Cray Wanderers picked up their third 1-0 win in a row and moved up to ninth in the Isthmian League Premier Division table with battling win over Potters Bar Town at a chilly Flamingo Park on Saturday afternoon. 

After an open start, it was The Wands who took the attacking initiative and they went in front after seven minutes when Frankie Raymond and Nathan Jeche combined down the left to play in Josh Williams who sent in the perfect cross for Kenny Coker to head home from six yards out.

Raymond was then denied by Laura Shala in the visitors goal and Williams fired over as The Wands looked to press home their advantage.

Nyren Clunis then slipped just as he tried to convert from close range, before Potters Bar had their first chance on 23 minutes when a break down the right  set up Khale Da Costa who blazed his shot over the bar from a tight angle.

After a delay for an injury to Shala, the game got going again with Wands keeper Shaun Rowley making a vital save from a goal mouth scramble.

Raymond volleyed narrowly wide from ten yards out as Cray did most of the attacking , but The Scholars did get the ball in the net late on only for it to be called back for a foul on Tom Bonner.

Rowley then made a good save from a Steve Cawley header from a free kick, while the last chance of the half fell to Cray, as Jeche headed a Clunis cross wide of the far post.

With the freezing fog creeping over the ground from the Chislehurst side, the second half was a scrappier affair, Wands right back Ike Orji just narrowly avoiding a second yellow card early on and having to be substituted.

Williams fired wide after a good break down the left and most of the promising moves from Neil Smith’s side came down that wing as he combined with Darion Dowrich.

New Signing Ollie Rawlings was denied a debut goal by a good save from Shala after another attack down the left, before the home support had to endure a nervy end to the game when Potters Bar pressed for an equaliser.

Cray’s resolute defence dug in and kept the visitors at bay right until the last minute when a corner came out to Rickie Hayles who hit a powerful goal bound effort that Rowley managed to superbly tip over the bar to preserve the three points for The Wands.

This was The Wanderers sixteenth clean sheet of the season and they now move into the  top half of the table ahead of their trip to Hastings Utd next weekend.

Cray – Rowley – Orji (Taylor 55), Dowrich, Bonner, Sutton, Raymond, Clunis, Williams, Penn, Coker (Ebuzoeme 60), Jeche (Rawlings 71). Subs Not Used: Moralee, Ihiedi.
PBTFC – Shala, Keto (Steel 45), Henry, Re, Hayles, Henry, Da Costa, Doherty, Adams, Cawley (Kyei 60), Stevenson. Subs not Used: Lethbridge, Shogbeni, Brant.
Att: 761 
Goal: Coker 7mins. 
HT 1-0 FT 1-0                                                
Referee: Mr Callum Peter