Cray Wanderers 4 Enfield Town 4 – Isthmian Premier – Monday 3rd January, 2022 – Match Report

Cray Wanderers vs Enfield Town –   Match Report

Isthmian Premier – Saturday, 1^st January 2022

 

Cray Wanderers                                                                    4

Enfield Town                                                                         4

 Cray Wanderers first home game of 2022 turned out to be an early candidate for match of the year as Cray three times led and Enfield came back from 4-2 down to grab a point from a game full of excitement and pace and prevent the Wands from winning back to back league games for only the second time this season.  

 Cray got off to a cracking start in the second game in charge for interim manager Grant Basey with a goal in the 2^nd minute when Chris Dickson headed home from 8 yards from an Anthony Cook cross.  Enfield though levelled in the 22^nd minute when ex-Wand Andre Coker stooped to score from close range from a Lyle Della-Verde cross.

 Four minutes Cray restored the lead when Dickson’s shot was parried and he laid the ball across to the far post for Jamie Yila to score. However, Enfield equalised for the second time in the 39^th minute when Della-Verde broke into the area down the right and fired into the bottom left.

 The second half continued at an exceptional pace and Yila did superbly down the left and he cut into the area and squared the ball across where Cameron Brodie scored his second goal in consecutive games in the 49^th minute.  In the 61^st minute it looked like Cray had a grip for the first time when Dickson’s ball from the left into the area was turned into his own net by Ryan Kirwan.  Enfield though showed good character and substitute Lewis Taaffe reduced the arrears in the 76^th minute when he fired in from a Mo Faal cross and then scored again three minutes from time when he took the ball round Bailey Vose down the right and placed the ball into the net.  In the end it was a point apiece and Cray remain 20th in the table with 19 points while Enfield move up one place to 4^th on 40 points.      

 Cray were able to name an unchanged lineup to the side which won at East Thurrock United on New Year’s Day which was a rare occurrence this season. Enfield made two changes to the side which beat Potters Bar with Rian Bray and Andre Coker coming in for Harold Joseph and Adam Cunnington.

 Cray had lost their previous three home meetings with Enfield Town but got off to a flyer  on a grey but mild afternoon with a goal in the 2^nd minute.  Cray were awarded a free kick down the right and Kyel Reid switched the ball over to the left to Anthony Cook who strode to just outside the area and put over a cross which was met emphatically by the head of Chris Dickson who powered home his header from 8 yards.

 Both teams were playing at a breakneck pace and Enfield were definitely in the game and Sam Youngs found Coker down the left who cut into the box and his attempted shot was deflected over for a corner by Freddy Barton. 

Then from a corner down the left, the ball came courtesy of Scott Thomas and Coker to Youngs who from the edge of the area fired in a shot which was well gathered by Bailey Vose.

 Cray almost scored a second in the 20^th minute when Jai Reason and Aidoo combined down the left to find Jamie Yila who cut to the byline and laid the ball across to Dickson and his shot was deflected wide of the right hand post for a corner.

 Two minutes later though Enfield drew level when out on the right a well delivered cross from Lyle Della-Verde into the six yard box was turned home by Coker.

 Cray though showed character to go back in front in the 26^th minute when Chris Dickson was played through down the right into the box and his attempted near post shot was pushed out by Adi Connolly but following up Dickson laid the ball to the far post where Yila was on hand to fire home his 7^th goal of the season.

Enfield almost levelled again when another fine cross down the right from Jonathan Muleba into the area found Percy Kiangebeni whose shot was blocked superbly by Barton and behind for a corner.

Still chances came and from a free kick outside the area down the right, Reid hit a shot which was parried by Connolly and the ball was cleared.  Meanwhile at the other end, Youngs curled a shot over the bar.

Six minutes before half time Enfield levelled again when again down the right, Della-Verde advanced into the area and as it looked like he might run out of space cracked in a cross-shot which flashed across and into the bottom left.

