Despite playing with ten men for the last thirty minutes, Cray Wanderers kept their play off chances alive with a dogged, hard fought, single goal victory over Corinthian Casuals at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, with the Casuals in turn having their relegation confirmed by the defeat.
The game got off to a lively open start, Simba Kudyiwa heading into the side netting from a cross for Casuals, while for Cray Sam Wood set up Nyren Clunis who shot just wide.
With the game flowing from end to end, Wood volleyed wide for The Wands, while Casuals striker Mack Reilly was denied by Shaun Rowley when one on one.
As the half went on The Wands began to have a spell of pressure, with the visitors defending well, right up until the 29th minute when Jephte Tanga played in Clunis down the right and he cut in before coolly slotting the ball into the far corner of the net to put Cray 1-0 in front.
Soon after Dan Bassett hit the side netting from out wide, before Corinthian came back into things. Finlay Lovatt had a free kick palmed away by Rowley and Shaun McAuley fired wide from long range.
Right on the break Clunis nearly made it two for the home side, but his powerful free kick was brilliantly saved one handed by Casuals keeper Callum Coulter.
The second half saw Cray start well, Bassett had a spectacular goal disallowed for offside and he then went close again soon after.
With injuries and some harsh bookings taking their toll, Neil Smith was forced into making all three substitutions just past the hour mark and that saw his side reduced to ten men when Tanga had to go off with a hamstring injury soon after, with Clunis dropping into right back.
Cray still pressed though, Jalen Jones headed over from an Anthony Cook corner and Yahaya Bamba had a shot saved by Coulter. Bamba could have put the game beyond doubt when he won the ball off Coulter out wide, but his shot from almost on the bye line hit the side of the net.
Heading into injury time Cray had a number of players requiring treatment for injury, which saw them sit deeper and deeper, Sahid Kamara fired wide from long range for the Casuals and then even Coulter came up for a corner, but The Wands defence held out and despite the nervy moments they saw the game out.
Cray Wands move back up to sixth with this win and they are just one point behind Enfield Town in the final play off spot ahead of their trip to Herne Bay on Easter Monday, hopefully with some of the injured players able to recover in time.
CWFC: Rowley, Tanga, Jones, Carter, Sodje (Bamba 62), Clunis, Wood, Ijaha (Cook 47), Sablier, Bassett, Oladipo (Derry 63).
Subs Not Used: Golding, Campbell.
CCFC: Coulter, Chislett, Tucker, Hyman Kudyiwa (Lahan 90), McAuley, Kamara, Lovatt, Reilly (Pinney 87), Tompson, Duru (Clarke 15).
Subs Not Used: Agun, Janssen.
Goal: Clunis 29mins.
HT 1-0 FT 1-0
Att: 305
Ref: Daniel Blades