Cray Wanderers vs Welling United – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 31st August – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 4
Strachan 45, Yusuff 78 pen, Ogunwamide 83
Hernandez 87
Welling United 1
Azeez 39
Pics: To follow
Cray Wanderers brought August to a close in style as three goals in the last twelve minutes gave the Wands three points in a 4-1 win vs Welling United in a match where both teams were reduced to ten men in the second half.
The win for Cray moved Tim O’Shea’s side up into 13th on eight points but do have a game in hand following the postponement of Saturday’s game at Maldon & Tiptree.
Cray were perhaps fresh after the Saturday off and were able to name an unchanged starting eleven to the one which beat Eastbourne Borough last time out. On the bench were two seventeen year olds, goalkeeper Oscar Johnson and defender Johnathan Haftom signed on loan from Bromley U21s.
Welling United had made an efficient start to the season and stood third at the start of play on 12 points from their five games. Manager Ryan Maxwell made six changes to the side which beat Ramsgate 1-0 on Saturday with John Ufuah, Kaan Bennett, Sam Smith, Ade Azeez, Jamie Reynolds and Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo all in for Ryan Blackman, Ryan Kingsford, Chris Arthur, Fumnaya Shomotun, Demary Anyadike and top scorer Nahum Melvin-Lambert.
On an afternoon interspersed with sun and grey skies the match was played in front of a crowd in excess of 1500 making it the second biggest crowd of the day in the Isthmian Premier after the Lewes v Eastbourne Borough game.
The match pitted two teams playing well but it was Cray who perhaps started the better following a cagey first five minutes.
The first half opening came when Frankie Morgan’s left wing cross was met on the volley by Sammie McLeod but deflected across goal and out for a throw in which led to a corner. From the left wing corner in the tenth minute Alex Hernandez’ ball to the far post was glanced towards Ade Yusuff whose header was headed off the line by Jamie Reynolds.
Then five minutes later Ola Ogunwamide who had an excellent game throughout did well to play the ball into Yusuff down the left of the area and his shot had curl and was blocked by Nathan Cooper and behind for a corner.
Welling began to get into the game more and Reynolds headed wide and then Tyrell Miller-Rodney shot wide from outside the box.
The game then went through a bit of a sparring phase although Wands keeper Henry Molyneux required treatment after being clattered in the penalty area.
The match then sprung to life and two minutes later Cray came close when Hernandez’s free kick out on the left fell to McLeod inside the area but Wings keeper Mackenzie Foley did well to block the ball and out for a corner.
In the 39th minute Welling took the lead when from a free kick out on the right Sam Smith’s played a quality ball into the box towards the far post which was hard to defend against and a flick by Lekan Majoyegbe fell to Azeez who turned the ball in from a few yards out.
Welling then had a spell of pressure which Cray were able to absorb and Kaan Bennett saw a shot blocked and Smith played a good ball into the box which went across goal.
There was concern for Cray when Lateef Adaja went down with what looked like a shoulder injury but on the stroke of half time the Wands deservedly restored parity with the last piece of action of the half.
From a corner down the left Hernandez whose deliver from a dead ball all game was outstanding saw his ball head to the far post where Rob Strachan was on hand to stoop low ahead of a defender to guide in his first goal for the Wands.
HT: 1-1
The start of the second half saw a change apiece as Alfie Payne came on for Adaja while for Welling Fumnaya Shomotun replaced Jamie Reynolds.
The second half began much like the first half and was rather scrappy but Ade Yusuff seemed to be taking a bit of a battering and twice went down after challenges the second of which saw a yellow card for Majoyegbe in the 53rd minute.
Two minutes later saw the first real flashpoint of the game when Majoyegbe picked up his second yellow in two minutes after again Molyneux was fouled. However Molyneux also picked up a yellow card following the start of a skirmish in the box involving a number of players.
Ten man Welling possibly played their best football for a spell and substitute Ryan Blackman hit a well struck shot from outside the area which Molyneux got down well to save.
The game was on a knife edge and simmering just a bit when in the 72nd minute Molyneux was also sent off after carrying the ball out of his area after collecting a cross. This led to a substitution with keeper Oscar Johnson coming on for his debut for the latter stages. He had to deal with a couple of early set pieces and did so efficiently.
In the 78th minute Cray went back in front from the penalty spot when a ball from Ogunwamide was played into the area for Hernandez who was brought down by Foley. From the spot Yusuff struck home a textbook penalty high into the top right corner for his third goal of the season.
The Wands at this stage looked much fresher and in the 83rd minute put clear water between the sides with a third goal. From another Hernandez corner the ball was played to McLeod whose shot was blocked by Foley but came out to Ogunwamide who from twenty yards smashed home an unstoppable shot right down the middle of the goal for his first of the season.
Things got even better for Cray in the 87th minute with a fourth goal as Ogunwamide found Yusuff down the right of the area who unselfishly laid the ball across for Hernandez who deserved a goal for his performance and made no mistake from five yards for also his third of the season.
At the end for Cray it was all about making sure Oscar Johnson was protected and Demaray Anyadike shot wide, Kaan Bennett fired over and Ryan Kingsford shot wide of the left post but in the end Cray had built on the momentum of the win against Eastbourne with a second straight victory against one of the early season promotion favourites. It was more gritty than the Eastbourne display but there were so many fine performances throughout the team and was just rewards for the team’s efforts.
After that whirlwind start in the league in August the league settles down as the FA Cup and latterly the FA Trophy come into play in September and next Saturday the Wands head to a Lewes side on the back of four straight wins in the FA Cup in what should be a great game between two sides in good form.
Personally, I wanted to dedicate the win to our esteemed Programme Editor, Phil Babbs who was unable to attend the game due to ill health and who rarely misses a game. We all hope Phil feels better soon.
Cray Wanderers: Henry Molyneux, Crossley Lema, Robert Strachan, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Sammie McLeod, Ola Ogunwamide, Lateef Adaja (Alfie Payne, HT), Alex Hernandez, Ade Yusuff (Mitch Chapman, 90+7), Soul Kader (Oscar Johnson, 73): Subs: Jonathan Haftom
Sent Off: Molyneux – 2 cautions, 57, 72
Booked: Yusuff 80
Welling United: Mackenzie Foley, Lekan Majoyegbe, Nathan Cooper, Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo (Ryan Kingsford, 83), Zak O’Keefe, Jamie Reynolds (Funmaya Shomotun, H/T), Tyrell Miller-Rodney (Ryan Blackman, 39), Kaan Bennett, Sam Smith, John Ufuah (Demaray Anyadike, 59) Ade Azeez (Nahum Melvin-Lambert, 62)
Sent Off: Majoyegbe – 2 cautions 53, 55
Booked: Blackman 85
Referee: Steven Goldup
Assistants: Oliver Storey, Matthew Jackson
Att: 1528
