Cray Wanderers survival hopes suffered another blow on Sunday as they were well beaten by play off contenders Hornchurch at Hayes Lane. 

The game got off to an open start, but it was the visitors who went in front on 14 minutes when Liam Nash crossed from the left for Ola Ogunwamide to score low into the corner.

Cray went close with Kyel Reid shooting over, but The Urchins continued to have the better of things, Ogunwamide crossing for Joseph Oluwatobi-Biloba who shot just wide. Cray had two penalty shouts waved away for hand ball and a push on Chris Dickson before they lost another player to injury when Denzel Williams had to go off after a tackle with Ogunwamide.

Ogunwamide had a shot saved soon after and then Oluwatobi-Biloba’s effort from the rebound was ruled out for offside. Late in the half Anthony Cook had a long range effort deflected over as Cray looked to level up, but they went in at 0-1.  

The second half saw The Wands start well, Jamie Yila set up Dickson whose shot was blocked on the line and then Cook had a 20 yard shot tipped over by Joe Wright.

Yila then played the ball back to Tom Hanfrey who crossed for Dickson who headed over, before Sam Wood had a powerful low drive saved at the near post by Wright and then he and Cook both fired over from outside the box as Cray carrie don pressing. Yila put in a dangerous ball which Reid played back to Dickson, but he just failed to connect with his bicycle kick.

Cray had a series of corners which saw Wright save from Jedd Smith and Cook went close with a powerful run and shot that just went wide. Then with Cray pressing hard Hornchurch taught them a lesson in taking chances when Ogunwamide played in Liam Nash who drove the ball into the far corner of the net past Max Huxter in the home goal.

Remi Sutton went close for The Urchins soon after with a shot across goal and the Huxter saved bravely at the feet of Tom Wraight. Cray almost pulled a goal back when Cook’s free kick found Richie Danquah, but his goal from close range was ruled out for offside.

From there Cray seemed to lose their way and just couldn’t make a break through, the Sutton broke down the left for The Urchins and cut the ball back to Ellis Brown who tapped the ball home from close range for 3-0 with five minutes to go.

Heads dropped from there in the home defence and two more goals followed quickly after, a defensive mix up let in Charlie Ruff to roll the ball into an empty net and in injury time Sutton had a powerful drive from range blocked, but the ball rebounded to Oluwatobi-Biloba who smashed it into the back of the net from ten yards out to make it 5-0 right on the whistle.

The defeat leaves Cray second from bottom with three games to play, two points from safety, starting with a trip to fourth placed Enfield Town on Good Friday.

Cray: Huxter, Aidoo, Kaiser, Williams (Danquah 33), Hanrey, Reid (Kader 69), Wood, Smith, Cook (Browne 78), Yila, Dickson.

Subs Not Used:  Hassain.

Hornchurch: Wright, Parcell, Sutton, Betram-Cooper, Wraight, Muldoon (Ruff 64), Ogunwamide (Brown 80), Christou, Nash (Winn 70), Oluwatobi-Biloba, Clark.      

Goals: Ogunwamide 14mins, Nash 66mins, Ruff 90, Oluwatobi-Biloba 90mins.  

Ref: Mr Rhys Battye 

Att: 376

HT 0-1 FT 0-5