Cray Wanderers exited the Kent Senior Cup after a penalty shoot out defeat to Phoenix Sports after an absorbing, quick paced encounter at Flamingo Park following a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes.

Cray who fielded a mixed team of first team players requiring minutes and talented U23s players took on a Phoenix side struggling in the Isthmian South-East but playing a pretty much full strength team. 

The Wands twice led in the match with goals from Stefan Ilic and Simon Offei Gymara but Phoenix levelled each time with a superb free kick from Richard Pingling just after the half hour and then early in the second half through Marcus Elliott. 

Both teams had chances to win but ended up going to penalties after 90 minutes and went on to sudden death with the score at 5-5 with both teams seeing a penalty each saved before Linclon Hunter shot wide of the left post and Maliq Jakiemi stroked home the winning spot kick to set up a home tie with Welling United in the Quarter Final.

Cray had beaten Chatham Town in the previous round and Bobby Parkes and Ed Mare, both pretty much ever presents for the U23s this season began again along with Nomary Kane and George Brooke and first teamers, Anthony Cook, David Ijaha, Stefan Ilic, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera and recent signing Perri Iandolo as well as trialist Simon Offei Gyamara and goalkeerp Max Huxter.

Phoenix Sports defeated Folkestone Invicta on penalties in the 1st Round and were looking to put their league struggles to one side and included ex-Wand Bradley Prtichard in the starting lineup.

The game got off to a quick start and Cray almost scored in the 2nd minute when Offei Gyamara showed great pace to break down the right and set up Iondolo whose shot was blocked and following up George Brooke fired over.

Phoenix came more into the game and had a good spell and almost levelled when from a corner down the right the ball was headed at the far post by Yanick Kissi and blocked on the line.

Cray though were playing well and in the 14th minute took the lead with a slick goal as Iondolo found Offei Gymara who put over a cross which fell to Stefan Ilic who slotted in his second goal for the Wands from 11 yards.

Phoenix though had a good spell after the goal and almost levelled when from a corner down the right the ball was headed at the far post by Yanick Kissi and blocked on the line while for Cray, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera’s right wing cross went across goal.

In the 31st minute Phoenix levelled with a high quality strike from a free kick thirty yards from goal from which Richard Pingling curled the ball over the wall and into the top right corner.

Cray though regrouped and six minutes later were back in front when the pacey Offei Gyamara was played through with a slight touch of offside down the right who cut inside and into the area and fired in off the left post and into the net for a debut goal for the former Sheppey Sports player.

Two minutes later it was almost 3-1 when Cook’s fine through ball put Offei Gymara through one on one but keeper Archie Aldous did well to save with his feet.  At half time though Cray held the edge.

HT:  2-1

The second half started with Phoenix having made two half time changes much more on the front foot and four minutes after the restart made it 2-2.  From a corner down the right the ball came to one of the substitutes, Marcus Elliott who turned just inside the area and crashed home a shot past Max Huxter.

The game then went through a bit of a lull as both teams sought a winner with Cray seeing Cameron McQueen and Michael Ihiedi, both U23s regulars brought on for the last twenty five minutes.

As the game wore on the much more youthful Cray side looked the more likely winners and Brooke was unlucky down the left to see his near post shot pushed behind well by Aldous but at the other end Pingling saw a shot held by Huxter.

Skipper Anthony Cook went down in the area under a challenge but appeals were waived away in the last ten minutes with top scorer for the U23s, Tom Borders coming on off the bench and McQueen saw a shot go over the top.

Both teams came close in the last three minutes to winning the tie. Firstly, for Phoenix Kiye Martin found Pingling who set up Deshane Dalling who was denied a goal by an instinctive stop by Huxter with his feet.

Then the ball went up the other end and Brooke and Borders combined with McQueen down the right and his ball across to Borders who from eight yards saw his shot pushed out and behind by Aldous. 

Going into stoppage time completing the grand slam of U23s off the bench, Victor Damyanov and Lincoln Hunter came on for their Cray Wanderers first team debuts.

In a frantic finish to the game Cray almost won it when down the right Ihiedi’s well struck shot was pushed behind by Aldous who had a very good game in goal for Phoenix.  

In the end though it was down to penalties to decide a quarter final berth and the second round in a row for Phoenix having beaten Folkestone in a shoot-out in the 1st round.

The penalties were taken at the clubhouse end and Cray took the first kick tucked away by Cook while for Phoenix Isaiah Jones saw his kick turned round the right post by Huxter.

Ihedi and Borders for Cray and Pingling and Elliott for Phoenix scored to make it 3-2 but Damyanov was thwarted by a save by Aldous and Dalling tied it up at 3-3 after four penalties.

For Cray, McQueen and the impressive Nomary Kane scored as did Harvey Browne and Martin for Phoenix.  This made it 5-5 and well into sudden death and Hunter put his penalty wide of the left post leaving a Phoenix substitute Malik Jakieme stroked Phoenix’ seventh penalty into the net and sent them through to a home time with Welling United.

Cray Wanderers: Max Huxter, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, David Ijaha (Lincoln Hunter, 90+1), Bobby Parkes, Namory Kane, Edouard Mare, Perri Iandolo (Cameron McQueen, 63), Anthony Cook, Stefan Ilic (Michael Ihiedi, 75), George Brooke (Victor Damyanov, 90), Simon Offei Gymaha (Tom Borders, 81).

Scorers: Ilic 14, Offei-Gymara 37

Phoenix Sports: Archie Aldous, Isaiah Jones, Yanick Kissi, Sergio Uyi (Ernie Cheeseman, 68), Aaron Clarke, Alfawaz Dada (Marcus Elliott, H/T), Kiye Martin, Bradley Pritchard (Maliq Jikiemi, 79), Sean Agun (Harvey Browne, H/T), Richard Pingling, Deshane Dalling.

Scorers: Pingling 31, Elliott 49

Penalty Shoot out: Cray Wanderers first kick

Cray Wanderers: Cook scored 1-0, Ihiedi scored 2-0, Borders scored 3-1, Damyanov saved 3-2, McQueen scored 4-3, Kane scored 5-4, Hunter missed 5-5

Phoenix Sports: Jones saved 0-1, Pingling scored 1-2, Elliott scored 3-2, Dalling scored 3-3, Browne scored 4-4, Martin scored 5-5, Jikiemi scored 5-6

Referee:  Scott Rudd

Assistants:  Stuart Beadle, Harry Phillips

Att:  211