Cray Wanderers playoff hopes took a knock as they went down to a second straight defeat as third placed Carshalton Athletic came back from a goal down to claim three points against a ten man Wands side. 
The teams had played three times at Hayes Lane this season and were all good matches. This game perhaps didn’t reach those highs but was certainly dramatic and after an even first quarter of the game, Cray were reduced to ten men with the sending off of Lee Prescott. Despite this, Cray took the lead eight minutes before the break with Lea Dawson’s sixth goal of the season but a long second half beckoned trying to hold on to the lead. Two goals in three minutes just after the hour from Omar Folkes, and Bobby Price turned the game on its head and the Robins had enough nous and ability to see out the game with the man advantage.
Following the defeat at home to Lewes last Saturday, there were a few changes to the side which started that game. Danny Haynes had served his four game suspension so was back in the starting lineup along with Paul Lorraine, Jey Siva, Brandon Scott, Lee Prescott and Karl Dent. They came in place of Luke Medley, Leigh Bremner, Jai McKinlay, Timi Osidobu, Grant Basey and Sol Taiwo.
On a very pleasant mild February afternoon played in bright sunshine the prospect of another good game loomed large. The match started fairly quietly but Cray came close in the opening minutes when a free kick from out on the right from Jey Siva was crossed to the back post where the ball was met firmly by Jay Leader but went straight to keeper, Joe Tupper.
Carshalton were tidy in possession and seldom gave the ball away and Nick Blue had to be alert to come and claim as Mickel Miller played through Ricardo Panton. Meanwhile Cray looked for the pace of Haynes who looked very sharp particularly in the first half chasing balls forward and never gave the home defence a rest.
The Wands were unlucky when the ball was worked down the right to Scott who put over a cross into the area to Haynes whose attempt from eight yards was blocked by Paris Hamilton-Downes.
Carshalton threatened with a corner from the right from leading scorer Tommy Bradford which was flicked into the area and Ben Mundele did well to block and deflected the effort behind for a another corner,
Close to the twenty minute mark, Bobby Price fired over the bar for Carshalton and came closest yet a minute later when strong forward, Omar Folkes hit a shot on the turn from twenty five yards which clipped the outside of the left post.
In the 22nd minute, Cray’s hopes took a knock when Prescott was sent off for a foul tackle on the half way line on Sekou Kaba. Although not in any way a malicious challenge, it was a rather late tackle and there were no real arguments against the decision. Unfortunately Kaba was hurt and had to leave the field on a stretcher with both sides having to make adjustments.
Cray though showed good character and played well for the remainder of the half with the majestic Lorraine and Leader outstanding at the back. Haynes was a real handful and made a strong run from the half way line but was denied by a fine tackle by Kalvin Morath Gibbs.
Then a free kick on the right edge of the penalty area was once again well delivered by Siva into the area but Leader glanced a header away from goal.
In the 37th minute, Cray went in front when Scott’s ball into the box was nudged back by a Carshalton player to Dawson who got in front of Ryan Healy to turn and hook in a superb angled shot for his sixth goal of the season from seven yards.
Carshalton pressed before half time but were well contained as Lorraine got in a couple of timely blocks and Leader won key headers to keep Nick Blue relatively well protected and give Cray a 1-0 lead at half time.
Half Time: 0-1
With a man disadvantage and a goal lead it was inevitable that the second half would be a long one. Cray though showed their intent when Haynes from thirty yards tried an audacious shot which went just over the bar.
Carshalton had the majority of the possession and started to look really dangerous with Ryan Gandoh and Folkes looking lively. A free kick on the right of the area from Gandoh was desperately cleared and then after a good passing move, Bradford who was otherwise well shackled fired over the bar.
Cray had a bit of a let off in the 52nd minute when Carshalton had the ball in the net through Miller but was disallowed for offside. Then Bradford saw an effort blocked by Lorraine and then in the 56th minute Jordan Hibbert made a run forward and curled a shot just over.
Blue then did well to deny Miller with a smart effort at his near post and then had to push behind a shot from Gondoh as the pressure increased.
A goal was coming and did so in the 61st minute. The Wands perhaps were caught a bit off guard with a short corner and Gondoh’s shot was pushed out by Blue but only as far as Folkes who turned the ball in from five yards.
Most Wands fans would have happily taken a point at this stage but the Robins tails were up and Price saw an effort pushed behind for a corner by Blue.
Then in the 63rd minute, Carshalton went ahead when Price latched onto a ball played down the right and from close to the byline cracked home a shot from a tight angle which flew past Blue.
Cray really had to try and stay in the game and despite substitutions the ball wasn’t coming the Wands way and Carshalton quite cleverly used the man advantage to take control of the game.
The game got a little heated and Leader and Miller were booked as a melee broke out but the referee sensibly dealt with the situation.
Carshalton came close to wrapping up the game when Bradford’s effort was tipped away well by Blue but generally Cray defended stoutly but couldn’t find anything in the final third to test Tupper and the Carshalton defence.
The nearest they came was three minutes from time when Leigh Bremner put over a decent ball from the left which Tupper did well to claim as Haynes looked to get on the end of the cross.
In the end though Cray despite putting in a good shift particularly for so long with ten men the Wands were not able to stop the home side winning and keeping their title ambitions alive. The win keeps them ten points behind the leaders Tooting & Mitcham United who are Cray’s next opponents on Wednesday.
There were some good performances from the boys in amber and black but in particular mention to Paul Lorraine who was possibly the man of the match whilst Dawson and Sean Roberts typically gave their all in a midfield area which was depleted for much of the match.
It will take a huge effort to reach the playoffs now with the Wands seven points behind fifth placed Corinthian Casuals but Cray will battle on and hope to give the league leaders a real contest on Wednesday night and perhaps look to improve their home form with eight matches still to play at Hayes Lane.
Cray: Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson, Sean Roberts (Jai McKinlay, 77), Lee Prescott, Danny Haynes, Karl Dent (Luke Medley, 74) Brandon Scott (Leigh Bremner, 54): Subs: Grant Basey, Dane Luchford
Senf Off: Prescott 22
Booked: Leader
Carshalton: Joe Tupper, Bobby Price, Paris Hamilton-Downes (Capt.), Kalvin Moraith Gibbs, Ryan Gandoh, Sekou Kaba (Ryan Healy, 29), Mickel Miller, Tommy Bradford, Jordan Hibbert, Omar Folkes (Rio Davidson-Phipps, 81), Ricardo Panton (Joseph Debayo, 90+1): Subs: Peter Adeniyi, Kingsley Aikhionbare
Booked: Miller
Referee: Michael Smith
Assistants: Turan Yesliyurt, Luke Donaldson
Attendance: 251