Westfield vs Cray Wanderers – PSF – Saturday 29th July – Match Report
Westfield 1 Cray Wanderers 1 (Cook 55 pen)
With just two weekends to go until the start of the Isthmian Premier League season, Cray Wanderers continued pre-season with a trip to Woking to face Westfield for the first time. After a lively encounter the match finished honours even in a 1-1 draw after Anthony Cook levelled from the penalty spot ten minutes into the second half.
In the Wands fifth game of pre-season, Neil Smith’s side got off to a positive start. Nyren Clunis did well to weave his way down the left to the byline which won a corner in the opening minute. Then a slaloming run from inside his own half by Yahya Bamba ended with a ball through to George Porter down the left of the area who coolly slotted into the net but the flag was raised for offside.
Then Sam Wood hit a shot from 25 yards which was well held by the Westfield keeper which was followed by an instinctive effort from Porter which hit the top of the crossbar.
Westfield though posed a threat and took the lead with a fine goal in the 18th minute when the no 6 came up from the back to receive a pass and from just outside the area hit a sweet strike which hit the top right corner to leave Shaun Rowley with no chance in goal.
Westfield had a good spell after that with the no 11 down the right proving a handful with a couple of darts into the box and came close to scoring again when the no 9 found space to hook a shot towards goal which Rowley did well to turn aside.
Then the no 9 flicked a header wide of the right post before Cray threatened before the break with Porter shooting well wide from distance and Frankie Raymond firing wide from a free kick.
For Westfield, the no 3 saw a volley blocked inside the area and then for Cray, Porter looked to fire a volley on goal but wide of the left post.
HT: 1-0
The second half began with Westfield on the attack and the no 7 hit an effort over the top with Cray throughout the half making changes. Certainly the defence prevented chances in the second half and Jack Holland, Archy Taylor, Jamie Mascoll and Anthony Cook were superb.
In the 55th minute Cray were back on level terms after Bamba down the right broke into the area and was shoved in the back and after the referee initially signalled a free kick the other way, on the linesman’s advice changed his mind to a penalty kick. From the spot Anthony Cook made it 1-1 for his second goal of the week.
From here the game was pretty much end to end with the no 14 for Westfield testing Liam Northwood with a shot from the edge of the area. Then Cray came close to going ahead when Jack Holland headed a Frankie Raymond corner just wide of the left post.
For Cray there was a nice moment in the last twenty minutes as Lennie and Reggie Rye, two Academy graduates played their first games together for the first team and certainly didn’t look out of place with their performances.
Both keepers excelled in the latter stages. Firstly for Cray, Bamba exchanged passes with Mascoll and broke into the area but was denied by an excellent blocked save by the Westfield keeper.
Then, Northwood made the save of the match when the not 14 hit a shot from outside the area which looked to be goalbound but was turned brilliantly over the bar for a corner.
The last half chance fell to Cray late on from a corner down the right which was glanced wide of the left post by a trialist.
In the end though a draw was about the right outcome and there were some positive Wands performances at the back and going forward whilst Westfield played well and it was a decent game with barely a bad challenge in the game.
Cray now have just two more friendlies to play starting on Tuesday night at Phoenix Sports and then on Saturday at South Park (Reigate) before the season starts on 12th August.
Starting lineup: Shaun Rowley, Archy Taylor, Trialist, Jack Holland, Jamie Mascoll, Sam Wood, Frankie Raymond, Yahya Bamba, Nyren Clunis, Tom Derry, George Porter:
Substitutes: Anthony Cook, Liam Northwood, Louis Collins, Trialist, Reggie Rye, Trialist, Lennie Rye, Alfie Evans
