Cray Wanderers continued their impressive form with a stylish and clinical performance to win their fifth match of pre-season at a wet and soggy AFC Sudbury.

In a dramatic fifteen minute spell in the first half the Wands had to come from behind against a youthful and talented Sudbury side after Harry Critchley gave them the lead in the 17^th minute.  Two minutes later Joe Taylor levelled with a crashing drive and just before the half hour goals from Aaron Rhule and Karl Dent put Cray in command.  During that spell both sides missed a penalty apiece.

The second saw Cray take full control of the game and a classy finish from Freddie Parker ten minutes after the break sealed the match.  Finally thirteen minutes from time Tom Phipp hit a superb strike from 30 yards to make it 5-1.

Cray had begun their pre-season campaign with victories at Sheppey United and at home to Tonbridge Angels before a 1-2 defeat at Beckenham on the 16^th July.  Since then Cray have stepped it up a notch with a 5-1 win at Whitstable Town last Saturday and an impressive 4-1 win at Grays Athletic on Wednesday night.

Against a Sudbury side who fielded a few young players in the side, on a grey and damp if at times rather muggy afternoon Cray enjoyed good possession but Sudbury held their own in the early exchanges and a free kick on the edge of the box from Liam Bennett was blasted into the wall and away to safety.  Cray created the first real opening in the 13^th minute when Tom Carlse down the left played a ball to the near post where Joe Taylor fired his shot just over the bar.

In the 17^th minute, AFC Sudbury took the lead when Ben Hunter played a fine pass through the Cray defence to Harry Critchley who advanced on goal and his initial shot was well pushed out by Lewis Carey but following up showed good composure to steer the ball into the net.

Two minutes later though Cray had got back on level terms when the ball was worked down the right and picking the ball up, Taylor advanced into the area and cracked a fierce cross shot into the bottom left corner of the net.

In the 22^st minute, Cray were awarded a penalty when Aaron Rhule was brought down inside the area.  However, Taylor’s penalty kick was saved at the left post by keeper Paul Walker.  Then in the 26th minute Taylor drove a shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Cray then scored two goals in two minutes when after an intricate move in the 28^th minute, Taylor slipped a superb weighted pass through to Rhule inside the area who from 8 yards turned and fired under Walker and into the net.

A minute later it was 3-1 with a goal of nothing when Karl Dent who scored two crackers at Grays on Wednesday hit another unstoppable shot from 25 yards which crashed into the top right hand corner.

Three minutes later AFC Sudbury had an opportunity to pull a goal back when awarded a penalty given for handball by a trialist following a shot from Critchley.  From the spot though, Freddie King’s kick was saved by Carey at the left post.

Before half time, Taylor saw a shot from the edge of the box fly into the arms of Walker and then from Taylor’s layoff Rhule drove a shot just wide of the left post.

The missed penalty for the home side proved a key moment as Cray took command of the game after the break and a trialist wearing no 12 drove a shot just over the bar from 20 yards.

Then Cray threatened from corner kicks when first, Dent’s right wing cross was headed over by Mitchell Nelson.  A couple of minutes later in a similar incident, Dent’s corner kick was nodded over by Tom Phipp from 8 yards.

In the 55^th minute, Cray Wanderers scored their fourth goal which was well crafted and Taylor held the ball up superbly and hooked a pass through to Freddie Parker down the left of the area who turned two defenders and drove a shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

Just after the hour, Cray came close again when good work by a trialist wearing 16 jinked his way down the middle of the field and then played in Parker in a similar position to where he scored and was unlucky to see his shot glide narrowly wide.

Sudbury battled hard and their young players never threw in the towel and showed a lot of heart and character but you felt a fifth goal was just around the corner and it arrived in the 77^th minute in some style as Phipp picked up a pass from Bradley Pritchard and blasted in a shot from close to 30 yards which gave Walker no chance and nestled into the bottom right corner.

Towards the end Cray probed for another goal and Parker picked up a pass just on the edge of the area and cracked in a shot which hit the left post and back out into play.

With the game won, Cray impressively saw out the remaining minutes and headed out of Suffolk with another test of pre-season won.

The Wands are next in action on Thursday 1^st August as they make the short trip to Phoenix Sports and then two days later complete pre-season with a fascinating match at Hayes & Yeading United.

Cray are looking in fine fettle and this was without the absent Jay Leader, Barney Williams and Jerome Federico and a high quality side looks to be taking shape with three new signings who played at Sudbury expected to officially be announced early next week.

 

AFC Sudbury: Walker, Bennett, Critchley, Altintop (Grimwood), Woolridge, Whyte, Hunter, O’Malley (Mayhew), King (Mundawara), Marks (Osbourne), Dettnar

Cray Wanderers: Carey, Lewis (Etumnu), Carlse, Nelson, Phipp, Trialist, Dent (Parker), Pritchard, Rhule (Trialist), Trialist, Taylor

Sub not used: Vines

AFC Sudbury goals: Critchley (17)

Cray Wanderers goals: Taylor (19), Rhule (28), Dent (29), Parker (55), Phipp (77)