Cray Wanderers head to West Sussex on Saturday as Neil Smith’s side visit Bognor Regis Town in what is always a lively encounter on the South Coast. Kick off 3 pm.
Both sides come into the game on the back of slow starts to the league season with Cray in 20th place on 4 points and Bognor 18th on 5 points but Cray are unbeaten in their last four league and cup games.
On Tuesday night, Cray advanced in the FA Cup to the 3rd Qualifying Round and a first home tie since the 2012-13 season after a 1-0 win at Wingate & Finchley. Cray weathered early pressure from the home side but in added time at the end of the first half David Smith scored his first goal of the season. The Wands defended well in the second half and had chances to make the final score more convincing but in the end deserved the win to set up a tie with Hastings United next Saturday. Overall it was a fine all round team performance and a good win away from home.
With the next two Saturday’s taken up with FA Cup and FA Trophy games Cray will just be looking to get a positive run of league results going and build on the positives on the last match, a 0-0 draw at home to Horsham on 7th September.
Bognor Regis Town will be looking to bounce back from an FA Cup defeat last Saturday against Margate but the Rocks did win their last league game on 7th September, a 2-1 home win vs Wingate & Finchley. Robbie Blake’s side came back from a goal down at the break to pick up the three points with goals from Tommy Lee-Higgs and an injury time winner from Callum Barlow. So far at home Bognor have beaten Wingate & Finchley, drew with Hendon (2-2) and were beaten against Lewes (0-1). Away from home, the Rocks drew at Hastings United (2-2) and lost at Cheshunt (2-3) and Chichester City (1-2). They did win at Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (3-0) in the 1QR of the FA Cup but last Saturday lost 0-4 at home to Margate.
Bognor finished 10th last season on 62 points and finished the season unbeaten in four including three wins to end the campaign. Last season saw Bognor Regis Town win both league games, a 2-1 win at Nyewood Road on 9th January with Gary Lockyer firing Cray in front and held out until the final three minutes when a Dan Gifford brace won the game for the home side. The corresponding fixture saw Bognor win 5-1 in the final Wands match at Hayes Lane on 20th April. Nyren Clunis was on target for Cray but goals from Tommy Lee-Higgs, Jasper Mather (2), Craig Robson and Alfie Bridgman gave Bognor the three points. Cray’s last win at Bognor Regis was a 3-2 league victory in March 2022 but did earn a 2-2 draw in December 2022.
With both sides needing to get points to move up the table and away from the bottom four this should be a good game on a usually excellent playing surface and always a great day out especially on a Saturday.
Admission £12 adults, £ 6 U18s