Cray Wanderers continued their fine form with an excellent victory over Corinthian Casuals at King George’s Field completing a league double over Casuals and bringing to an end an impressive eight game winning streak for the home side.
The Wands took the lead with Junor Dadson’s fourth goal in three games stealing in to fire home from Charlie MacDonald’s cross after 10 minutes and produced a determined performance from there on, well drilled at the back and through a great display up front from MacDonald helped Cray lead 1-0 at the break.
Cray seemed quite comfortable but the game turned when Gabriel Odunaike was sent off for Casuals for violent conduct nine minutes after half time which seemed to inspire the home side but chances were few and far between and Cray held out for a win which puts them on 78 points, three behind second placed Casuals and Carshalton.
The Wands had won their last two games against Whyteleafe and Horsham at home but this looked a very tough assignment against a very good Corinthian Casuals side who came into the game with eight straight league wins. From the side which beat Horsham at a wintry Hayes Lane on Sunday, there was one change to the starting line up with Aaron Rhule starting in place of Brandon Scott.
It was a cracking game when the two sides met in October with Cray winning 4-2 but with the stakes high it was understandable if the game began rather cagily. The Wands looked confident from the off whilst Casuals probed for an early opening but it was Cray with the first serious attack of the game who took the lead after ten minutes. The ball was worked down the left and Karl Dent played in Charlie MacDonald who raced away from a defender, cut inside and from the edge of the area whipped a ball towards the far post when Junior Dadson stole in to fire home from five yards.
After that Cray played with great discipline and quelled the expected comeback from the home side and almost scored again after 24 minutes in a game of few chances. From a free kick twenty five yards out on the left, Dent played in a superb towards the near post where MacDonald met the ball with a firm header from six yards but was denied by a very good save by Danny Bracken.
Aside from one left wing cross from Max Oldham which Nick Blue came to claim the back four were giving nothing away and Jay Leader and Mitchell Nelson were in imperious form at the back.
Six minutes before half time Cray had a decent shout for a penalty kick when MacDonald set up Dadson down the right of the penalty area who rode a couple of challenged and from inside the box looked to have been brought down by Jack Strange but no penalty was given.
Cray came through a very tight first half with a deserved lead at the break and managed to prevent a side as good as Casuals from having any shots on goal of any note at all.
Half Time: 1-0
Cray started the second half similarly well and almost scored a second within 30 seconds when Rhule who seemed to have picked up a bit of a knock earlier in the game but shrugged it off to last the 90 minutes put a great ball through to MacDonald who from inside the area saw his shot well blocked again by Bracken.
Then from a free kick out on the left, Dent’s cross to the far post found the head of Nelson but Bracken did well to make a save at the foot of the post.
In the 54th minute came an incident which was out of context of the game an altercation took place about 20 yards from the Cray goal when Gabriel Odunaike was sent off for violent conduct in an incident involving Jay Leader supposedly for raising his hand and striking the Wands defender. This led to Odunaike refusing to leave the field and started a little melee which mostly involved people from both benches and a cameraman trying to break it up.
This seemed to fire up Casuals perhaps feeling a sense of injustice and they began to pin Cray back and Jordan Clarke down the right broke into the box and his cross shot to the near post was pushed behind by Blue for one of the few corner kicks of the game.
Then Casuals were awarded a free kick right on the edge of the area but Clarke’s effort hit the wall and the ball was cleared. This was followed by a corner from the right which found Oldham but put his header over the bar.
The intensity and quality of the match was high but the Wands defence continued to keep Blue well protected and Cray were beginning to weather the Casuals storm and almost scored again twenty minutes from the end when Dent set up MacDonald who certainly deserved a goal for his display but was thwarted by a block between Bracken and a defender.
Corinthian Casuals did seem to post a threat from corner and from the right, Coskun Ekim’s cross was headed over by Terry Murray.
Cray with the man advantage were beginning to manage the game well and almost grabbed a second when MacDonald set up Rhule for a shot at the near post which was held by Bracken.
Cray managed to see the game out against a Casuals side which tired near the end and Cray picked up a big three points which with six games to go puts them back in automatic promotion contention.
Despite the fact that there were so few chances in the game this was a tremendous contest between two good sides who wanted to attack and put on a show and two well-schooled defences so it was no surprise that one goal was likely to win the match. The likelihood of the sides meeting again perhaps in the playoffs is also high so our paths may yet cross again.
Corinthian Casuals were not at their best today but you have to give Cray credit for that
There were some really solid performances from the boys in amber and black today. MacDonald produced a classic centre-forward performance full of running, flicks, hold ups, crosses and with a little more luck could have had a hat-trick. Dadson continued his good form with a strong display out on the right whilst Rhule who although looked like he had a knock played very well when the game went 11 v 10. Dent’s delivery from set pieces was good and Lea Dawson and Zak Henry manned the midfield area brilliantly. The defence were solid and gave away little and was more like the Wands of the early half of the season and have only conceded 12 league goals away from home.
Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Barney Williams, Ben Mundele, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Zak Henry, Karl Dent (Kyron Farrell, 86), Charlie MacDonald (Michael Power, 90), Aaron Rhule, Junior Dadson (Brandon Scott, 69): Subs: Michael Freiter, Marcus Evans
Booked: Dawson, Dent
Corinthian Casuals: Danny Bracken (Capt.), Fraser Walker, Nathan Daly, Terry Murray (Mu Maan, 90+2) Jack Strange, Coskun Ekim, Gabriel Odunaike, Callum McAllister (Josh Uzun, 90), Harry Ottaway, Max Oldham, Jordan Clarke (Hamilton Antonio, 86). Subs: Jamie Byatt, Kevant Serbony
Sent Off: Odunaike 54
Booked: Clarke, Walker, Strange, McAllister
Referee: Andy Bennett
Assistant Referees: Stephen Parkinson, Zac Jacquart
Att: 252