Cray’s disasterous recent run continued as they gifted Heybridge three points at Hayes Lane on Saturday with a mixture of poor defending, bad luck and ill discipline.

The game got off to an open start with play flowing from end to end, but it was The Wands who handed their visitors the first chance when Grant Basey played Sean Roberts into trouble and Jack Barham dispossessed the young Cray midfielder before sliding the ball past Nicky Blue to make it 1-0 to The Swifts.

After a quiet spell, which saw Basey have to go off ill, Ben Hunt went close for the home team hitting the side netting from a tight angle while George Cole had a shot saved by Blue at the other end.

Swifts captain Ryan Maxwell was booked for a terrible foul on Karl Dent having already escaped a caution for pushing the same player in the chest minutes before.

Barham missed a good opportunity with a header late on, while Cray had chances with Hunt just off target twice and James Duckworth sending a looping effort narrowly over.

The second half started with Cole hitting the bar for Heybridge and Hunt having a shot saved by Danny Sambridge, before The Wands drew level on 54 minutes.

Roberts battled for the ball on the dge of the box and then set up Duckworth who curled a sublime effort just inside the far post for 1-1.

Sadly for Cray they were only level for two minutes when Jay Leader pass the ball back to Blue who rushed his clearance under no pressure and played the ball to the feet of Barham who ran the ball into an empty net.

Hunt headed just wide as The Wands tried to rally, with Dent and Duckworth just off target soon after, but their hard work was wasted on 65 minutes with another error from Blue.

Cole hit a  shot which the home keeper failed to hold spilling it into the past for Barham for the striker to complete his hat-trick.

Cray’s terrible luck continued soon after, Leigh Bremner was clearly fouled in the box, but as appeals were waved away by Referee Ryan the home striker pushed Jack Fowler in the chest who dramatically fell to the floor holding his face.

Bremner was sent off for the incident which saw a mass scuffle break out as the player left the field and Maxwell hurriedly subbed by the away bench.

A series of heavy challenges followed and the game seemed to be heading out of control of the officials, but Cray continued to battle and finally created a clear chance when Aryan Tajbakhsh hit an unstoppable drive from 25 yards to make it 2-3 on 81 minutes.

Sub Ola Rabiu blazed a chance over from a difficult angle soon after, but the ten men seemed to run out of legs and in injury time Swifts’ sub Jamie Guy raced through the home defence and coolly slotted the ball past Blue to make it 2-4.

Tajbakhsh was just off target with a free kick in the extended injury time, but in the end Cray just couldn’t atone for their own mistakes and the excellent finishing of Barham.

Tony Russell’s men now travel to Redbridge on Saturday having slipped down into the play off pack desperate to turn round the poor run which has seen them go without a win since 19^th December.

 

Cray: Blue, Osifuwa, Basey (Carpenter 20), Leader, Payne,  Dawson, Roberts, Dent (Tajbakhsh 69), Hunt (Rabiu 61), Bremner, Duckworth.

Subs Not Used: Smith, Faulkner.

Swifts: Sambridge, Pooley, Cross, Maxwell (Smith 69), Fowler, Anderson, Godbold, Doyle, Barham, Cole (Scarlett 90), Duyile (Guy 88).

Subs Not Used: Smith, Riches.

Goals: Cray – Duckworth 53mins, Tajbakhsh 81mins. Swifts – Barham 13, 55, 65, Guy 90mins.

HT 0-1 FT 2-4

Att: 104

Referee: Mr M Ryan