Before half time, Cook hit a shot which went just over from 20 yards for Cray while at the other end, a great ball in from Mo Faal down the left into the box just missed a touch from Kiangebeni and went behind and after a brisk, enjoyable first half the sides went in all square.

H/T: 2-2

The pace continued to be unrelenting at the start of the second half and Cray restored their lead following a pacey burst from Yila who down the left had picked up the ball from Aidoo and Dickson, broke into the area and his exquisite ball across into the six yard box found Cameron Brodie on hand to score his second of the season and another early goal for the Wands.

Enfield almost levelled straight away after Cray gave the ball away and Coker down the left found himself with space to shoot but Vose did well to block and the ball went over the top.

 The visitors then had a good five minutes spell of pressure and won a couple of corners and Kiangebeni shot over from the right edge of the area, then substitute Lewis Taaffe found Youngs in the box and was blocked for a corner and then Della-Verde and Youngs set up Taaffe down the right and his near post shot was blocked by Vose.

 From this spell of pressure Cray broke away in the 61^st minute with Yila again to the fore, taking the ball over half way and down the left found Dickson who cut to the edge of the area and played the ball into the area and before Cook could apply a touch, Ryan Kirwan could only turn the ball into the net to make it 4-2.

Cray had claims for a penalty waived away in the 68th minute when Yila cut inside from the left and looked to have been clipped by Nathan Smith but no decision was given. Then Yila did well down the left again and his ball across found Reason who hit a volley just wide and then shot over from just outside the area.

 In the 76th minute Enfield pulled a goal back when Mo Faal who has 26 goals in league and cups did well down the left and laid the ball across to Taaffe to score from 8 yards and it was game on once again.

 Cray looked to wrap the game up and Yila set up Erald Desa down the left of the area and his snapshot came back off the left post and put behind for a corner.  Then from a corner, Barton’s looping ball into the area was headed over by Yila.

 With three minutes to go Enfield levelled for the third time when a ball was played forward towards Vose in the area but was perhaps caught in two minds to clear or claim and Taaffe won the ball as Vose looked to get a hand to the ball and down the right of the area fired into the net to make it 4-4.

 Enfield had their tails up and almost grabbed a winner when Faal’s shot down the left was pushed behind by Vose for a corner.

 In the end a dramatic game finished all square and at the end of the match there was a sense of flatness as Cray had looked to have done enough for what would have been a big win but credit to Enfield who showed their promotion credentials by coming back to grab a point.  For Cray there were many plus points particularly Yila’s display, also Kasim Aidoo had a great match, Chris Dickson looked very sharp, Brodie’s reputation in midfield seems to grow and grow and having picked up 4 points from 6 under Grant Basey can at least point to some growing momentum going into 2022.  For the fans especially any neutrals in attendance would have seen a game full of quality, pace and excitement.                          

 

Cray Wanderers:  Bailey Vose, Freddy Barton, Ethan Kaiser, Tom Hanfrey, Kasim Aidoo, Cameron Brodie, Jai Reason, Anthony Cook, Kyel Reid, Jamie Yila (Stefan Wright, 89), Chris Dickson (Erald Desa, 75): Subs: Kayden Lewin-Thomas, Emanuel Oduguwa, Eniola Hassan  

 

Scorers:         Dickson 2 mins, Yila 26, Brodie 49, Kirwan o. g. 61

 Booked:         Vose  

 Enfield Town:  Adi Connolly, Jonathan Muleba (Lewis Taaffe, H/T), Ryan Kirwan, Scott Thomas (Adam Cunnington, 64), Rian Bray, Nathan Smith, Percy Kiangebeni (Lee Chappell, 66), Sam Youngs, Andre Coker, Mo Faal, Lyle Della-Verde: Subs: Jerry Gyebi, Luke Cook

 Scorers:           Coker 22, Della-Verde 39, Taaffe 76, 87

 Booked:         Kirwan, Cunnington, Taaffe 

  

Referee:  Jordan Gibson

Assistants:  Thomas Fennelly, Teddy Osborn

 

 

Att:      401