Cray Wanderers progressed to the second round of the FA Trophy thanks to a dramatic late winner against Bedfont Sports at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Lining up 4-4-2 Danny Kedwell’s side started the game in positive fashion with Adam Coombes and Chris Dickson looking lively up front, but it was Sports who had the first real chance when Darryl Sanders curled a shot just wide after a strong run down the left.
From there The Wands continued to have the better of things though, Coombes was just off target after good work by Jack Hanson and Dickson went close soon after shooting narrowly wide.
Dean Beckwith was denied by Dimitrious Kyriatzis in the visitors’ goal as he tried to head home a Jai Reason cross and then Dickson had another effort well saved.
The Wands moved the ball around well and pressed for long spells, but they just lacked the final pass in key areas. Late on in the half Reason set up Dickson who was foiled by Kyriatzis and he then headed just wide after good work by Freddie Barton.
The second half saw Coombes have another shot saved, before Bedfont came back into things. Sanders set up Lewis Flatman but he just failed to connect with ball across the face of goal and Sanders then hit the foot of the post with a low drive from just inside the box.
Sports continued to dominate play going into the hour mark, Charlie Postance missed a great chance before his blushes were spared by the offside flag and Sanders then fired over.
With Cray giving the ball away cheaply Bedfont then went close when Joe Jackson drove the ball just over the bar.
Play became more stretched as the half went on, but The Wands then finally got back into the play and took one of their chances. A long free kick out wide fell to Coombes who cut in from the left and drove the ball home from 20 yards out into the far corner of the net for 1-0.
Cray’s lead would last only two minutes though as Bedfont equalised with their next attack when Ricardo Andre put in a fantastic cross for Jackson to head home and make it 1-1.
The Wands rallied again from there, Coombes was denied by a great saving tackle from Michael Kinsella, while Sports also had a spell of pressure.
Then in the final minute Cray broke up field and a long ball to Dickson saw him put Kyriatzis under pressure, the keeper punching the ball out only as far as Coombes who coolly lobbed the ball back over the stranded keeper and into the net to put The Wands back in front.
Even in injury time there was still more drama as sub Jamie Yila was brought down by a crude challenge Ethan Kaiser as he broke clear, the visitors’ defender luck to escape with a yellow card and then Yila had a shot blocked after a powerful run down the left.
Cray Wanderers saw the game out from there securing a place in the second round of the FA Trophy on 27th November and inflicting only the third defeat of Bedfont’s season.
Cray – Turner, Barton, Hanfrey, Danquah, Beckwith, Uchechi (Yila 80), Reason, Hanson (Cook 61), Drury, Coombes (Brodie 90), Dickson.
Subs Not Used: Aidoo, Kesey.
Bedfont – Kyriatzis, Pegg, Kaiser, Dwayne-Holden (Andre 80), Jackson, Brunton, Webb, Flatman (Postance 56), Sanders, Kinsella, Wilks.
Subs Not Used: Gay, Bademosi, Olaefule, Diomande.
Goals: CWFC – Coombes 70 & 90mins. BSFC – Jackson 81mins.
Att: 163.
HT 0-0
FT 2-1
Ref: Nicholas Dunn