WOMEN’S MATCH REPORT – By Charlie Bradford
Cray Wanderers Wonen 7
(Main 30, 33, 37, Webster 49, Oldfield 66, Arnold 78, Rix 86 (pen))
Margate Women 1
(Niblett 52)
The Adobe Women’s F.A. Cup First Qualifying Round
Sunday 7th September 2025, 2:30 PM @ Flamingo Park
After perhaps a mixed bag of results in pre-season, today was finally the day for Cray Wanderers’ Women’s team to dust off their boots and take to the field for their first competitive game of the new season.
The occasion for the Wands’ Women’s opener could not have been a bigger occasion either as, for just the second time in the club’s 165 year proud history, they were participating in the Women’s F.A. Cup….
Last season Cray Wanderers recorded a 3-0 victory in the competition against Soccer Elite FA thanks to a Katie Jackson hat trick before losing 4-2 in the next round at home to Comets (where Katie Jackson once again bagged a goal, and was joined on the scoresheet by Kiera Syms).
Could Cray therefore match that feat and win today’s tie at home to Margate, a side Cray’s Women have become accustomed to playing having drew 3-3 with them at Flamingo Park and then won 2-1 away at Hartsdown Park in the league last season, with Cray finishing 12 points ahead of Margate in the final table?!
The two sides will once again compete in the South East Counties Women’s Football League Premier Division this season but for now it was all eyes on the prize and F.A. Cup progression…!
Cray certainly got off to a lively start and tested Margate goalkeeper Suzanna Urban early on when Emily Symonds’ mis-hit cross was directed towards goal by Lucy Rix which forced Urban into a reactionary stop before a mix up almost saw Maddie Bone capitalise for Cray but her effort was blocked saved by Urban at close quarters.
Margate then had a chance of their own when Michaela Beach took aim from the edge of the Cray box but cleared both Jess Cox in the Cray goal and the target.
Cray then took the lead on the half an hour mark when Millie Main found some room on the left side of Margate’s box and made the most of it by finding the bottom left corner.
Three minutes later and Millie Main got her and Cray’s second – Maddie Bone with some good work down the right before the ball was not cleared away and ran loose to Main to tuck home a shot along the ground and into the bottom left corner from 20 yards.
Millie wasn’t done there however as she completed her hat trick in the 37th minute when Maddie Bone laid the ball off to her at close range and her first time effort found the top right corner from the edge of the six yard box.
A Chloe Obando strike for Cray nearly added to the lead before half time but sailed over the bar from 20 yards.
HT: 3-0.
Cray’s tails were up at this point and they added a fourth in the 49th minute from a perhaps unlikely source. Up from a corner, centre back Megan Webster flicked the ball home at the near left post in an instinctive finish.
Margate however got themselves a goal back in the 52nd minute when Olivia Gregory was caught out defensively for Cray and lost the ball to Margate’s Shannon King who proceeded to chip the ball over the head of Cray goalkeeper Jess Cox for Rebecca Niblett to tap home on the line.
This proved to be just a blot on the copybook for Cray however who restored a four goal lead in the 66th minute when Maddie Bone’s initial shot was saved into the path of Jessica Oldfield who managed to find the bottom left corner with her first touch after coming off the bench.
Speaking of goals from substitutes with their first touch, Storm Arnold did likewise for Cray in the 78th minute, running onto the ball and smacking it into the top right postage stamp from 20 yards in arguably the goal of the day.
Four minutes from time Cray reached seventh heaven when Jessica Oldfield was upended in the box for a penalty which Lucy Rix tucked into the bottom left corner.
Overall Cray can be very pleased with their performance and afternoon’s work which will take some beating as Cray Wanderers’ Women’s biggest margin of victory in their Women’s F.A. Cup history…!
FT: 7-1.
A NOTE THAT THE DRAW HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE 2nd QUALIFYING ROUND & THE WANDS HAVE BEEN DRAWN AWAY TO ASHFORD TOWN (MIDDLESEX). THE MATCH IS DUE TO BE PLAYED SUNDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER – MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW
