Cray Wanderers unbeaten start to October came to an end as in-form Cheshunt scored four second half goals to claim in the end a comfortable three points.

Cray perhaps edged the first half on chances but a well taken Reece Beckles-Richards goal six minutes after half time put the Ambers in front. From here Cheshunt had the better of the game and extended their lead on 74 minutes when Beckles-Richards tucked home a second goal. 

Two goals in the last seven minutes put the game well beyond the Wands as Amadou Kassarate scored a fine goal linking well with Zack Newton. Then in the final minute Mo Camara guided a near post header from a Nordibek Bobomuridov cross.  

This was Cray’s first game since October 9th and into the side came Marvin McCoy, a debut for Zakary Guerfi, plus two new eve of game signings, strikers Chris Dickson and Daniel Uchechi in place of Kasim Aidoo, Cameron Brodie, Adam Coombes and Jack Hanson for Danny Kedwell’s side. Cheshunt were unbeaten in three and Craig Edwards was able to name an unchanged team from the 2-0 win at Horsham on Tuesday night.

On a grey afternoon the game off to a lively start and Cheshunt almost scored in the second minute when the lively Reece Beckles-Richards picked up a stray back pass and saw his effort blocked by Jack Turner and from the follow up at a tight angle fired over the top.

Cray then showed their threat in attack and Jamie Yila down the left won a corner and from the corner kick, Anthony Cook’s cross was headed over from six yards by Tom Hanfrey.  Shortly after Cray won a corner down the right and this time Cook’s cross was met by a header from Andy Drury from 10 yards but again went over the bar.

The game went from end to end in the first 15 minutes and Cheshunt came close when Zack Newton found space inside the area to turn but turned his shot wide of the right post.

For Cray, the two new signings combined well with a lovely flick from Uchechi putting Dickson through to the edge of the area but his lofted shot was gathered by keeper George Marsh.  Then at the other end, Newton down the right drove a cross-shot across goal and no-one could apply a touch.

Cray looked to open the scoring before the half hour and good work by Yila down the left ended with a cross towards the far post and Cook fired over the top.

The game then went through a scrappy phase as the first half went on although Cheshunt came close when Newton’s ball across was stabbed wide by substitute Mo Camara.

Right on half time came the biggest moment of the half when Turner’s ball forward found the lithe Chris Dickson who from the left of the area hit a goalbound shot which Marsh did superbly to flick one handed over the bar for a corner.

HT: 0-0

The feeling was at half time that Cray had edged the game but perhaps needed to take one of the chances created and Cheshunt came out on the offensive after the break and Beckles-Richards and Joe Re combined to set up Newton who again flashed a ball across goal down the right.

On 51 minutes Cheshunt went in front when Dean Beckwith played a back pass which was latched onto by the pacy Beckles-Richards who down the right of the area showed composure to fire past Jack Turner into the bottom left corner.

A couple of changes just before the hour for Cray with Adam Coombes and Richard Afrane-Kesey coming on but Cheshunt were defending very well with Adam Crowther and Taylor McKenzie at the back superbly protecting Marsh’s goal.

Cheshunt were looking more of a threat in the game and a Taylor Miles corner was cleared out to Beckles-Richards who lashed a shot over.

Cray though were only a goal behind and had a half chance to level when down the right the impressive Freddy Barton sent over a cross into the area but Coombes, a little on the stretch diverted his header over the bar from 8 yards.

Cheshunt were dangerous on the counter-attack and came close to going two nil up when Beckles-Richards set up Newton but his shot was saved by the legs of Turner.  Then from a corner the ball came to Re who flicked a header over before Jack Hanson came on for Cray for the last 18 minutes.

On 74 minutes though, Cheshunt grabbed a second which stemmed from a Cray corner kick down the left and the ball was swept out to Beckles-Richards who went through and beat the onrushing Turner to the ball, took it past him and stroked the ball into the net down the left.

Despite Cray’s best efforts Cheshunt ended the game in good nick and made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute when Amadou Kassarate picked up the ball strode forward and exchanged passes with the hardworking Newton and down the right fired in a shot which went in off the left post.

Cray kept going and a ball across from the left by Richard Afrane-Kesey to the far post came to Barton who fired over the bar.

The final action came in the 89th minute when Cheshunt put a fair amount of gloss on the scoreline with another well taken goal this time down the left a cross from substitute Nordibek Bobomurodov to the far post was guided into the net by the head of Mo Camara to make it 4-0.

After a bright and enterprising start to the game in the end Cray were beaten by an in-form side who moved up to 5th in the league table and could be a playoff contender. Cray in 17th place will look to bounce back next Sunday in the FA Trophy at home to Kings Langley but there were some encouraging performances from the likes of Barton, Hanfrey, Uchechi, Dickson and McCoy but the home side showed the importance of striking while on top and in the end took their chances well.

Cheshunt: George Marsh, Enock Ekongo, Chevron McLean, Amadou Kassara, Adam Crowther, Taylor McKenzie, Reece Beckles-Richards (Jack Thomas, 86) Joe Re, Zubayr Boadi (Mo Camara, 28), Taylor Miles, Zack Newton (Nordibek Bobomurodov, 87).

Subs not used: Ola Williams, Charlie Taylor

Scorers: Beckles-Richards 51, 74, Kassarate 83, Camara 89

Cray Wanderers: Jack Turner, Freddy Barton, Dean Beckwith, Tom Hanfrey, Marvin McCoy, Zakary Guerfi, Andy Drury, Anthony Cook (Jack Hanson, 72), Jamie Yila (Richard Afrane-Kesey, 59), Daniel Uchechi (Adam Coombes, 59), Chris Dickson.

Subs not used: Danny Kedwell, Freddie Cray 

Booked: Uchechi, Hanfrey

Referee: Jordan Gibson

Assistants: Matthew Ball, Samuel Laidler

Att: 215