Cray Wands suffered their sixth consecutive defeat on Saturday as they fell to a two goal home defeat at the hands of Brightlingsea Regent who were reduced to ten men after only seven minutes. 

Fielding three debutants in Quaine Bartley, Kasim Aidoo & Freddy Barton, Cray started the game in positive fashion with Charlie Allen shooting just wide from the edge of the box and Ejiro Okosieme heading over from a Andy Drury corner.

The game then took a dramatic turn when Anthony Cook fouled Billy Wales near the halfway line and the Regent defender responded by stamping on Cook in front of the Referee Michael Smith who had no option, but to send him off.

Despite being down to ten men Regent then almost immediately took the lead when Freddie Barton’s back pass to Jack Turner was intercepted by Ken Feyi and the pacey striker ran clear to slip the ball past Turner into the net for 1-0.

The Wands looked to press from there with Barton the outlet ball down the right and Jamie Yila on the left, but they just couldn’t create any clear chances. Regent went close again when Max Booth played in Harry McDonald, but he put his chance wide.

Cray carried on pressing with Yila crossing for Adam Coombes whose shot was saved by Charlie Turner in the Regent goal. Eren Kinali has a shot pushed away by Cray’s keeper Turner and on the break up field The Wands won a free kick, which saw Coombes hit a powerful drive that was saved by Turner low down to his right.

Late on in the half Cray has a series of corners, which Regent defended well and Coombes was just off target with another free kick, but Danny Kedwell’s side could not find a way through.

The second half started slowly and The Wands suffered an early blow when Allen had to go off with an ankle injury. Ten minutes in though, the decisive moment came when a ball down the right wing from Regent found Feyi who raced clear of the home defence and slipped the ball under Turner into the net for 2-0.

Despite this Cray carried on pushing forward, but they just lacked the killer touch in front of goal, Yila had an effort saved, Coombes saw a free kick deflect off the wall and Okosieme headed wide from a corner. At the other end Feyi almost completed his hatrick when he saw his one on one effort saved by Turner at the second attempt.

Cray sub Archie Burnett had a shot from a corner blocked amidst appeals for hand ball and Fjord Rogers had a shot tipped wide after a great ball from Cook.

Yila then set up Burnett who was just off target again, before Coombes had a header from a corner cleared off the line by Gilbert. Aidoo, Rogers and Coombes all had shots off target as Cray pressed again late on, but there was no way through for The Wands, the final effort coming from Rogers whose shot from a Coombes free kick was well saved by Turner.  

This was a frustrating afternoon for Cray as they slipped to another defeat despite giving everything, which keeps them in eighteenth place ahead of their home game with Wingate & Finchley on Wednesday night.

Cray – Turner, Cray, Okosieme, Aidoo, Barton, Allen (Burnett 55), Drury (Rogers 76), Cook, Yila, Bartley (Hanson 65), Coombes. Subs Not Used: Kedwell, Brand.  

Regent – Turner, Bennett, Wales, Durling, Mitchell-Nelson, Thompson, Kinali (Gilbert 69), McDonald, Feyi (Gregory 89), Gouldbourne, Booth (Byrne-Hewitt 61).

Subs Not Used: Bradford.  Att: 175 HT 0-1 FT 0-2  Goals – Feyi 7 and 56mins.  Ref: Mr M Smith