Cray Wanderers vs Hashtag United – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 20th September – Match Preview
Pics: Steve Cullum, In Focus Photos and Ben Keyes
Cray Wanderers return to league action at Flamingo Park on Saturday 20th September following two games on the road as Hashtag United are the visitors. Kick off 3 pm.
Cray will come into the game on the back of two successive draws at Lewes and Carshalton Athletic and in 7th place in the Isthmian Premier league table last weekend which were opposites of one another. At Lewes the Wands had to dig deep to come back from 0-2 down at half time to pick up a point late in the game whereas last Saturday Cray had the two goal lead and had to withstand pretty incessant Carshalton pressure in the second half.
Last Saturday, Cray took the lead via Alex Hernandez’s first goal for the club from the penalty spot and Josh Williams netted direct from a corner for his third goal of the season.
It has been a fairly solid start to the season for Cray with twelve points from seven games and those two games on the road at least saw a point apiece whereas last season the Wands lost those games.
Injuries have been a factor in the early weeks and Cray haven’t really been at full strength since the win at Billericay Town on 23rd August but hopefully this will soon ease although Frankie Morgan is likely to be out of the side until Christmas through injury.
Saturday’s game sees the Isthmian Premier’s oldest club face it’s youngest with Hashtag United only formed in 2016 and are playing their third season in the league. Last season Hashtag finished in their highest ever league position of 8th with sixty four points and three ahead of Cray in 10th place.
Jay Devereux’s side are 15th in the league table with seven points after seven games and in their last fixture were beaten at Wingate & Finchley by the odd goal in three on 9th September. Adam Lovatt netted a first half leveller with the home side scoring the winner eight minutes into the second half.
Away form has been better than at home and have picked up wins at Lewes (2-0) on the opening day of the season and at Cray Valley PM (2-1) on 6th September. They were beaten at Cheshunt (1-3) and Wingate & Finchley (1-2). At home United have drawn with Potters Bar Town (0-0) and were beaten by Chichester City (1-2) and Billericay Town (3-2). In the FA Cup, Hashtag like Cray exited at the 1st Qualifying Round stage beaten by landlords Aveley (0-3).
Outside of a couple of friendly games the teams have only met on four occasions in the league with both clubs with two wins apiece. Last season, Cray won home and away with a 2-0 win at Parkside on the opening day of the season with goals from Frankie Raymond and Donte Stewart. The Wands then won their first ever league game at Flamingo Park on 2nd November 2024 with a brace from Charlie Edwards and a Tom Bonner header.
Hashtag are a side with lots of experience and play an attacking brand of football so it should be a good game to watch between two sides that perhaps go under the radar a little bit in the Isthmian Premier.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 U16-U13s on gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ and a printed match programme £3 available at the turnstile. Merchandise available and hot and cold food/drinks and bars with big TV screen showing Premier League football before and after the game.
The Pre-Match Thoughts/Programme Notes of Tim O’Shea
Cray Wanderers return to league action at Flamingo Park after two successive away matches with brought a point apiece at Lewes and Carshalton Athletic. Here Tim O’Shea looks back to last Saturday’s trip to Carshalton in conversation with Radio Wands, Luca Viscogliosi
Hello Tosh. After the game with Carshalton I mentioned in commentary given the way the first half went if felt like two points dropped than one point gained.
Definitely, without a doubt. We came in at full time and Harry Seaden made some good saves to keep us in it towards the end. It’s a game of fine margins, Kareem Isiaka goes through before they get their first goal who I thought had a good debut and if that goes in it would be 3-0 and I think we would go on to win the game comfortably. The fact we conceded a minute or two after that gets Carshalton up. Fair play to them second half they gave it a right go and on reflection probably got what they deserved.
The first half I thought we grew into it and that we were good value for the two goal lead.
Very much so, it was a good solid all round performance, Josh Williams was causing them problems, Lateef Adaja on the other side, Kareem was always on the shoulder and running in behind. I thought at one point he was through but their centre half made a fantastic challenge. It was the proverbial 2-0 at half time and you felt we needed the next goal or it could come back and bite us.
For their goals, the first one, George Brooke is an incredible talent who does so well in all aspects the header to clear there was maybe a technique thing as if he was a centre half or a defender or training to be a defender at a young age, they know that ball has just got to be headed back from where it has come from so that was disappointing. The second goal disappointed me a bit more because there was two or three more experienced players both of whom have gone up for the ball without a Carshalton challenge or taken ownership and headed the ball away. This then falls to the Carshalton player who put it away.
You talked about Kareem in the first half. Was the ball over the top something you worked on as with Frankie and Luke in midfield it opened up a lot so with Kareem’s pace was this something you looked at as a threat?
We hadn’t had Kareem long enough to work on that but we know he works the shoulder and has that bit of pace about him. Dicko was carrying an injury so we were very light for bodies through injuries. That is not any kind of excuse whatsoever. So Kareem came in and he did well. I felt Alex Hernandez did well also. He is a good footballer with an experienced brain and had a very good game.
It was a game that I was scratching my head as it was a chance for us to get into the top 5 and that is the bit that was hard to take as we were in such a good position at half time and in the end we were disappointed with a 2-2 against a side that has their own aspirations for the playoffs so looking back not such a bad result.
Let’s look ahead to today’s game with Hashtag United. A lively side who started off slowly last season before picking up well at the end. I imagine it will be a game that if we are not on our game could be telling.
Definitely, they have always had pace and flair in their side. They like to excite their supporters so you are going to have a side that are going to play quite freely. So as you say it we are not at it they are a side cause us problems. We regrouped Tuesday and Thursday for training and we may have one or two players back. We are very light in the full backs area especially with Frankie Morgan being out until Christmas. Prosper Keto could be back which will be good for us. I wanted to give Adrian Gyamera a mention as again he is in such a lovely place right now and playing full of confidence and that is showing. He has done really, really well. Against Carshalton he made a ninety yard run in the box and that shows a player on top of his game.
DIRECTIONS FOR NEWCOMERS 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 – – 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.
