Cray Wanderers and Carshalton Athletic battled out a hard fought draw at Flamingo Park on Saturday afternoon with an eventful first half and an attritional second period.
The game started with Cray looking the brighter, Joshua Williams firing a chance across goal early on, but Carshalton also went close when Oliver Hamstead’s over head kick from a set piece hit the cross bar.
As the half progressed the lively Kola Salami fired over for The Robins and they pressed The Wands from the front, Neil Smith’s side getting lucky when Shaun Rowley’s attempted clearance cannoned off Frankie Raymond and just looped over the bar for a corner.
Rowley then denied Sharon Ifeanyi at his near post and also saved brilliantly from Salami as Referee Derryl David allowed play to continue despite Cray defender Remi Sutton being down with a head injury.
Williams dragged a shot wide for The Wands on a rare break upfield, but it was The Robins who continued to look the more dangerous and they were awarded a penalty when Mr David judged Ike Orji to have fouled Ifeanyi in the area.
Former Wanderer David Smith stepped up to take the spot kick, but Rowley made a great save down to his left to keep the score at 0-0.
The reprieve lasted only five minutes though, as Kwaku Frimpong found Abdul Sankoh down the middle and he coolly slid the ball past Rowley to put Peter Adeniyi’s side in front.
Almost immediately though the home side drew level, a quick break down the left by Darion Dowrich saw him put in a low dangerous cross that was converted by Nathan Jeche from ten yards out to make it 1-1.
Deep into first half injury time there was one final incident, when Frimpong received a straight red card for heavy challenge on Nyron Clunis in midfield, which resulted in players from both teams clashing before Mr David eventually brandished the card.
Despite being down to ten men Carshalton made the better start to the second half, Sankoh forcing another good save from Rowley. The Wands then had a good spell of pressure, Lateef Adaja played in Williams whose powerful shot was tipped over by Dion Henry in The Robins goal.
Jeche then fired wide after a good run into the box and Josh Shonibare shot off target on his debut off the bench. Smith almost atoned for his saved penalty when he hit the stantion behind the goal with a free kick against his old club and Darrell Goather-Braithwaite had a shot saved by Rowley as the visitors came back into things causing The Wands a few nervy moments with balls across the area.
Late on in the game Cray Wands rallied and pressed for a winner, Kenny Coker setting up Jeche who fired wide, before a long ball up field by Tom Bonner bounced over Henry who had come out of his goal, but as Adaja raced towards the ball he was denied by an excellent tackle from Oluwafikayo Atewologun.
From the resulting Raymond corner Coker headed over and the game ended all square.
The result leaves Cray Wands in eighteenth place ahead of their trip to Bowers & Pitsea next weekend, just above the bottom four, with Carshalton now in eighth, three points off the play off spots.
Cray Wands – Rowley, Orji, Dowrich, Bonner, Sutton, Raymond, King, Edwards (Adaja 52), Clunis (Coker 75), Jeche, Williams (Shonibare 67). Subs Not Used: Warwick, Taylor.
Casrhalton – Henry, Read, Hamstead, Atewologun, Sankoh, Smith (Hamilton-Downes 92), Camacho-Saravia, Frimpong, Bradford (Dada 77), Ifeanyi (Cook 83), Salami (Goather-Braithwaite 62). Subs Not Used: Vose.
Goals: CWFC – Jeche 39mins CAFC – Sankoh 38mins.
Att: 628
HT 1-1 FT 1-1
Referee: Mr D David