adaja hit the crossbar from three yards. For Dulwich, Wanadio cut inside down the right and shot just over.
Dickson nearly added a third in the 44th minute when played through but Toby Bull made a fine save to push the ball behind for a corner.
From the corner on 45 minutes, Raymond’s right wing cross was pinpoint to the far post where skipper Tom Bonner headed in his first goal of the season to seal an excellent first half display.
HT: 3-0
Dulwich not surprisingly made three changes at half time with Anthony Jeffrey, another ex-Wand in Anthony Cook and Giovanni Palmer coming on although Palmer had to go off soon after with an injury replaced by Joseph Adewunmi.
Dulwich looked to respond with a goal and had more play and almost got a goal back when Clunis set up Wanadio just outside the area who stabbed a shot just past the right post.
Cray were looking to game manage the second half but did come close to a fourth when from a corner down the left from Adaja into the box the ball was glanced over by Dickson. Then Adaja cut inside with a shot that was saved by Bull.
There were three changes for the Wands with twenty minutes to go with Luke Allen, Nods Bobomurodov and Josh Williams entering the fray and Dickson with a cushioned header set up Allen for a shot off target. Then for Dulwich Talla set up for Jeffrey for a shot just wide but Cray also came close when Remi Sutton down the right played the ball to the near post for Adaja but his effort was blocked.
In the 78th minute Dulwich pulled a goal back when down the right Jeffrey hung over a cross into the area towards the far post where substitute Danny Mills steered home a fine header.
Cray though then went back on the attack and after a breakaway from a Dulwich attack from Sutton’s header the ball came to Josh Williams who burst forward and found Dickson who took the ball round Bull but his shot was hooked off the line by Michael Chambers. Then Dickson showing huge confidence from thirty yards seeing Bull slightly off his line attempted an audacious chip which Bull was able to claim underneath the crossbar.
In the 89th minute, Cray got the fourth goal their play deserved with Dickson again to the fore breaking forward and finding space and played a pass through to Williams down the right of the area who crashed a shot in at the near post for a great goal.
There were nine minutes off added time and in the fifth of those minutes Dulwich did score a classy second when Cook and Clunis combined to find Sol Baugh down the left who cut inside and curled a fine shot over Seaden and into the net.
This marked time on a great game of football and one which former club secretary of both clubs (at the same time), Kerry Phillips for whom this match was dedicated to would have approved of the night’s entertainment as a showman.
This was arguably Cray’s best home performance of the season against a side which won its first four games without conceding a goal and if the Wands were unfortunate not to pick up three points at Ramsgate on Saturday certainly made up for it against a very good Hamlet side. There were a number of fine performances throughout with veterans Frankie Raymond, Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton and Chris Dickson outstanding for Cray with younger Wands like Lateef Adaja, Freddie Taylor, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Harry Waldock and Alex Hernandez all making a considerable contribution.
The final word goes for the referee, Thomas Berry who let the game flow from the start, showed no yellow cards in a game to be fair where there weren’t many contentious decisions and overall was rarely noticed.
The Wands moved up to 4th on 19 points albeit having played ten games level with Chatham Town and a point behind second placed Folkestone Invicta. Cray now take a short break from league games with the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round tie at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday and the next home game vs AFC Wimbledon in the London Senior Cup on 7th October.
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Freddie Taylor, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Frankie Raymond, Harry Waldock (Luke Allen, 70), Kareem Isiaka (Chris Dickson, 7), Lateef Adaja, Ashley Nzala (Josh Williams, 71), Alex Hernandez (Nods Bobomurodov, 70): Sub: Quade Taylor
Dulwich Hamlet: Toby Bull, Michael Chambers, Geofrey Okonkwo, Sean Bonnett-Johnson (Anthony Cook, H/T), Alfie Payne, Sol Baugh, Amadou Kassarate (Anthony Jeffrey, H/T), Tom Chambers (Giovanni Palmer, HT, Joseph Adewunmi, 52), Lonit Talla, Nyren Clunis (Capt.), Luke Wanadio (Danny Mills, 71)
Referee: Thomas Berry
Assistants: Daniel Whale, Craig Griffiths
Att: 813
