Cray Wanderers latest cup tie Saturday ended in defeat as Brentwood Town held their nerve to advance in the FA Trophy on penalties after a lively encounter at the Brentwood Arena.

Cray began the game brightly but the home side took the lead in the 19th minute when Connor Witherspoon turned the ball in from a close range following a right wing corner.

The Wands got back into the game and levelled ten minutes after half time when Ike Orji’s cross was well fired in by Lateef Adaja for his first Cray Wanderers goal.

Both teams had chances to win but the match seemed destined to end in a penalty shoot out and in the end spot kicks were needed to decide the winners.

On a sunny and mild afternoon, the Wands were unchanged from the FA Cup win vs Hastings United and began the game positively.  In the opening minute, Lateef Adaja inside the area saw his low shot pushed out by Melvin Minter.

Then in the 7th minute Cray came close again when Nyren Clunis set up Kenny Coker down the left of the area and again Minter did well to parry the shot.

Brentwood though were very much in the game and were looking a threat from corners and Benas Vaivada’s cross into the area had to be hooked away to safety.  Then for Cray, Frankie Raymond saw a shot held.

In the 19th minute, Brentwood took the lead when Vaivada’s right wing corner into the heart of the six yard box looked to get a flick on to Connor Witherspoon who turned the ball in from four yards.

Cray still had the better of the play and Imran Kayani saw a shot held and then set up Kenny Coker whose shot was held by Minter.

In the 32nd minute Cray came closest yet when from a free kick out on the left, Raymond’s ball into the area was helped onto Toby King whose shot was cleared off the line by Harry Cripps.

Brentwood though ended the half well and came close to a second goal when Mekhi McKenzie went through down the right but lobbed the ball over the bar.

Then in the last minute of the half Jonathan Nzengo and Benas Vaivada combined to set up Kai Brown whose shot was well saved by Shaun Rowley and following up Vaivada put the ball wide of the right post.

HT:  1-0

The second half began with Cray looking to get back into the game quickly and Tom Bonner up from the back couldn’t quite get a full connection from a ball into the air and put the ball wide.

However, in the 55th minute the Wands drew level as down the right Ike Orji chased down Andrew Freeman by the touchline and won the ball and laid the ball into the box for Lateef Adaja to get in front of Cripps to fire into the net from eight yards.

The game became a bit bogged down for a short while as both teams looked to try to win the match before the need for penalties.

Cray came close to a second when a free kick from Frankie Raymond out on the right was met by a fine header from Coker but went just wide of the right post.   Then Darion Dowrich’s cross shot was blocked.

Going into the final ten minutes Brentwood seemed to be ending the stronger and from a free kick down the right from Shad Ngandu to Jonathan Nzengo was held by Rowley at the far post.

Then a cross into the area fell to Jesse Olukolu whose effort was cleared off the line by David Ijaha and behind for a corner.

From the corner into the area, Romel Aarons Royal’s header via a Rowley tip hit the bar and following up Vaivada headed over.

Towards the end both teams went for it with Arezki Hamouchene made a run forward and his low shot was held by Minter.

In the end though there was to be no winner over ninety minutes and the Wands required a penalty shoot out in the FA Trophy for the third time in the last four seasons.

The Wands took the first spot kick and Anthony Cook’s first penalty for Cray was saved by Melvin Minter while Shad Ngandu and Matt Cripps scored for Brentwood and Frankie Raymond for Cray. Arezki Hamouchene hit the post with Cray’s third kick with Brentwood 2-1 up. However, Brentwood’s third kick from Olukolu was well saved by Rowley by the right post.  David Smith made it 2-2 before Vaivada put Brentwood 3-2 up.  Darion Dowrich showed composure to level at 3-3 and put pressure on Brentwood’s last kick but Daniel Ogunleye stroked home to make it 4-3 and put the Isthmian North side into the 2nd Round of the FA Trophy.  It was a good tie and plenty of endevour from both teams but in cup ties there must always be a winner and on this occasion Brentwood edged through to Monday’s 2nd round draw.   As a result of the match, the Isthmian League game at Potters Bar Town on 26th October will now be rearranged due to Potters Bar continued participation in the Trophy.

Cray now move on to next Saturday and the first FA Cup 4QR home tie vs Tonbridge Angels with another piece of history will be written in the long history of the club.

Brentwood Town:        Melvin Minter, Jonathan Nzengo, Matt Cripps, Romel Aarons Royal,

Connor Witherspoon, Benas Vaivada, Shad Ngandu, Mekhi McKenzie (Jessie Olukolu, 75), Kai Brown (Connor Hogan, H/T), Andrew Freeman, Daniel Ogunleye:  Subs:  Rob Harvey, Toby Stevenson, Harry Elsey

Scorer: Witherspoon 19

Booked:           Cripps 33, McKenzie 38, Nzengo 72

Pens:               Ngandu scored 1-0, Cripps scored 2-1, Olukolu saved 2-1, Vaivada scored 3-2, Ogunleye scored 4-3

Cray Wanderers:         Shaun Rowley, Ike Oji, Daniel Dowrich, David Ijaha, Tom Bonner, Frankie Raymond, Lateef Adaja (Anthony Cook, 90+1), Nyren Clunis, Toby King, Kenny Coker (David Smith, 81), Imran Kayani (Arezki Hamouchene, 62):  Subs:  Quade Taylor, Charlie Edwards

Scorer: Adaja 55

Booked:           Adaja 65

Pens:               Cook saved 0-0, Raymond scored, 1-1, Hamouchene missed 1-2,

Smith scored 2-2, Dowrich scored 3-3

Referee:          Kane Dempster

Assistants:       Mark Fitzpatrick, Matt Williams

Att:       268