Cray Valley PM lost an entertaining FA Vase Final in extra time but did themselves proud and in the last seconds of 90 plus minutes hit the crossbar, how much small margins change a game.

The game started with both teams showing why they were in the final, in the 7th minute Liam Hickey 25 yards out tried his luck but it went over the bar.

Chertsey’s first chance came in the 10th minute when Lubomir Guentchev on the right wing got to the by-line & his low cross arrived at Lewis Drivers feet & his first time shot was blocked & unfortunately came back off him for a goal kick.

Four minutes later a Cray corner found Kevin Lisbie & his header was saved at the second attempt by Nick Jupp. In the 19th minute Chertsey nearly took the lead when leading scorer Jake Baxter’s acrobatic overhead kick ended up on the top of the net, in the very next minute Lisbie latched onto a loose ball & from 20 yards saw his shot go just past the post.

The game was now flowing with both sides going for it, in the 30th minute Danny Smith found himself in the area & his cross shot was cleared off the line. Chertsey responded in the next minute when Guentchev’s free kick wide out on the left forced Cray’s skipper Andy Walker to tip it over the bar.

In the 36th minute Cray took the lead when Smith’s ball down the left channel found Gavin Tomlin who out muscled the defender went into the area & shot past Jupp.

Unfortunately the lead only last three minutes when a Guentchev corner was flicked on by Sam Flegg beating Walker but not the post but it came back & he reacted the quicker & shot in. The half time whistle & the game was evenly poised.

The second half was only 4 minutes old when Driver saw his header go just over the bar, the very next minute Denzil Gayle running towards the Chertsey goal saw his shot deflect out to Lisbie who cut inside & shot but Jupp saved easily.

Six minutes later Gayle’s cross into the area saw Lisbie’s flicked header go just over the bar. In the 58th minute Chertsey had a great chance to go in front when a long ball forward was flicked backwards by a defender & Baxter reacted quicker & went on & from 18 yards his shot went just past the post.

The game was starting to open up as both teams were getting tired. In the 69th minute Lisbie running forward laid the ball into the path of Gayle & his shot from 15 yards went just past the post. In the last minute of the game a corner into the area saw Ashley Sains header pushed around the post by Jupp.

In the 90th minute Guentchev’s cross saw Walker mis judge it & Sains behind him saved his blushed by heading it over the bar. In the first minute off added on time Chertsey had a glorious chance to win it when Guentchev’s cross find Michael Peacock who from 10 yards on his own screwed his shot wide, then in the very last seconds Anthony Edgar combined with Lisbie & from 15 yards his shot came back off the bar, small margins.

Extra time was needed to separate these evenly matched sides. The first half of extra time saw both sides taking it a bit easy as no real chances happened then in the 105th minute Chertsey took the lead, Guentchev on the left ran into the area where Cem Tumkaya came over & a rash tackle & a penalty was given, up stepped Baxter who shot into the bottom left hand corner, Cray were devastated.

Cray were getting desperate & by going forward more it left gaps at the back, in the 111th minute Guentchev’s delicate chip forced Walker to tip it over the bar.

A minute later game over as Chertsey got their third, Quincy Rowe running forward combined with Guentchev & then from 20 yards his curling effort hit the back of the net. In the last minute of the game Walker made sure it wasn’t four as he tipped Guentchev’s shot onto the post & then it was cleared.

The final whistle & it would Chertsey who would walk up the steps in triumph while Cray would lick their wounds but say what a season that they have had.

CHERTSEY TOWN:

N.JUPP 3. M.WELCH-TURNER 4. K.MacLAREN (78) 5.M.PEACOCK 6. Q.ROWE 7. L.GUENTCHEV 9. J.BAXTER (117)

10. S.MURPHY 11. D.BINNS (97) 14. L.DRIVER (84) 18. S.FLEGG

SUBS USED: 8. D.TAYLOR (78) 17. A.CROSSLEY (84) 2. L.JACKSON ( 97) 12. J.POMROY (117)

SUBS NOT USED: 13. L.GALLIFENT 15. M.KINSELLA 16. D.BENNELL

BOOKINGS: NONE

CRAY VALLEY PAPER MILLS:

A.WALKER 3. D.SMITH 4. L.HICKEY 5. A.SAINS (115) 6. C.TUMKAYA (105) 7.A.EDGAR 8.P.SEMAKULA

9. G.TOMLIN 10. K.LISBIE (100) 11. R.FLACK (73)

SUBS USED: 18. J.JAMES (73) 27. F.BABOLOLA (100) 2. B.POTTER (105) 33. C.WILLOCK (115)

SUBS NOT USED: 21. D.IBRAHIM 12. T.MYERS 29. L.DAWSON

BOOKINGS: 6.C.TUMKAYA (47) 8. P.SEMAKULA (80) 10. K.LISBIE (98)

 

REFEREE: Mr R.JOYCE

ASSISTANTS: Mr R.SMITH & Mr M.LEE

4th OFFICIAL: Mr T.BRAMALL

ATTENDANCE: 42,692

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.