FT – FA Cup 4QR – Bedford Town 0 Cray Wanderers 0
Full report to follow shortly
The Wands will be in Monday evening’s FA Cup 1st Round draw for the first time in the cl history after deservedly taking Bedford Town to a replay on Tuesday night at Flamingo Park.
It wasn’t a game of many chances but Cray were the more threatening side especially in the second half.
On a grey afternoon Cray began on the front foot and Frankie Raymond’s ball across from the right was spilled by Laurie Walker but claimed at the second attempt.
Cray won a couple of corners but Bedford had their first shooting chance when David Hicks fired over.
The Wands had the best opening in the first half as Soul Kader’s left wing cross fell to Alex Hernandez whose snapshot was superbly saved by Walker.
There was a strange moment just after the half hour when George Moncur’s shot hit the wheel on the goal frame and into the net under JJ Briggs but the ball was ruled to be out of play. Then Jose Castiglione shot over.
Hernandez had another snap shot held but Bedford did come close when Moncur saw his low shot held by Briggs.
From a Wands corner the excellent Sammie McLeod flicked a balmmout to Ade Yusuff whose shot was blocked.
Joe Payne shot well over for Town while another Hernandez shot was claimed by Walker.
Cray dominated the second half with Soul Kader shooting over and then his cross just missed Yusuff in the box.
Bedford didn’t really create a chance second half as the Wands defence were immaculate with Briggs secure with Rob Strachan, Crossley Lema and Frankie Morgan resilient but the second half became a tense affair.
Things picked up in the last ten minutes. Yusuff set up sub Jakob Lowe at the near post but blocked.
Then in the 82nd minute Raymond saw a shot pushed round the right post by Walker.
There was a moment of Controversy two minutes later when Walker’s clearance came back off Yusuff’s back and into the net but was disallowed for reasons not entirely apparent.
The game was a bit tetchy second half with a few yellow cards. The last half opening came to Bedford when Louie Kudiabor saw a shot charged down by the superb Lema and a late free kick was cleared and the Wands saw out added time for another chance at history on Tuesday night under the lights at Flamingo Park.
Team: Briggs, Lema, Strachan, Morgan, Raymond, McLeod, Adaja, Ogunwamide, Hernandez, Yusuff, Kader (Lowe): Subs: Payne, Sanogo, Tinibu, Wall, Morley, Eyers
Booked: Adaja, Raymond, Hernandez, Lema
Att: 1283
