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CRAY WANDERERS 3 WALTON & HERSHAM 2 Ryman Division One South, Sunday 9 March 2008 Report by Jerry Dowlen.
A spectacular rainbow in the sky … three spectators who had travelled all the way from Maine and Texas USA to see us … an exciting ninety minutes of skilful flowing football … a dramatic late winning goal … yes it was another day in the fast lane with the wondrous Wands, now twenty-two games unbeaten in the Ryman League.
Cray were off to a flier with a goal in the 7th minute. Ross Lover belted the ball upfield, Ryan Royston leapt high to back-head it on, and Lewis Wood finished with a neat chip over the ‘keeper.
There was no luck for the visitors when Rob George drove the ball across the Cray goalmouth without anyone getting a touch, and then a clever backheel by Julian Thompson also went begging.
Tommy Whitnell’s diving header from Lover’s free-kick on the left was safely held by Richard Stroud, but Cray doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Lover sent in a free-kick from just in front of the dug-outs after a scything tackle on Jamie Wood. Royston again got the nod-on, and Steve Aris took a touch before tucking the ball past Stroud.
Whitnell’s pace brought another chance for the Wands but there was no one in the box to meet his cut-back from the byline on the right, and then came an Aaron Day header from Colin Luckett’s cross, but Stroud grasped the ball,
Suddenly it was “game on” as Jon Neal fired past Glen Knight in the 39th minute, and Thompson gratefully accepted a gift opportunity from Cray to level the scores a minute after the restart.
The game stayed in the balance for the next few minutes, and then it was Cray who showed the greater will-to-win, taking the game to the Swans with some delightful touch football and measured passing.
Whitnell’s header was pushed out by Stroud, Lewis Wood was put through but shot wide, Stroud scooped the ball away from Whitnell as he was closing in on goal, and Lover drove a low shot wide.
It was all Cray now, but it needed a blocking tackle by Danny Chapman to stop George after the Swans striker had eluded the offside trap.
Stroud in goal and Aaron Nowacki in central defence heroically tried to stem the tide as Cray relentlessly sought the three vital points necessary to keep up the pressure on second-placed Tooting.
Nowacki blocked Lewis Wood at point-blank range, and Royston sent his shot a fraction too high after picking his way past two tackles.
Cray’s non-stop pressure was at last rewarded when Mark Willy capped an outstanding personal display by smashing the ball past Stroud in the 84th minute.
There was no way back for the visitors after that, and it needed two blinding saves by Stroud from Jamie Wood and Whitnell to prevent further goals for Cray.
Well done the Wands – and congratulations to both teams, and to referee Mr Smith and his assistants for an afternoon of cracking entertainment that our overseas visitors might well agree was “top dollar”!
Cray Wanderers: Knight, Day, Luckett, Chapman, Willy, Royston, Lover, Aris, J Wood, L Wood, Whitnell.
Subs not used: Morris, Hall, Sterling, Lee, Jenkins.
Sponsors’ MOM – Danny Chapman.
Attendance: 190.
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