Cray Wanderers bounced back from last week’s defeat with the perfect response as they put on a fine display of attacking football to defeat Potters Bar Town at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon.

The only downside of the afternoon being an injury to Jerome Frederico who had to be carried off on a stretcher early in the second half. 

The game got off got a cagey start, until Cray started to threaten down the right with Ben Mundele and Frederico combining well to set up Joe Taylor who fired over.

The Wands started to dominate proceedings being quicker and sharper to every second ball, while moving the ball well around the pitch.

The Scholars central defender Geroge Quarrington-Carter was lucky to only receive a yellow card when he pulled down Andre Coker on the edge of the box as he raced free, after a lengthy delay Lee Lewis hit the wall with the free kick.

Soon after Mundele was denied by a brave save from keeper Arthur Janata at the wing back’s feet, but the breakthrough came on 22 minutes when Mundele and Taylor combined to set up Coker at the far post to finish off a slick passing move for 1-0.

Potters Bar striker Josh Hutchington was off target on a rare attack for the visitors, but Cray continued to press and eventually made it 2-0 on 40minutes when Frederico charged down the right and pulled the ball back for Lewis to side foot home into the far corner of the net from twelve yards out to cap a dominant first half performance.

The second half started with a real blow for The Wands as Frederico went down injured when running down the right and had to be carried from the field on a stretcher.

Within minutes though the game was over as a contest when Cray scored two goals in as many minutes, the excellent Bradley Pritchard set up Taylor to smash the ball home from just inside the box and then on the next attack Karl Dent made it 4-0 when he converted a fine pass across the box from Joel Rollinson, giving Janata no chance firing low into the corner.

The Scholars Bradley Sach was very fortunate not to be sent off soon after when he caught Mundele with both feet over the ball on the half way line, mercifully Mundele escaped any serious harm as his feet weren’t planted on the ground.

Potters Bar rang the changes soon after and the game slowed down, but Cray still created chances with Taylor heading a Pritchard cross against the bar and just failing to connect with the rebound.

The visitors first shot on target game on 70 minutes when Sach hit a long range effort that was saved by Lewis Carey and they had a spell of pressure from there with Jay Leader clearing a cross come shot from Ben Ward-Cochrane.

The Wands could have had five though when persistence from Taylor on the by line saw him brought down by James Budden for a penalty, but Taylor uncharacteristically hit the post with the spot kick, which bounced back into play before being headed wide.

Right at the end of the game Tom Murphy curled a shot over from range, but in the end this was a comfortable win for a stylish Cray Wands side who have found their feet back at this level despite so many injury problems.                                   

Tony Russell’s side moved back up to sixth in the table with this win, one place below the play of places ahead of their trip to Bognor Regis Town next weekend.    

Cray – Carey Mundele (Allen 77), Carlse, Leader, Nelson, Coker (Murphy 73), Dent, Pritchard, Lewis, Frederico (Rollnson 50), Taylor.

Subs not Used: Okonkwo, Williams.

Potters Bar – Janata, Cathline, Pascal, Budden, Quarrington-Carter, Gogo (Young 74), Nicholas (Kartia 62), Hutchingson (Michael-Percil 63), Sach, Ward-Cochrane.

Subs not Used: Humphrey, Powell.  

Goals: Cray – Coker 22, Lewis 40, Taylor 54, Dent 56mins.   

Attendance: 163

Referee: Mr Simon Finnigan