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SITTINGBOURNE 1 CRAY WANDERERS 1 Ryman Division One South, Saturday 15 March 2008 Report by Jerry Dowlen.
Cray’s leading scorer Michael Power was saint and sinner at Sittingbourne when he gave his side the lead with a superb finish just before half time, but then he missed a penalty-kick in the second half.
Most of the memorable action at Central Park was compressed into a twelve minute period before half time.
Prior to that, Cray’s long ball game posed little threat to the home side, and it was fortunate for them that Bradley Spice sent his shot well wide when he got behind the Cray defence in the 9th minute.
Then came a sudden burst of Cray pressure, starting with Ross Lover lashing a shot against the post in the 33rd minute. Jamie Wood was first to the rebound but Scott Lindsey diverted his shot wide of the empty net.
From the corner-kick, Mark Willy’s header was cleared off the line by Hicham Akhazzan.
In their next attack the Wands were convinced that they should have had a penalty-kick for handball, but the ‘Bourne were awarded a free-kick instead.
Cray weren’t to be denied though. Power got clean through on the right, forced his way past Chris Lewington who had raced a long way out of goal to intercept him, and after a quick look-up to size the angle and the distance from the open goal, the Cray striker confidently chipped the ball into the net.
The home side’s manager Gary Abbott was ordered out of the dug-out after protesting to referee Mr Meilack and his assistant that Power was offside when he received the ball.
Cray might have had more goals before half-time, for Ryan Royston and Willy both saw headers blocked on the line following corner-kicks from Jamie Wood on the right.
Wood then got the ball stuck underneath his foot and could only shuffle it wide of the empty net when Power twisted through from the left and rolled an inviting pass into the goalmouth.
Cray were to rue those misses, because they never put their game together with the same zest after the interval.
The one good move that Cray did produce, on the hour mark, saw Colin Luckett cross from the left and land the ball in front of Power, and when handball was given after his attempted shot was blocked, Cray had a golden chance to double their lead.
Power took the spot-kick himself, but blazed his shot high over the bar.
That proved to be the turning point of the game, for the home side were spurred into action, and they brought on Richard Brady, briefly with Cray last season, to good effect.
Brady – who made his Cray debut on this very ground a year ago – immediately burst through on the left and when Cray couldn’t stop his low cross the unmarked Dave Milton shot home.
With more than twenty minutes remaining, there was still time for either of these play-off chasing sides to go for the win, but the Wands seemed to run out of ideas up front, and Glen Knight had to make a good save to stop the lively Akhazzan putting the ‘Bourne ahead.
Cray made a last throw of the dice to push Royston up in attack, but there was to be no repeat of the late winning goal that they had netted in their previous two games.
Cray Wanderers: Knight, Aris, Luckett, Chapman, Willy, Royston, Lover, Day (Hall 77), L Wood (Whitnell 85), Power, J Wood. Subs not used: Morris, Sterling, Kempster.
Committee’s MOM – Mark Willy.
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