On a day when there were firework displays all over the area, those who braved the wet conditions at Hayes Lane were treated to an enthralling & entertaining display at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, as Cray Wanderers and Worthing battled out a 2-2 draw with two goals in second half injury time and a red card.

With The Wands missing three players through suspension manager Tony Russell had to change things up a little, but his squad certainly didn’t let him down.

The game got off to a frantic and open start with Worthing going close early on when Lewis Carey misplaced his kick straight to Alex Parsons who set up Ricky Aguiar, but the keeper made a mends with with a superb save to deny him from ten yards out.

Carey once again miscued soon after, but this time Parsons ball to Lloyd Dawes found his team mate offside before he fired into the net.

With Cray taking a while to settle they were dealt a big blow when Tom Phipp had to go off injured, their best early chance came when Geoffrey Okoknwo headed wide from a corner.

The Wands finally got going as the half hour approached, Jerome Frederico set up Bradley Pritchard who turned the ball wide and Joe Taylor was just off target soon after.

The Cray Wanderers pressure finally paid off when Andre Coker found Frederico out wide, who then crossed for Taylor to turn the ball home from just inside the six yard box.

Pritchard looked set to make it 2-0 soon after, but he was denied by a superb last ditch tackle from Alfie Young. Both sides played out from the back and looked to pass their way forward, but both also caused themselves problems in doing so on occasion.

In first half injury time it looked like The Wands had gone two up when Pritchard’s corner sailed through Carl Rushworth’s hands and straight into the net, but bizarrely Referee Dempster awarded a free kick for a foul despite the Worthing keeper being unchallenged.

The second half saw Worthing come out looking the stronger side, Reece Meekunms had a shot deflected over and Young fired just wide, before they also had appeals for a penalty turned down when Jay Leader appeared to have handled, but in fact the ball had hit him direct in the face maks which was covering a broken nose! Cray suffered another blow when Frederico had to go off with a thigh injury.

The Rebels continued to press, Dawes shot just over from distance and Jessie Starkey had a deflected shot well saved by Carey, before the inevitable equaliser eventually came on 65 minutes.

A deep cross from Joel Colbran found Aguiar who beat Carey to make it 1-1. The game opened up from there, Ben Mundele set up Lee Lewis who was denied by Rushworth and Cray’s young sub also went close with a free kick, while at the other end Starkey was just off target with a free kick.

The Wands had a good spell from there, with Mundele firing over after a good run and Taylor putting another chance just over.

Tom Carlse put in a superb deep cross to the back post late on, but this time Mundele only managed to put the ball back across goal and wide from a tight angle.

In injury time Worthing had another appeal for a penalty turned down for handball after a cross had hit Barney Williams, but they had more luck a minute later when Colbran’s long cross from the right was fumbled by Carey into the path of Shola Ayoola who bundled the ball home via the shins of Leader on the line.

The Rebels must have thought they had won the match, but there was to be another twist in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Mundele had a shot deflected wide for a corner.

From the following set piece a mass scramble ensued in the six yard box, which saw the ball forced over the line via Lewis, Carlse and the unfortunate Aguiar who got the final touch to Cray’s equalising goal.

In the arguments between the Referee and some Worthing players that followed Starkey was red carded for dissent, with there just being time for the kick off before the final whistle went to end an eventful game.

The result leaves Cray Wands in seventh place, with Worthing still fifth in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Tony Russell will now have a week to prepare his injury & suspension hit team for the visit of Cheshunt next Saturday at Hayes Lane.                                           

Cray: Carey, Williams, Carlse, Leader, Okonkwo, Frederico (Mundele 55), Phipp (Lewis 15), Pritchard, Allan, Coker (Etumnu 83), Taylor.

Subs Not Used: Vines, Hall.

Worthing: Rushworth, Colbran, Tutt, Young, Armstrong (Doughy 74), Pashley, Dawes (Kealey 79), Aguiar, Parsons (Ayoola 83), Meekums, Starkey. Subs Not Used: Edwards, Stevens.   

Goals:

Cray – Taylor 30, Aguiar OG 96mins.

Worthing – Aguiar 65, Leader OG 92mins. 

Att: 172

Ref: Mr Kane Dempster      

Report: Colin Head.