Cray Wanderers moved up to sixth place in the Ryman South league table following a stylish and in the end comprehensive victory against a plucky and game Godalming Town side at Hayes Lane.

This stretched the Wands unbeaten league run to six matches and the biggest win of the season so far.

The match saw Danny Haynes claim his second hat-trick of the season taking his league goals tally to 16 and 21 in total.  He also extended his consecutive games scoring run to eleven matches.  Karl Dent had given Cray a twelfth minute leader before Haynes made it 2-0 six minutes later.  Godalming pulled a goal back through Jack Mazzone’s header but Brandon Scott restored the two goal advantage on the half hour.  Haynes claimed the match ball with two well taken strikes in the 53^rd and 76^th minute.

Cray came into the game on the back of Tuesday evening’s fine win at Hythe and made two changes to the side which started that game.  Nick Blue returned in goal for Sam Roach whilst Ben Mundele came in for Ade Osifuwa.  Paul Lorraine was back on the bench after missing five games through injury.

Before the game there was an impeccably observed minute silence in memory of the players and officials of Chapecoense who lost their lives in the aircrash in Medellin earlier in the week;

Godalming Town are bottom of the table and have struggled throughout the season but actually got off to the brighter start and had the first shot on goal after just fifteen seconds when Jack Battie’s shot from twenty yards was fielded by Blue.

It took Cray a little while to get going on a bright but chilly Sunday afternoon but in the sixth minute a good run by Mundele down the right saw the ball come to Karl Dent whose shot was blocked by Battie.  This was followed by Battie testing Blue with a strike from thirty yards for Godalming whilst, Brandon Scott blazed a shot over the bar.

The Wands took the lead in the twelfth minute when Sol Taiwo sent a fine ball out to the left wing to Haynes who turned past a defender and squared the ball across to Dent who placed an excellent finish past Oneal Garnes into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Godalming looked to get back into the game with Louis Hutton shooting again from distance comfortably held by Blue.

Cray went two up in the eighteenth minute when Jay Leader played the ball through to Haynes who was left free down the left who cut inside past a defender and drilled a shot past Garnes at his near post from five yards.

Godalming though kept on going throughout the game and pulled a goal back in the 21^st minute when a cross from Hutton out on the left found an unmarked Jack Mazzone who steered a header across Blue and into the net.

Cray went back on the attack and Haynes was set up by Dent’s deft pass for a curling shot which Garnes did well to get down to save and hold the ball.  A minute later, Dent went through himself but fired wide of goal and then Sean Robert burst forward but his low shot was saved by Garnes.

The Wands had a bit of a let off when Jack Warburton found Mazzone again but curled a shot narrowly wide of the left post.  Cray went back on the attack and Sherwin Stanley found Haynes whose effort was turned behind well by Garnes.  From the corner, Stanley headed over the bar.

Another Cray goal was on the cards and duly arrived in the 30^th minute with a fine individual goal by Scott who picked the ball up down the right, showed his customary pace to leave himself space to shoot from just inside the penalty area and place a fine strike into the net.

After what was a breathtaking first half hour the game quietened before the break although Godalming came close to pulling a goal back when Mazzone saw a shot saved well by Blue,

The last chance of the half came in stoppage time for Haynes who was set up by Jey Sive but hit a shot which narrowly went past the right post.

Half Time:  3-1

The second half didn’t quite live up to the standards of the first as the sun had now set and the temperature got considerably colder.

Cray dominated the early possession and showed their attacking qualities in the 53^rd minute with a fine move which saw Dent flick the ball through to Haynes down the left who controlled the ball first time, took the ball past Garnes and from a fairly tight angle crashed the ball into the net.

Godalming almost got back into the game a couple of minutes later when the hardworking Mazzone was played through but his shot was pushed behind by Blue.

For Cray, Mundele who had a tremendous game made a great forward run from the back and his cross shot was well held by Garnes.  Then Siva found Scott whose shot at the near post was saved by the feet of the keeper.  This was followed by Dent firing well wide of goal.

The visitors kept going and a speculative shot from Hutton was caught by Blue whilst for Cray, Mundele and Scott combined to set up Lee Prescott whose goal bound strike was turned behind by Garnes.

The Wands made it five and Haynes his third goal in the 76^th minute when again the impressive work of Mundele and Scott down the right saw the ball played across to Haynes who swept home an well placed strike showing a player in supreme form and high in confidence.

The game was now pretty much done and dusted and Cray played some good possession football to wind down the final few minutes.  Godalming almost pulled a goal back when Hutton found Mazzone who forced Blue to turn the ball behind for a corner,  From the corner the ball came to Darren Wheeler whose effort was blocked by Prescott.

The final chance of the game fell to Cray when Siva’s ball found Haynes who volleyed wide but the Wands had done more than enough on the afternoon to claim the three points and now head to Herne Bay on Tuesday night, level on points with fifth placed Corinthian Casuals and right in what is turning out to be a high quality playoff picture this year in the Ryman South.

There were many fine performances this afternoon.  Haynes goalscoring feats will rightly get the headlines but Mundele and Scott gave excellent displays whilst Dent kept up his fine recent form.  Nick Blue made a solid return after three games out with some good saves.

 

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Sol Taiwo (Paul Lorraine, 71), Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Lee Prescott, 66), Danny Haynes, Sherwin Stanley, Brandon Scott (Dane Luchford, 83).

Subs not used:  Timi Osidobu, Jai McKinlay

Godalming:  ONeal Garnes, Steven Brown, Sean Mason, Matthew Males, Chidi Williams-Agunabor, Kyle Bailey, Jack Battie (Callum Attwood, 72), Jack Warburton (Piers Oldland, 85), Jack Mazzone (Chris Manangu, 84)  Darren Wheeler (Capt.), Louis Hutton.

Subs not used: Cameron Karembo

Booked:          Warburton

 

Referee:          Alex Blake

Assistants:     Thomas Holden, Declan Hellyer

 

Attendance:   114