Francis Babalola scored a first half brace as Cray Valley PM cruised to victory over Bearsted.

They cruised into a first half three-nil lead and although Bearsted played some football that was pleasing to the eye, they failed to call Deren Ibrahim into making a save in the entire ninety minutes.

Babalola started tormenting the Bearsted defence from the word go and in the first attack of the match he had a shot deflected over.

Chris Edwards then played a low cross-field ball to the far side. Danny Smith arrived late but shot well off target.

After ten minutes, the Millers went ahead. Liam Hickey sent in a dangerous cross that Babalola met at close range. His effort came back off the post and Gavin Tomlin showed his predatory instinct to finish.

Within eight minutes it became two. Smith sent in a cross and Babalola met it with a looping header back into the corner.

Reece Collins cut in for Bearsted but shot well wide before clever play by Ryan Flack gave him an opportunity to let fly but his shot was blocked.

On thirty-four minutes Cray made it three. Smith found Tomlin whose shot was blocked. Flack followed up and put it into the path of Babalola and he fired home giving Ethan Collen no chance.

At the interval, Bearsted made a double change but it had little effect and Tomlin had another chance early into the second half when he got in behind the back four. However, he was unable to get enough loft in his lob and Collen jumped to catch.

Live-wire Babalola then came agonisingly close to a hat-trick when sent clear down the right hand channel and his rolled shot beat Collen but came back out off the inside of the post. It was half cleared as far as Flack and his fierce drive was saved acrobatically by the flying Collen.

Edwards was next to come close when he intercepted a short headed back-pass but could only lob over.

Collen again thwarted Flack by coming out quickly to save at the cost of a corner. Flack took it himself and played a diagonal one out to Edwards but his shot was well off target.

Collins had a half chance for Bearsted but the angle was too tight and his shot went over.

Substitute Lea Dawson hit a long shot from well out that Collen had to watch carefully before Babalola shot wide.

David Baranowski rose well for Bearsted but was unable to get a clean header and it drifted away.

Callum Willock had a shot blocked as far as Dawson but his effort went well wide then Flack was again foiled by a good save by Collen.

There were no further chances and the Millers claimed a well deserved three points to take them within two points of league leaders Corinthian having played one game fewer.

Cray Valley PM: Ibrahim, Edwards (Myers 73), Smith, Hickey, Sains, Tumkaya, James, Semakula (Dawson 55), Tomlin (Willock 65), Babalola, Flack.

Sub not used: Gayle, Edgar.

Bearsted: Collen, Weller, Croucher, Hendrie Foster, Popescu (Sheminant 73), Croucher, Collins, Rogers, Allen (Garner 46), Noyelle (Bessey 46), Baranowski.

Subs not used: Flisher, Cray.

Cray Valley PM:

Goalscorers: Tomlin (10), Babalola (18) & (34)

Yellow cards: Dawson

Red cards: None

Bearsted:

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: None

Red cards: None

Referee: Wally James

Assistants: Chandon Chapman and David Hooker

Attendance: 65

Man of the Match: Francis Babalola