Having lead the game 2-0 and 3-2, Cray Wanderers eventually progressed to the second round of the FA Trophy with a penalty shootout victory over Southern League Premier side Chesham Utd.
Cray started the game in positive fashion and put Chesham under pressure, Yahaya Bamba was denied by a superb saving tackle from Lesley Duru and then went close again soon after with a shot that went just over.
Anthony Cook and Ellis Brown then combined to set up Nyren Clunis, but the attacking midfielder flicked his chance wide. Bamba fired just wide before the visitors had their first chance when Bruno Andrade’s long range effort went wide.
The Wands eventually broke the deadlock on 18 minutes when a long ball upfield by Shaun Rowley found Bamba who played in Brown on the edge of the area and he coolly slid the ball low into the corner of the net for 1-0.
Four minutes later Cray made it 2-0 when Gary Lockyer put The Generals’ keeper Zaki Oualah under pressure as he received a back pass and when the ball went to Brown he unselfishly passed it back to Lockyer who slotted the ball into the net from twelve yards out.
Clunis fired over as Cray continued to push for goals soon after, but as the half came to a close things opened up, Chesham came back into the game with Lockyer clearing an Andrade free kick off the line and Lucas Sinclar shooting over, while Bamba was denied by Oualah at the other end.
Lockyer was yellow carded for protesting when play wasn’t stopped after Bamba had landed heavily on his neck and Ijaha lived dangerously with a couple of challenges after being booked for a foul.
The second half started with Cray pushing again with a series of corners, Bamba set up Clunis who shot wide, Brown went close and Jack Holland headed wide.
Just before the hour Chesham introduced former Cray player Rhys Murrell-Williamson and he proved to be a vital player in the turn around in fortunes for the visitors.
Within four minutes Murrell-Williamson pulled goal back for The Generals with a strong run and low shot into the far corner of the net for 2-1.
Lockyer and Holland both went close for The Wands and Cook had a powerful free kick well saved as they looked to put the game beyond doubt, but the visitors pressed again from there.
Rowley made a great brave at the feet of Andrade, but their pressure eventually paid off when Zak Joseph hit a deflected shot from the edge of the area and it skidded past Rowley into the net for 2-2.
The game was wide open from there, Bamba was denied by Oualah before Andrade shot wide at the other end. Cray regained the lead with nine minutes left when a Frankie Raymond free kick from 20 yards hit both posts before nestling into the net for 3-2.
Neil Smith had to take off Cameron Black and put Ijaha in as an emergency centre back for the final few minutes, but just inside the six minutes of added time Chsham equalised again when Murrell-Williamson shot from 20 yards out and it deflected past Rowley to make it 3-3.
Cray rallied one more time and tried to regain the lead again, but there was no way through and the tie went to penalties.
Cook, Brown, Raymond and Lockyer all netted for Cray, before Rowley made a superb save from Murrell-Williamson, giving Bamba the chance to win the shootout and so he did with a cheeky ‘Panenka’ style penalty that deceived Oualah and put The Wands through into the second round draw on Monday.
Cray – Rowley, Cook, Holland, Black (Wood 84), Mascoll, Ijaha, Raymond, Brown, Bamba, Clunis, Lockyer. Subs Not Used: Rye, MacAllister, Brooke, Penfold.
Chesham: Oualah, Jones, Duru (German 90), Brown, Gallimore, Andrade, Edwards, Joseph, Sinclair (Murrell-Williamson 58), Casey (Murphy 84), Shulton. Subs not Used: Adebiyi, Rush.
Goals: CWFC – Brown 18, Lockyer 22, Raymond 81mins. CUFC – Murrell-Williamson 62& 90mins, Joseph 74mins.
HT 2-0, FT 3-3 Pens: 5-3
Att: 171
Referee: Ciaran Filder