CRAY WANDERERS 1 CROYDON ATHLETIC 1

Ryman Division One South, Saturday 22 March 2008 

Report by Jerry Dowlen.

 

It was stalemate as Cray and Rams battled against the swirling wind at Hayes Lane.

With the wind at their backs, Cray seemed to catch their opponents flat-footed early on.

 

In the 4^th minute Michael Power sent a superb long pass from right to left where Jamie Wood chested down the ball and cut inside his marker, but his shot was taken quite comfortably by Lidbury diving to his left.

 

Wood tried another shot in the 8^th minute, this time from the edge of the box after a

patiently-built Cray move, but his scuffed effort went wide.

 

The visitors’ first corner-kick led to the opening goal in the 13^th minute. The ball came right across the goalmouth to find Greenway in space on the left. He made ground towards the Cray goal and then rolled a pass to Ademola whose deflected shot flew past Glen Knight.

A five-man passing move brought Cray's equaliser in the 19th minute. Danny Chapman persisted on the right, and the ball was worked on for Power on the penalty-spot to make a clever lay-off that invited Jamie Wood to send a crisp first-time shot low to the ‘keeper’s left.

Cray pressed hard and Lewis Wood brought a fine save from Lidbury on the half hour after making space and firing in his shot.

Lidbury was the busier 'keeper but Rams had two near misses before the interval when Greenway hit the post and Waldren's shot following a corner-kick was grabbed by Knight as the ball was crossing the line.

Despite the early loss of centre half Blackwell with a gashed eye, the visitors tightened their defence in the second half, and stuck to their task of ensuring that none of Cray’s elaborate attacking moves produced a clear-cut chance in front of goal.

 

The Rams paid close attention to leading scorer Power, restricting him to just one dangerous cross that reached Jamie Wood in front of goal without a firm shot resulting.

 

Set-pieces have brought Cray a good few goals this season, but Jamie Wood lashed a free-kick narrowly wide and Mark Willy’s glancing header from a corner-kick went in the wrong direction too.

 

Ademola was always a threat to Cray from breakaways or if defensive mistakes were made in the difficult conditions, but when a ricochet gave him a free run at goal in the 82^nd minute Knight came out to block his shot.

 

Croydon’s new manager Dave Garland said afterwards: “A fair result. We are now unbeaten in five, and it was great to get a result here against such a good side as Cray. We improved in the second half – we spoke at half time and sorted out a couple of problems.”

 

Cray’s assistant manager Joe Francis said: “We played well. I was pleased that we kept trying to pass the ball. But it was very hard out there with such a strong wind. Still, we go second in the table again – and the unbeaten run is now twenty-five."

 

Cray Wanderers: Knight, Day, Luckett (Royston 90), Chapman, Willy, Aris, Lover, Kempster, L Wood (Whitnell 83), Power, J Wood. Subs not used: Morris, Hall, Sterling.

 

Sponsors’ MOM – Michael Power

 

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