Wingate & Finchley vs. Cray Wanderers
Isthmian Premier – Saturday 20th December – Match Report
Wingate & Finchley 1
Stallard 7 min
Cray Wanderers 2
Hernandez 61, Horsley-McKay o. g. 79
Cray Wanderers made it four unbeaten away from home to move up to 6th in the Isthmian Premier after a come from behind victory to complete a league double over Wingate & Finchley at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.
Cray trailed early after falling behind in the 7th minute to a well taken Charlie Stallard volley from a free kick. The Wands had the bulk of possession but could have gone in at the break two nil down on the stroke of half time when the Blues were awarded a penalty from which Romeo Akinola’s shot was well saved by Harry Seaden.
The Wands looked more potent in the second half and levelled just after the hour when after pressure from Soul Kader, ex-Wands keeper Charlie Grainger’s kick came to Lateef Adaja who set up Alex Hernandez who turned inside the area to fire in his eighth of the season.
It just looked like the game may have been heading for another draw but the Wands had perhaps a stroke of luck eleven minutes from time when Kader’s ball in from the left was headed towards goal by Kyron Horsley-McKay and went past Grainger into the net and proved to be the winner.
The Wands in 7th at the start of play were looking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing at home to Whitehawk on 12th December and from the side which started that game there were three changes with captain Tom Bonner returning, Alex Hernandez and a new signing, winger Jordy Mongoy from Hanwell Town who had scored twice against Cray in the FA Cup tie at Flamingo Park earlier in the season.
Wingate & Finchley had been without a win in five but were sitting in 14th place with 26 points and have played more away games than at home.
The match started in bright early winter sunshine and a very mild lunch time start for the two teams with the match being streamed on ClubberTV.
Cray as with most games this season looked to start positively but fell behind after just seven minutes when from a free kick awarded to the right of the penalty area, Romeo Akinola’s ball towards the far post was met with a fine instinctive volley by Charlie Stallard.
The Wands looked to get back into it straight away and had the ball in the net through Soul Kader after Jordy Mongoy’s left wing cross was touched on by Alex Hernandez for Kader but the flag was raised.
Cray from here had a fair amount of possession but the home side were defending well but the Wands had the first real opening of the half in the 27th minute when Mongoy was unlucky not to score on his debut when he latched onto a ball forward and from the left of the area clipped a shot over Grainger but dropped wide of the right post.
The game became a bit scrappy for the remainder of the half and a little stop-start but picked up before the break when the home side twice came close to adding to their lead.
In the 45th minute Wingate & Finchley came close when Akinola and Ayyuba Jambang combined to find the lively Caoilan Mcgettigan down the right and his cross was headed wide of the right post by Alfie Cue.
Then in added time after Harry Seaden’s misplaced clearance, Cue was caught inside the area by Tom Bonner for the award of a penalty. However eaden made up for his error with a fine one handed stop to keep out Akinola’s spot kick.
HT: 1-0
Cray began the second half positively and almost scored straight away when Frankie Raymond found Adaja and his ball into the penalty box looked to hit Mongoy but Grainger made a fine reflex stop to keep the ball out.
It looked like the Wands were playing well without getting their rewards but eventually perseverance paid off as Cray levelled in the 61st minute when Kader looked to close down Grainger’s clearance which came to Adaja who set up Hernandez who twisted and turned and placed a shot into the net.
The game became a bit scrappy once again but in the 71st minute Kader made a run forward and fired in a low shot that was well held by Grainger.
In the 76th minute Wingate & Finchley almost went back in front when Mcgettigan made a run forward down the right and played in Kyron Horsley-McKay but one on one was denied by a fine save from Seaden’s legs.
Three minutes later Cray though went in front with a big stroke of luck perhaps when Kader’s ball into the box from out on the left following a free kick led to Horsley-McKay getting his head to the ball but went past Grainger into the net.
From here Cray ended the game strongly with the impressive Harry Waldock down the right unlucky to see his cross-shot well saved by Grainger.
Then going into the final minutes the Wands were able to absorb the home side’s pressure and almost added a third on the break when Adaja sped away to set up Kader but his shot was again well saved by Grainger.
In the end Cray had done enough to claim another three points which briefly moved Tim O’Shea’s side up to 4th before the 3 pm kick offs before settling back into 6th but on a healthy 35 points from 23 games and just one defeat in twelve on the road this season
Wingate & Finchley: Charlie Grainger, Kyron Horsley-McKay, Charlie Stallard (Mackye Townsend-West, 68), Benjamin Watt (Cain Keller, 60), Billy Cracknell (Capt.), Sam Cornish, Ayyuba Jambang, Romeo Akinola, Alfie Cue, Caoilan Mcgettigan (Sam Beedie, 82), Loic Hernandez (Rhamar Garrett-Douglas, 84): Sub: Mark Chidi
Booked: Townsend-West 78
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Frankie Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Harry Waldock, Jordy Mongoy (Freddie Price, 64, Chris Dickson 89), Lateef Adaja, Alex Hernandez (Ralfi Hand, 74), Soul Kader: Subs: Quade Taylor, Harry Revill
Booked: Bonner 72, Kader 86, Morgan 90+2
Referee: Neil Fyfield
Assistants: Carl Jones, James Cantwell
Att: 153
