Cray Wanderers vs Potters Bar Town – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 21st March – Match Preview
Pics: Natalie Stribbling, Ben Keyes & Steve Cullum
Cray Wanderers look to stay in the hunt for the Isthmian Premier playoffs on Saturday as the Wands host Potters Bar Town who require points to avoid relegation. Kick off 3 pm at Flamingo Park.
The Wands come into the game in eighth place in the table and with seven games to go are eight behind fifth placed Billericay Town who visit Cray on 4th April. Cray have fifty five points from thirty five games played and are three behind Dartford and Burgess Hill Town in sixth and seventh respectively. So at this stage Cray really need to pick up points and mainly wins from the remaining games but definitely out of their hands and reliant on the teams above and behind dropping points.
Last Saturday Cray produced a first class team performance to win 3-0 at Whitehawk which was the Hawks heaviest home defeat of the season and a ground where Cray had yet to win in the league. The Wands showed their attacking teeth in the first half and Alex Hernandez was on hand to guide home his seventeenth goal of the season in the 28th minute and put him two behind leader Daniel Ogunleye (Brentwood Town) and one behind Jake Hutchinson (Folkestone Invicta).
Cray went two up four minutes later as Ola Ogunwamide notched his first goal for Cray converting Frankie Raymond’s pass. The scoring was completed on the stroke of half time as Max Fiddes, himself on fourteen goals for the season converted Jordy Mongoy’s cross for his third goal for Cray. This made it the third time this year that Cray had a lead of three goals or more at half time. The second half even offered threat but it was a case of Harry Seaden and the back four producing a master class of defending against a strong direct side to complete the first clean sheet of 2026. As per usual Quade Taylor stepped in to join Tom Bonner at the back and from back to front it was a professional performance.
Potters Bar Town will head down from Hertfordshire in 21st place but still very much fighting to avoid relegation and have twenty six points from thirty four games played, six points behind 18th placed Hashtag United with a game in hand albeit against fellow strugglers Welling United on 14th April. They have definitely given themselves a chance of staying up and have won four matches in 2026, three at home including against Dartford but have lost their last four away from home. Cray have to face both Cray Valley PM (19th, thirty one points) and Welling (20th, thirty one points) before the end of the season with still so many points still to play for and nothing in the league yet decided.
Sammy Moore’s side last Saturday were beaten 2-3 at home by Welling United in a crunch game affecting the bottom four. The Scholars fought back from 0-2 down to level through goals from Damary Anyadike and Brandon Adams by the 82nd minute but a minute later Welling regained the lead and held out for the win.
When the teams met at Potters Bar on 6th December Cray produced a gritty and resilient performance to win 2-0 in a game with eight bookings and with an early goal from Freddie Price and a great Soul Kader finish in stoppage time.
Away from home Potters Bar have picked up wins at Chichester City (3-1), St Albans City (2-1) and Cray Valley PM (2-1). They drew at Hashtag United (0-0) and were beaten in their other games at Lewes (1-2), Ramsgate (1-2), Dartford (1-4), Billericay Town (1-3), Carshalton Athletic (0-2), Burgess Hill Town (1-2), Chatham Town (0-3), Brentwood Town (0-1), Canvey Island (1-3), Wingate & Finchley (1-2), Aveley (0-2) and Folkestone Invicta (1-2). Leading scorer is Brandon Adams with ten goals.
Matches between Cray Wanderers vs Potters Bar Town have only taken place since the 2019-20 season with twelve previous game with Cray winning six, Potters Bar three and three draws. The last meeting at Flamingo Park was on 11th January 2025 with the Wands winning 1-0 with a Kenny Coker goal.
With both sides needing the three points for different reasons this will be one of the key games of the day and with the weather that much brighter lately should be a great day out to watch football at Flamingo Park.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 U18’s available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – £3 Printed Match programme available on the gate, merchandise, golden goal tickets (£1), hot and cold food/drinks and bars.
THE PRE MATCH THOUGHTS/PROGRAMME NOTES OF TIM O’SHEA
Cray Wanderers bounced back from the defeat at Chichester City with a fine 3-0 win at Whitehawk to keep the Wands playoff hopes alive. Here Tim O’Shea who celebrated his fiftieth game in charge of the Wands for that match looks back on the game and the challenge of Potters Bar Town today. Tim was in conversation with Radio Wands Luca Viscogliosi
Hello Tosh. The Wands got back to winning ways following the very good 3-0 away win at Whitehawk. I imagine you wanted a reaction following the Chichester City game and it was a really good tale of two halves. First half very clinical, the second half the opposite showing real grittiness to get the result and a clean sheet too.
That’s right we needed to be gritty from minute one really as it is a really tough place to come. Physically as in stature Whitehawk are a big side and they play that very well. They play for a lot set pieces, corners and so on. So it was a case of us having to stand up physically. There are two ways of being brave, one is standing toe to toe. What I liked about us is that we looked to get the ball down and play on a pitch that wasn’t particularly conducive for good football.
We scored three goals in the first half and it reminded me of the game at Brentwood Town on 3rd January where we came forward in the first half and looked like scoring every time and this time we scored three well taken goals. Alex Hernandez scored his seventeenth of the season, Ola scores his first and Max adds one before half time to make it 3-0. I can imagine from an attacking point of view you must have been pleased that all three main chances were converted.
I am and I was also pleased with others especially Jordy Mongoy who for all his industrial work has done brilliantly and deserved a goal and came close on a few occasions. We kept the threat going in the second half. Lateef has come on and looked sharp. We’ve got talent across that ‘horseshoe’ in the side. I thought Alex Stepien-Iwumene coming in from Bromley who has just met us before kick-off and he came in alongside Frankie Raymond were excellent. It is nice to get goals but what I was really pleased with was for the likes of Harry Seaden, Quade Taylor, Tom Bonner, Crossley Lema and Frankie Morgan to keep a clean sheet as there won’t be many that come to Whitehawk and achieve that.
With the defensive unit you mentioned about Harry Seaden who had a really good game in goal, he came off his line at every opportunity and quick off the mark. Also for a player like Quade Taylor who doesn’t always play every week but when he does come in he does a solid job and I think all clubs would like to have someone like him who comes in and never seems to put a foot wrong.
He is very important to our success. I have said it before the guy on and off the pitch is just immaculate and does really well. Especially against Whitehawk as he was up against two really tough opponents and stood up and was immense. He is someone who feels he doesn’t have to play or should be playing but when he does he comes in and plays like he did against Whitehawk. He is never knocking on my door asking why and you don’t get a successful team without a Quade Taylor in it. We are really lucky to have him and I love him to bits.
Let’s look now to today and the visit of Potters Bar Town. A lot of fans will look at this as a game we can go on and win but they are fighting for their lives and there are no easy games as they showed down at their place in December. They were tough and physical that afternoon and will be licking their wounds after losing to Welling United last Saturday.
Yes, they have had some good results amongst some indifferent ones. If you look back over the last eight games or so they beat Dartford amongst some good sides so we are not going to go into it and underestimate them. Anyone down at the bottom still fighting to stay in this league they are going to be decent opposition.
We’ve just got to chip away with seven more games to go. It is probably out of our hands now in regards to the playoffs but I just want our boys to finish strong and they deserve that.
I also wanted to thank the supporters that went to Whitehawk and all games this season. Their voices were heard especially last Saturday and the team really appreciates their support. Hopefully today they turn up in their numbers and have a good day.
DIRECTIONS TO FLAMINGO PARK FOR NEWCOMERS
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 and the club house hosts live music and private events. Bexley FC 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.
