Wingate & Finchley vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 8th August – Match Report
Wingate & Finchley 1
Nzala 9 mins
Cray Wanderers 1
Yusuff 76
Photos: To follow
Cray Wanderers started the 2026-27 season with a hard earned point at a dogged and resilient Wingate & Finchley side who played the last hour with ten men. A 76th minute goal from Ade Yusuff cancelled out an ninth minute goal from Ashley Nzala before the dismissal of Tobi Tinibu in the 32nd minute.
It was an incredibly warm and sunny afternoon in North London and there was the hubbub of opening day of the season for both clubs and sets of fans and it was a relief to get back to the nitty gritty of league football compared to the pre-season games. This game in particular although perhaps not a classic was hugely competitive and plenty of endeavour and sweat expended.
For Cray there was a nice surprise for the Cray Wanderers supporters as it was announced that Soul Kader has returned on loan from Bromley for a fourth time until January and started the game. Also starting in place of Charlie Paye who is currently trialling with Bolton Wanderers came former Watford and Leicester City centre-half Bayli Spencer-Adams alongside Rob Strachan. Strachan along with Alfie Payne and Ade Yusuff were making their league debuts for the Wands.
Wingate & Finchley have recruited well in the summer and had three ex-Cray players in their starting lineup in Ashley Nazala, centre half Ben Frempah and goalkeeper Charlie Grainger.
The Wands in their new claret away colours started the game well and had the first shooting chance in the fourth minute when Alex Hernandez down the right of the area drove in a shot which was well held by Grainger.
In the ninth minute Wingate & Finchley took the lead with their first real moment of danger when Anointed Chukwu found Nzala down the left of the area and applied a cool finish drilling past Henry Molyneux into the bottom right corner.
The home side now had the upper hand for a spell and from a free kick out on the left from Sam Cornish to the far post aimed for Nzala but fell to Frempah who headed against the post.
Cray won a couple of corners but again the Blues threatened through Nzala who fired a cross-shot wide of goal. Then Caoillan McGettigan drove in a shot that was blocked by Spencer-Adams.
The game though had a key moment in the 32nd minute when Tobi Tinibu on his debut for Wingate & Finchley was shown a straight red card for a lunging tackle on Frankie Raymond.
Cray looked to arrest the initiative but would find the home side in belligerent mood at the back with the closest in the first half coming when Ola Ogunwamide volleyed over from Frankie Morgan’s cross.
There was a heart in mouth moment when Rob Strachan was booked but overall the centre-half along with Spencer-Adams played well at the back.
HT: 1-0
Cray looked to change things with Lateef Adaja coming on at half time but again found openings difficult to come by early on.
Wingate & Finchley were defending their box well from corners and free kicks but the introduction of Shae Hutchinson and Mitchell Chapman began to turn the tide.
The Blues almost added a second though when Chukwu saw a low drive turned round the right post by Molyneux.
Cray began to exert more pressure and Hutchinson down the right put over a cross which was met by the head of Yusuff but couldn’t get full purchase on the header and was claimed by Grainger.
The Wands though came closest yet a couple of minutes later when after a break from a Wingate & Finchley attack the ball was worked down the left and Yusuff’s ball across fell invitingly for Kader but under pressure from Frempah put the ball over the bar from inside the six yard box.
A goal for Cray looked to be coming and did so in the 76th minute when following a corner the ball came to Morgan whose ball into the box was pinpoint and Yusuff got in front of Casey Shann to plant a text book header into the net.
A minute later Yusuff had the ball in the net again but was disallowed for offside but towards the latter stages it looked like a draw would be the final outcome.
There was one more opportunity for each side. Wingate & Finchley came close from a free kick out on the left and Ryan Lowe’s cross towards the right post was headed wide of the left post by Kai Thomas-Fraser.
For Cray with the last kick of the game from a free kick out on the left Frankie Raymond’s shot was tipped over by Grainger but the whistle went before a corner could be taken and the game finished in a draw which over the piece was about the right result.
There is always a quick turnaround of games early in the season and Wingate & Finchley visit Carshalton Athletic on Monday, 10th August while the Wands kick off their home fixtures vs Cheshunt on Tuesday 11th August, 7.45 pm,
I think it was fair to say after a World Cup that offered a lot of good and bad moments but overall felt a bit overblown and bloated it was good to get back to the bread and butter of league football, travelling away a fair distance and enjoying a sensational sunny day with football back in our lives.
Wingate & Finchley: Charlie Grainger, Tobi Tinibu, Billy Cracknell (Capt.), Ben Frempah, Casey Shann, Sam Cornish (Sami Moutawafiq, 69), Caoilan McGettigan (Ryan Lowe, 73), Harrison Lamb (Kai Thomas-Fraser, 33), Jack Thomas, Anointed Chukwu (John Shamalo, 78), Ashley Nzala (Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyei, 84):
Sent Off: Tinibu 32
Booked: Cornish 56, McGettigan 63, Bugyei-Kyei 90
Cray Wanderers: Henry Molyneux, Crossley Lema, Bayli Spencer-Adams (Quade Taylor, 84), Rob Strachan, Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond (Capt.), Alfie Payne (Lateef Adaja, H/T), Ola Ogunwamide (Shae Hutchinson, 57), Alex Hernandez (Mitchell Chapman, 57), Ade Yusuff, Soul Kader (Daniel Ajakaiye, 90+5)
Booked: Strachan 41, Raymond 86, Lema 89
Referee: Derrick Laing
Att: 239
