Cray Wanderers vs Carshalton Athletic – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 24th January, 3 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers play the first Saturday home match of 2026 on Saturday as the Wands welcome Carshalton Athletic to Flamingo Park in a match affecting both ends of the Isthmian Premier League table. Kick off 3 pm.
Cray will come into the game in 6th place, on 42 points from 27 games two behind 5th placed Dartford but do have a five point buffer to 7th placed Burgess Hill Town who have one game less.
Last Saturday not for the first time this season Tim O’Shea’s side showed great character and resilience to grab a late but merited point at Hashtag United with Tom Bonner’s injury time leveller to earn a 2-2 draw against a side fighting to keep out of the relegation places. This made it the seventh game this season where Cray have either won or drawn from losing positions.
Cray began the game well and on top and took the lead in the 26th minute through Jordy Mongoy’s second goal for the Wands before two quick fire goals for Hashtag saw the home side lead 2-1 at the break. Cray came close through Mongoy, Harry Bridle and Lateef Adaja in the second half but kept their powder dry enough to level through skipper Bonner two minutes into added time to earn a point. This kept Cray’s good away record of one defeat in fourteen on the road going ahead of Saturday’s home game with Carshalton Athletic.
Carshalton find themselves in 17th place after 27 games, a point ahead of Hashtag United and Cray Valley (PM) and in a run of ten games without a league win, however they did pick up a very good point in a goalless draw at home against league leaders Folkestone Invicta on 10th January. Last Saturday, the Robins were beaten 0-4 at home to Chatham Town with the visitors three up at the break.
Away from home Peter Adeniyi’s side have picked up wins at Cray Valley (PM) (2-0), Burgess Hill Town (4-2) and Lewes (3-2) and drew at Ramsgate (2-2), Canvey Island (2-2). The Robins were beaten at Dartford (1-4), Brentwood Town (2-3), Chatham Town (1-2), Whitehawk (0-2), St Albans City (1-2), Billericay Town (0-1) and Chichester City (1-2).
The teams fought out a very entertaining 2-2 draw at Colston Avenue on 13th September after Cray led 2-0 at the break with goals from Alex Hernandez and Josh Williams. Carshalton though played well in the second half and fought back with goals from Luke Read and Tolu Ladapo. The first ever meeting at Flamingo Park was on 26th November 2024 and finished in a 1-1 draw with Abdul Sankoh’s goal for Carshalton cancelled out by a Nathan Jeche goal for the Wands. During the Isthmian League era the Wands have a decent home record against the Robins in eleven previous matches, Cray have won seven, Carshalton one and three draws but are always close and entertaining games.
With both sides looking for points for differing reasons this should be another closely fought game but one played at a quick tempo.
A note that there will be free entry for supporters with a breakfast stack and beer offer for £10 between 11.30-12.30pm with the Millwall vs Charlton Athletic match shown on the big screen.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions (+60’s and Blue Light Card Holders), £5 U18s-17s, U16s free. On the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Printed Match Programme £3, merchandise, golden goal tickets, hot and cold food/drinks and bars available.
The Pre-Match Thoughts – Programme Notes of Tim O’Shea
The Wands return to Saturday action at Flamingo Park this afternoon as we welcome Carshalton Athletic in a game with importance at both ends of the league table. Here Tim O’Shea looks back to last Saturday’s game at Hashtag United which yielded a point and his thoughts for today’s game.
Hello Tosh. We return to Flamingo Park this afternoon for the visit of Carshalton Athletic. Looking back to last Saturday and the 2-2 draw at Hashtag United what are your reflections on the game as it sounds like it was a merited point in the end with Tom Bonner’s late leveller.
It was a merited point. We started the game ever so well and in control and deservedly went in front after a great goal from Jordy Mongoy. From there I was expecting us to kick on but unfortunately we got done with two quick goals in succession through their two guys up front, Luke May-Parrott and Evans Kouassi and that set us back.
The second half we pretty much dominated the game and their keeper has made two or three excellent saves but in the end Bonns earns us a deserved point. However, at the end it did seem like two points dropped if I’m being honest.
We are still in sixth place and just outside the playoffs and the good run we had over Christmas and New Year has just given us a slight points buffer from the other sides behind us. No league has ever been won in January but we are still in a very strong position in the table.
Yes and the boys have worked ever so hard to get us into this position. I feel it is a very tough league. I think Folkestone Invicta will go on and win the league but then you have the big teams behind them like Chatham Town, Dartford, Brentwood Town and Aveley and after that you have half a dozen teams below us like St Albans and Billericay Town still in with a shout for the playoff spots but there is still so much football still to be played.
Looking to today’s game with Carshalton Athletic, it seems unusual for us to be playing a side that is not in such good form in 17th place. We always seem to have good games against the Robins and it was when we drew 2-2 at Colston Avenue in September.
It was and they are a bit of a nemesis as they always seem to play well at our place. I watched them play a couple of weeks ago and their performance didn’t belie their lowly league position which you could say the same about Hashtag United languishing down the wrong end of the table but on their day can cause anyone problems. It will be one where a team will be scrapping for points for different reasons. Peter Adeniyi always has his teams playing a decent brand of football and we know we will be in for a tough game. They have three or four very quick and decent forwards and we will need to be at our best to win the match.
