Cray Wanderers vs Folkestone Invicta – Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 12th August, 7.45 pm – Match Preview
After beginning the league season with a win on Saturday Cray Wanderers continue the three match home start to the 2025-26 season with the visit of Folkestone Invicta to Flamingo Park. Kick off: 7.45 pm. It is expected to be a muggy and balmy night but should be a terrific contest finishing under the lights with the season now officially underway and no turning back now.
The Wands began against Canvey Island on 9th August and after a predictably nervy opening half Tim O’Shea’s side who led through Chris Dickson’s predatory finish took more control in the second and netted a second fifteen minutes from time through Josh Williams and a clean sheet meant a satisfactory opening to the season.
Cray gave league debuts to Harry Seaden in goal, Prosper Keto and Frankie Morgan in defence, Tom Jackson and Luke Allen in midfield and Ashley Nzala up front as well as Nodirbek Bobomurodov off the bench and all made positive contributions towards the three points. With Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton, Quade Taylor and Josh Williams all in business like mood it was in the end a professional performance and a good three points.
With home games against Wingate & Finchley on Saturday and another against Brentwood Town on Easter Monday certainly Cray will be looking to maintain a good home record in 2025 but will be well tested by Jay Saunders Folkestone side who began the season with a useful point from a 1-1 draw at Chichester City on Saturday. One of seven debutants in the starting line-up, striker Jake Hutchinson, signed from Enfield Town gave Invicta the lead on the hour but the Sussex side levelled eight minutes later. As well as Hutchinson, goalkeeper Ted Collins, defenders Josh Strouts, Montel McKenzie, Kevin Lokko and Liam Smith and midfielder Donnell Thomas all starting the game. A familiar face to Wands supporters, full back Emmanuel Kwatchey who played for Cray during the 2023-24 season signed for the club last Friday and made an appearance off the bench.
Folkestone are a side widely expected to do well and look to improve on last season’s 12th placed finish with Saunders announced as manager in April after a very positive few seasons at Tonbridge Angels in the National South. With a new 3G surface being laid at Cheriton Road, Folkestone will play their opening three matches as away games with this fixture, originally scheduled to be away reversed to Flamingo Park with the alternate fixture on 11th November at Folkestone. After a trip to Canvey Island on Saturday, Invicta will play one of a couple of home fixtures at Margate FC starting with St Albans City on 23rd August whilst the essential pitch settling in can take place but is expected to be available for October.
Last season’s encounters saw a win apiece both by the odd goal with Folkestone winning 1-0 at home with a Dan Smith goal on 9th November. At Flamingo Park on 22nd February Cray won 3-2 despite being down to ten men with Soul Kader (2) and Josh Williams on target and Matthias Fanimo and Luke Allen now a Wand scoring for Folkestone. In the Isthmian League era the teams have met 14 times including one game in each of the Covid hit seasons with Cray winning 5, Folkestone 5 and 4 draws.
This should be a fascinating match early in the season and one of the games of the night in the Isthmian League.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 U16-U13s, U12s free available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Printed Match Programme: £3 – Merchandise, hot and cold food/drinks and bars available and big outside TV screen.
Cray Wanderers vs. Folkestone Invicta
Isthmian Premier – Tuesday 12th August, 2025
The Pre-Match Thoughts of Tim O’Shea
The Wands got the 2025-26 season off to a solid start on Saturday with a 2-0 win vs Canvey Island at Flamingo Park. There is little time to dwell on the win as the games come thick and fast and this evening Cray entertain one of the early season favourites to do well this season, Folkestone Invicta. Here Tim O’Shea looks back to Saturday and the challenge of this evening. The interview conducted by Luca Viscoglioni from Wands Radio.
Hello Tim. The Wands season opened with a win against Canvey Island. Tosh, although it wasn’t a great game it didn’t need to be particularly great and was very professional with three points and a clean sheet.
It was indeed. Coming here today you could sense the nerves and I think that showed particularly in the first half. There was a lot of rushed passing which made things a lot harder for us. In the end it was three points for us on the opening day of the season and hopefully that settles us down.
Chris Dickson’s return to the club saw him get off the mark with a well taken goal. You must have been pleased with that.
I am indeed and pleased for Dicko as well because he is such a character with what he does on the pitch and in the changing room. People that know him tell you what he brings to the changing room and I was well pleased for him.
At half time Quade Taylor came on which was a very good substitution as this gave us a bit more physicality which I think we lacked in the middle of the park first half. When Canvey brought on some big players up front and Quade screened Tom Bonner and Remi Sutton well in the second half.
Quade is integral to our progression as a team and as a pro he is the perfect guy to have. Whatever we ask him to do for the team he will do it the maximum of his ability. I just felt we were getting a little bit exposed on the counter attack and were at us too quick and within two to three seconds were on the edge of box running at our back four. So Quade coming on settled us down.
Josh got off the mark with the second goal popping up at the right time and this will be a similar scenario throughout the season I think.
I certainly hope so. We have been having a word with him as it is the flip side to the opposite winger they need to make that second striker so if Ashley is crossing the ball then Josh becomes the second man and then vice versa from Josh to Ashley. They seem to believe in it as well and he was there at the right time to make it 2-0.
Looking ahead to tonight’s game with all due respect to Peter Taylor and Canvey Island, Jay Saunders side will not come here and bank up like Canvey and will look to get on the ball much more like his Tonbridge team did over the last couple of years often punching above their weight and it will be a different kind of test.
It will but to be fair though as I said to the boys at half time during pre-season we played sides that were quite open but the Canvey game was different and a challenge we hadn’t had. They did sit there and bank up at times and were hard to break down. Jay is a top manager and he has proved that and they will be one of the favourites this season and tonight will be a tough one for us.
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK
Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure – Sidcup By-Pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Flamingo Park lies on the A20 and is the new home of Cray Wanderers and used for the Men and Women’s First Team, U23s, Youth Team games, Academy side and the club house hosts live music and private events. For the 2024-25 season Bexley FC will also play their Kent County League Premier games at Flamingo Park.
By car
From Kent – Via M20 or A2
M20 – Follow the M20 for 16.8 miles then continue on to A20 for 3.6 miles then continue on to Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
A2 – Get on the M2 from A229 for 5.1 miles. After merging onto the M2 after 5.5 miles continue onto Watling Street/A2 for 8.7 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (S) slip road to M23 for 0.7 miles. Merge onto the M25 for 2.4 miles then at junction 3, exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles. At the Swanley interchange, take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles then continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 1.9 miles. Continue onto Sidcup By-Pass/A20 for 0.3 miles then take a left into the ground entrance and another left for the car park.
From London, North & West
Via A20 – If traveling from London take A3212, A302 and Westminster Bridge Road and at the roundabout take the 3rd exit onto St. George’s Circus/A201 and after 0.3 miles turn left onto New Kent Road/A201 for 0.5 miles. Then keep right staying on New Kent Road/A201 for 0.4 miles and then onto Old Kent Road/A2 for 2.6 miles. Take a slight right onto Amersham Road/A2/A20 then a left onto Amersham Road/A20 for 0.2 miles. Take a slight right onto Lewisham Way/A20 for 1.1 miles and then use the left 3 lanes to turn left onto Rennell Street/A20 for 1.9 miles. Use the right 2 lanes to turn slightly onto Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.3 miles then at the roundabout take the 2nd exit and stay on Sidcup Road/A20 for 3.7 miles. Then take the A222 towards Bromley/Chislehurst/Sidcup for 0.2 miles then at Frognal Corner Roundabout take the 4th exit onto the A20 slip road to C. London/Lewisham for 0.3 miles. Then merge onto the Sidcup By-Pass Road/A20 for 0.6 miles and then onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles. Then take a left into the entrance to the ground and another left into the car park.
From Essex/East Anglia
Via A13 – If traveling from Essex/East Anglia get onto the A13 for 11.6 miles. Use the left lane to take the M25 (N)/M25 (S) slip road to M11/M1/Stansted Airport/Dartford Crossing/A282 for 0.2 miles. At Mardyke Junction take the 1st exit for 0.3 miles and then use the right lane to take the A282 slip road to M25 (S)/Dartford Crossing then keep right at the fork to continue towards A282 for 3.8 miles. Use the right 3 lanes to stay on A282 then follow signs for M20/M23/Gatwick Airport /M25/Channel Tunnel/Dover for 0.6 miles. Continue onto M25 (signs for Dover/M20/Channel Tunnel/M23 for 3.3 miles. At junction 3 exit towards A20/London (SE)/Swanley for 0.3 miles and at Swanley Interchange take the 5th exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.8 miles. Then merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
From: Sussex/South
If traveling from Sussex/South best get on Hastings Road/Pembury By-Pass/A21 in Kent from A267 and after 9.4 miles continue straight onto Sevenoaks Bypass/A21 for 3.8 miles and then keep right to continue onto M25. After 7.9 miles at junction 3 use the left 2 lanes to take the A20 exit to London/Lewisham/Channel Tunnel/Maidstone/M20 for 0.3 miles. At Swanley Interchange take the 2nd exit onto the A20 slip road to London (SE)/Lewisham for 0.5 miles. Merge onto the A20 for 3.5 miles, continue onto Sidcup By-Pass Rd/A20 for 1.9 miles and then continue onto the Sidcup By-Pass for 0.3 miles then turn left into the entrance to the ground and then a left into the car park.
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 400 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
By Train – Nearest BR Station – New Eltham – 1 mile. Trains from London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street/London Bridge or from Dartford/Gravesend. There are four trains an hour heading to New Eltham from London Charing Cross. For returns there are also four trains back to London.
From the station walk south-east onto Foots Cray Road/A211 for 0.3 miles then turn right onto Thaxted Road for 0.2 miles. Then turn left towards Sidcup Road/A20 and cross over the pedestrian footbridge and take a sharp and then a slight right towards Sidcup Road/A20 for 0.4 miles and then turn right and then a left into the entrance to the ground.
By Bus – The best bet is to get the 233 from Swanley, Sidcup, Eltham or New Eltham which stops on Thaxted Road but is around 0.8 miles to the ground. From Chislehurst station the 162 bus which starts in Bromley stops on Slades Drive where you can access the public footpath opposite the bus stop and is around a ten minute walk to the ground. This bus also stops at New Eltham Station for your return journey.
TAXIS – TAXIS – ALL DAY CARS – NEW ELTHAM – 020 8850 0032
Nearest Hotel: Premier Inn London Eltham
738 Sidcup Road, Eltham, London
SE9 3NS
Sat Nav Directions:SE9 3TJ
Directions:
From South Circular Road, take A20 Sidcup Bypass until you reach Fiveways, where Sidcup Road meets Green Lane Premier Inn Eltham is situated on the corner and the entrance to the car park is on Green Lane.
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-eltham.html
The Car Park is free for supporters and there should be space between 700-800 cars on site. Please note bays in front of the main entrance are reserved for club officials.
Close to New Eltham Station are the Beehive pub plus the Pope Street Bar & Kitchen and the Nest offers hot drinks/alcoholic drinks and live music. There are also places to eat and a wide range of takeaway outlets as well as Fish & Chip and a Pie & Mash shop. Alternatively if you travel from Sidcup there are a wide range of pubs to choose from.
