Cray Wanderers continued their 100% start to the Bostik South East season with victory against Whitstable Town at Hayes Lane.
In the first league meeting between the sides since 2008 Cray had to work hard to break down a very dogged and resolute Oystermen side but clinically taken goals from Junior Dadson and Aaron Rhule in the second half gave Cray the three points.
Cray dominated possession and goal attempts in the first half with Whitstable keeper Dan Eason making good saves to deny Michael Power. Marcus Evans and Aaron Rhule but Nick Blue also excelled making a top drawer save from Ricky Freeman’ volley.
The Wands bided their time and took the lead in the 68th minute when Ben Mundele set up Junior Dadson down the right whose fizzing low drive beat Eason.
The Wands had other opportunities but had to wait until a couple of minutes from the end for Aaron Rhule to tuck home the second to put the seal on an excellent performance.
Cray began the season with a 3-0 win at Greenwich Borough and then won 2-1 at home to Ramsgate in the Kent Senior Cup on Wednesday night. From that side that played the Rams in came Tom Phipp, Karl Dent, Michael Power, Aaron Rhule and Junior Dadson in place of Mitchell Nelson, Zak Henry, Freddie Parker, Malik Solebo and Jerome Federico.
The two teams were given a guard of honour onto the pitch by a collection of the very impressive Cray Wanderers Youth teams and there was a good feelgood factor about the afternoon.
Whitstable though had waited a while to get their league season underway and were not going to make it an easy afternoon for Cray and played a very disciplined game providing a wall of red shirts to break down.
Cray started the game in confident fashion and created the first chance of the game when Karl Dent found Michael Power down the right of the penalty area and his near post shot was pushed behind by Eason. From the corner, Dent’s cross to the far post found Marcus Evans but his close range effort was turned behind by Eason for another corner. This was followed by Archie Johnson combining with Rhule to put Power through but the flag was up for offside.
Aaron Rhule was in fine form at the start of the game and he made a surging run down the left and from the byline his ball across was pushed away by Eason. Then the Cray winger made a good run from midfield into the area but Eason came out and narrowed the angle and the ball went behind.
Cray came closest yet in the 12th minute when after Bradley Pritchard’s neat layoff Power let fly from the edge of the D and Eason made a fine save pushing the ball over the bar for a corner.
However a couple of minutes later Whitstable showed they had bite in attack when a floated ball forward from John Walker found striker Ricky Freeman who with seeing Nick Blue perhaps a fraction off his line hit a dipping volley which Blue did very well to tip over the bar.
Cray went back on the attack and the ball was worked out to Dadson down the right who cut inside the area, took on a defender but from just outside the six yard box pulled a shot wide of the right post. Then Dadson was denied again by Eason with a stinging drive which was pushed away. This was followed by a close range shot from Rhule being blocked by a defender.
In the 26th minute, Dadson set up skipper Barney Williams but curled a shot wide of the left post then Power put the ball in the net with an exquisite chip from 30 yards but the referee deemed Dent handled in the buildup.
Whitstable had defended well but had a half chance when from a free kick out on the right, Stuart West’s ball into the area was headed out by Evans as far as Freeman whose half volley lacked power and Blue made a comfortable save.
In the 37th minute, Power dispossessed a defender and played a neat ball through to Rhule who from 12 yards saw his shot pushed behind by the busy Eason.
The last threat from Cray in the first half came when Power found Dent down the right of the area but his cross-shot went into the side netting.
Cray had been knocking on the door through most of the first half but went in at the break scoreless.
Half Time: 0-0
The second half began fairly scrappily compared to the first with the first glimmer of an opening coming to Dadson who was found by Williams but blazed a shot well over from distance.
Then Rhule found Power inside the area but saw his shot blocked and cleared away from the six yards box.
From a free kick down the left of the area, Dent’s cross to the back post came to Dadson who swapped passes with the impressive Tom Phipp who laid the ball to Bradley Pritchard whose low shot was saved by Eason.
Whitstable looked to threaten from a free kick out on the left and the cross into the area was headed by Rob Gillman but Blue was able to save.
Ben Mundele came on just before the hour for his first appearance of the season and Cray kept plugging away and a Dent corner was headed wide by Rhule. Then Dadson picked the ball up in midfield and from 20 yards saw a shot comfortably held by Eason then Power saw a volley blocked.
Just when it seemed it might not be Cray’s day their patience was paid off in the 68th minute when Mundele made a charge down the right and from inside the area his effort was parried out by the keeper and from nine yards Dadson fired into the net for his first goal of the season.
From here the game expected to open up and Mundele and Dadson combined to set up Dent who shot wide.
Cray almost finished off the game when Phipp’s pass put Rhule through who advanced on goal but Eason came out to meet him and the angle became a bit tight and the ball ran behind. Then Mundele’s cross was headed wide by Power.
Whitstable’s main threats came from set plays and Josh Wright’s ball to the far post came to ex Cray player Jai McKinlay but he put the ball behind.
With two minutes remaining Cray got the breathing space they wanted with the second goal when a patient build up ended with Power putting a neat ball through to Rhule who from twelve yards buried the ball under the keeper to make it 2-0.
This to all intents and purposes finished the game and Cray had picked up a good three points against a side which did well to hold Cray at bay for so long and had to show patience and didn’t resort to changing the way they played and plugged away until they got their reward.
Cray for what its worth in the early weeks of the season lie 4th in the table with six other teams with maximum points with only goal scored separating the top 4.
The Wands take a break from league action on Saturday with the first ever meeting with Rusthall in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup before heading to another team with two wins to start the season Sittingbourne on Bank Holiday Monday.
Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Barney Williams (Capt.), Archie Johnson (Ben Mundele, 58), Marcus Evans, Tom Phipp, Bradley Pritchard, Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Zak Henry, 87), Michael Power, Aaron Rhule (Malik Solebo, 90), Junior Dadson.
Subs not used: Freddie Parker, Joe Vines
Whitstable Town: Dan Eason, John Walker, Josh Burchell (Jai McKinlay, 71) Stuart West, Rob Gillman (Capt.), Tom Bryant, Josh Wright, James Morrish, Ricky Freeman (Nathan Hardwick, 76). Tom Walmsley, Brett Ince (Chris Saunders, 60)
Booked: Gillman, Morrish
Referee: Tom Fell
Assistant Referees: Tolga Inanc, Lawrence Torz-Brown
Att: 316