Cray Wanderers kept their play off hopes alive with a thrilling victory over Horsham at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon, in an entertaining game that was a fitting spectacle for Non League Day. 

With Jalen Jones on international duty for Guayana, Neil Smith brought in Freddie Carter at centre back, while Liam Northwood debuted in goal covering the suspended Shuan Rowley and Marcus Sablier started in front of David Ijaha in midfield.  

The match got off to the perfect start for Cray when they took the lead after only three minutes. A short free kick from Horsham on the edge of their area was intercepted by Nyren Clunis and he took a touch before coolly slotting the ball into the far corner of the net for 1-0.

The game was wide open from there, Horsham went close when Jack Strange headed over from a corner, while Anthony Cook had a free kick saved by Taylor Seymour after a foul on Yahaya Bamba.

Hornets striker Daniel Ajakaiye was a real hand full up front all game, but he was somewhat controversially booked for diving by Referee Mr Turnpenny when he went down in the box under a challenge from Carter.

Northwood made a vital stop to deny Ajakaiye with his feet as the striker raced clear of the home defence soon after and the young custodian then made another good save from him soon after when one on one.

Cray had a good spell of pressure from there, before a key moment in the game came when Jack Brivio struck Cook off the ball and although the referee didn’t see the incident it was spotted by his assistant and the Horsham captain was sent off.

Tempers began to fray from there, but the action certainly didn’t stop. Sam Wood had a free kick saved, before Horsham equalised on 43 minutes when Charlie Hester-Cook put in a low cross from the right and Lee Harding turned the ball in at the near post for 1-1.

The scoring for the first half wasn’t finished though, when in injury time Harrison Sodje picked the ball up just outside the area and drove a low effort past Seymour and just inside the near post to make it 2-1 to Cray Wands at the break.

The second half got off to a lively start, Bamba curled an effort just wide for the home side before The Hornets went close when Ajakaiye raced clear, but shot just wide.

Cray got the vital breakthrough though when they extended their lead on 51 minutes. Cook, Sablier and Dan Bassett combing to set up Clunis who ghosted in at the far post to convert for 3-1.

With Cray pressing Bamba & Bassett had shots saved by Seymour before Horsham came back into things. Jack Mazzone hit the post from range and they then pulled things back to 3-2 when Tom Day sent in a dangerous cross from the right which evaded everyone in the area and skipped into the net just inside the far post.

Harding headed over as the visitors looked to draw level, but Cray then battled back and troubled Horsham with their pacey attack. Tom Derry set up Bassett whose shot was saved by Seymour, but they did make it 4-2 soon after when Clunis crossed from the left and Carter raced in at the far post to spectacularly crash the ball into the roof of the net.

Less than a minute later though Horsham pulled it back to 4-3 when a defensive mix up from the home side gifted the ball to top scorer Ajakaiye and he made no mistake from close range.

The Wands decided the best form of defence was attack keep in front, David Ijaha’s strong run set up Dayshonne Golding who had a shot saved one handed by Seymour low down to his right and they finally killed the game off on 88 minutes when Golding dispossessed a Horsham defender in midfield, took the ball past Seymour before steering it just inside the near post to make it 5-3.

Wood had a free kick saved late and Horsham then had the final chance of the game when Mazzone saw his powerful shot saved by Northwood at the near post to preserve the two goal lead.  

Cray remain in sixth place with this win, just three points off the play offs ahead of their crunch game away at fifth place Enfield Town next Saturday. 

Cray: Northwood, Tanga, Wearie, Carter, Sodje, Wood, Cook, Clunis, Bassett (Golding 74), Sablier (Derry 70), Bamba (Ijaha 60).

Subs Not Used: Campbell, Olidapo.

Horsham: Seymour, Price, Sparks, Tuck (Kavanagh 57), Strange, Brivio, Rodrigues (Day 62), Hester-Cook, Harding, Ajakaiye, Richards (Mazzone 56).

Subs Not Used: Malins, Fenelon. 

HT 2-1 FT 5-3 

Goals: CWFC – Clunis 3 & 51, Sodje 45, Carter 77, Golding 88mins.HFC –

Harding 43, Day 66, Ajakaiye 79mins.  

Att: 329 

Referee: Joseph Turnpenny