Cray Wanderers continue their recent run of games against Championship and playoff contending teams on Saturday as Neil Smith’s visit Aveley for the first ever league match at the impressive Parkside ground. 

Kick off 3 pm.

One point separates the teams in the Isthmian Premier League table with Cray Wanderers in 3rd place on 43 points, a point ahead of 6th placed Aveley.  The league is so tight in mid January that just ten points separates leaders Hornchurch to 13th placed Folkestone Invicta so it certainly promises to be an exciting last three months of the season.

Cray will be looking to return to winning ways after their first defeat in ten games last Sunday to Bishop’s Stortford.  The Wands showed good resilience to come back from going a goal down just before half time and levelled through Yahaya Bamba’s penalty and then took the lead through an impressive debut strike from Dajon Golding.  Bishop’s though showed their powers of recovery and scored twice in ninety seconds to regain the lead and held on for the three points.

It shows how far the club has come in a year that defeat to a club of the stature of Bishop’s Stortford brought a sense of disappointment for the players but certainly a year ago it would have been unlikely the side would have come back from a goal down in the way they did and showed their resilience.

For the trip to Aveley, Cray are hopeful that Jephte Tanga will  return after missing the last couple of games through injury but Harrison Sodje is unavailable as with Leyton Orient. Freddie Carter is expected to miss the game through concussion protocols after going off in the first half against Bishop’s Stortford.

It will definitely be another tough test on Saturday against an Aveley side who are strong at home and have won back to back home matches. The Millers beat Wingate & Finchley 1-0 on Saturday through Harry Gibbs first half goal and on Monday went through to the Semi Final of the Velocity League Cup after beating Leatherhead 2-1 with goals from Ben Allen and a late Andre Coker winner.

The Wands edged a very competitive encounter on 5th November at Hayes Lane with Cray winning 2-1 through great goals from Tom Derry and Mitch Chapman with Tom Stephen scoring for Aveley.  

At home reigning Isthmian North champions Aveley have beaten Billericay Town (1-0), Corinthian Casuals (2-1), Potters Bar Town (3-1), Margate (3-1), Haringey Borough (3-0), Hornchurch (1-0) and Wingate & Finchley (1-0 and drew with Herne Bay (1-1), Kingstonian (0-0) and Enfield Town (1-1). Their only defeats came against Bognor Regis Town (1-6) and Canvey Island (0-1).  Away from home, Aveley have won at Hastings United (2-1), Wingate & Finchley (2-1), Brightlingsea Regent (6-0). Folkestone Invicta (5-2) and Corinthian Casuals (3-1).

The Millers drew at Lewes, Horsham and Bognor Regis Town and were beaten at Bishop’s Stortford, Carshalton Athletic, Cray Wanderers, Bowers & Pitsea and Billericay Town.  Their run to the Semi Finals of the Velocity League Cup has seen wins against Tilbury, Bowers & Pitsea and Leatherhead. Much like Cray they were knocked out of the FA Cup and FA Trophy early losing to Potters Bar Town and Horsham respectively. George Sykes is the leading scorer with 16 goals in league and cups.

The sides last met at Aveley in the league in the Isthmian North on 24th August, 2015 at the old Mill Field ground and finished 1-1 after Petrit Elbi’s goal for Aveley was cancelled out by a late spectacular overhead kick from Lea Dawson for Cray.

This promises to be one of the games of the day in the League and a good one for the Wands fans as a fairly local trip through the Dartford Tunnel into Essex as this exciting and unpredictable season looks to be going right to the wire with many sides still fancying their chances of at least a playoff place.

Admission:  £12 adults, £8 concessions, £5 U16s.

Pictures: Jon Hilliger/Ozay Booth.