In a classic game of two halves Cray Wanderers threw away a two goal lead at Hayes Lane on Saturday conceding four second half goals to an East Grinstead Town side who were too hot to handle in the second period and deserved their win.
The game got off to an open start, Danny Haynes set up Sherwin Stanley who had his shot saved by Chris Haigh before at the other end Jenson Dos Santos saw his shot saved by Nicky Blue.
The Wands kept pushing forward though and went in front on ten minutes when Brandon Scott raced through the visitors defence took the ball round Haigh and then squared it to Haynes to score from close range. East Grinstead responded with chances of their own though, Charlie Harris had two efforts saved by Blue and Taswjay Kwayie hit a fierce drive from twenty yards that cannoned back off the post.
After a quiet spell Stanley had another effort saved for The Wands while Paul Lorraine made an excellent saving tackle from Kwayie. With the game flowing from end to end Cray extended their lead on thirty three minutes when Scott burst into the box weaved his way through The Wasps backline and then drilled the ball home past Haigh for 2-0, showing why he has attracted so much attention from Football League clubs. Karl Dent and Haynes had shots saved by Haigh late in the half, but The Wands suffered two injury blows when Sol Taiwo and Ben Mundele had to go off injured.
The second half saw the visitors immediately claw their way back into things when Malachi Robinson hit an unstoppable 25yarder past Blue to make it 2-1 almost from the kick off. Cray responded with Lea Dawson heading wide from a corner and Haynes having a powerful low shot well saved by Haigh, but Grinstead soon pulled level when a spell of pressure on the edge of The Wands box ended with sub Jake McIntyre drilled a low shot past Blue from twenty yards.
From there the visitors dominated the play, Lorraine was again on hand to make a saving block from Marcus Elliott, but the pressure paid off on seventy nine minutes when Laste Domabaxe crossed for Elliott to head home at the near post and put The Wasps in front. The closest Cray came to pulling level was a free kick that was cleared after Scott had been fouled out wide, but as they threw players forward the visitors broke quickly from the back and as Kwaiye raced into the Cray box Timi Osibodu sent the pacey striker sprawling for a clear penalty. Elliott sent Blue the wrong way from the spot and it was game over, sealing a remarkable comeback for the Sussex and their band of fans behind the goal.
Tony Russell’s side now head into the busy festive period hoping to get the injured players back quickly and rectify their defensive problems to keep in touch with the play off places.
Cray: Blue, Mundele (Osibodu 45), Siva, Leader, Lorraine, Dawson, Taiwo (Roberts 43), Dent (Prescott 67), Haynes, Stanley, Scott. Subs Not Used: McKinlay, Luchford.
ETFC: Haigh, Robinson, Roseje (McIntyre 52), Hoare, Thompson, Thomas, Hogan, Harris (Dombaxe 71), Kwayie, Elliott, Dos Santos. Subs Not Used: Salako, Mazzone, Cocle.
Goals: Cray – Haynes 10, Scott 33mins. ETFC – Robinson 46, McIntyre 67, Elliott 79 and 87pen.
Ref: Mr M Goldsmith
HT 2-0 FT 2-4
Att: 108