Cray extended their lead to six points at the top of Ryman League Division One North thanks to two superbly taken second half goals from substitute Ben Hunt in blustery conditions at Hayes Lane against an improving Wroxham side.

The game began in open fashion with a marked contrast in styles, The Wands if anything over passed the ball while The Yachtsmen were far more direct, but there were no real chances created.

One tame Leigh Bremner strike was the only effort on goal for the first half an hour until the excellent Aryan Tajbakhsh had a fiercely struck shot from 20 yards tipped on to the post by Elliott Pride.

Cray suddenly found some attacking impetus from there and went in front on 34 minutes when Tajbakhsh played in Michael Freiter who sent in a dangerous cross for James Duckworth to bravely slide home from close range.

Duckworth hit the post soon after from a tight angle and Bremner narrowly failed to make contact with a deep cross before Duckworth again went close having a shot deflected wide as The Wands finished well.

Cray started the second half in the same fashion, Ben Payne headed over from a corner and Freiter hit the side netting after taking the ball round Pride, but they then began to over play again and create problems for themselves.

One mix up between Ray Powell and Nicky Blue had to be hacked away, but Wroxham cashed in on the following attack when The Wands failed to clear their lines on three occasions before Michael Waters lashed home a fantastic strike from the edge of the box into the top corner to make it 1-1 on 57 minutes.

The Yachtsmen went close soon after when Jordan King had a shot saved by Blue, but eventually Cray built up some momentum after being pegged back, helped by the introduction of sub Ben Hunt up front.

Three minutes after coming on Hunt latched on to a Tajbakhsh through ball and under pressure from two defenders coolly dinked the ball past the advancing keeper and into the net for 2-1.

Cray were again in the ascendancy, Freiter crossed for Bremner whose diving header came up off the pitch and over the bar from a yard out and the striker was again just off target when Duckworth sent over a ball which he put narrowly over again.

Wroxham missed a good chance to equalise when Jamie Forshaw latched on to a through ball and headed the ball past Blue only to see it bounce inches wide.

The Wands seized their opportunity to kill the game off with nine minutes left when Hunt pounced on a poor goal kick and raced towards the box with several Wroxham defenders in pursuit, but just as they looked like closing him down he again slotted the ball past Pride and into the net to make it 3-1.

Late on Tajbakhsh hit a good chance wide and Bremner forced a save from Pride with a powerful drive as Cray finished strongly and securing another good win.

The Wands take on Sudbury Town at Hayes Lane on Tuesday night.

 

Cray: Blue, Powell, Basey, Fox, Payne, Bremner, Roberts, Tajbakhsh, Freiter, McCollin (Hunt 70), Duckworth.

Subs Not Used: Vines, Ibemere, Faulkner, Dent.

Wroxham: Pride, Taylor, Foreman, Sturman (King 70), Ebbage, Halliday, Waters (Norman 80), Summerfield, Forshaw, Guyton, Kelleher (Howell 80).

Goals: Cray – Duckworth 34, Hunt 73 & 81mins. Wroxham – Waters 57mins.

HT 1-0, FT 3-1

Att: 123

Referee: Mr M Corlett