Cray Wanderers picked up a vital three points in a breathless end to end goal fest, packed full of incident, that could have gone either way at Hayes Lane on Saturday afternoon. 

The match started with the visitors pressing and they went in from on 3 minutes when a long ball found Daniel Bassett in space and he drove the ball into the corner of the net from just inside the box.

Lewis White had a free kick saved by Bailey Vose soon after and he also saved Eze Ebuzoeme’s effort from the rebound as Carshalton pressed again. Vose then made another good save from White soon after, before The Wands had a good chance when Chris Dickson chipped the ball narrowly over the bar after Robins’ keeper Bradley House had spilled the ball under pressure from Jamie Yila and was left stranded.

Carshalton went 2-0 up after 23 minutes when a slick passing move down the right ended with Bassett scoring his second with a low driven effort past Vose. Dickson had a lobbed chance cleared at the other end as Cray rallied and they pulled one back soon after when Yila found Cameron Brodie with a great pass and the midfielder crashed his shot into the net from the edge of the area for 1-2.

Four minutes later Carshalton were two goals in front again when Bassett completed his hatrick with a deflected effort from 20 yards out that left Vose wrong footed in the Cray goal. As the half entered injury time it looked like the visitors would go into the break in front, but incredibly Cray rallied again and scored twice.

Robins’ defender Daniel Bennett slipped to let in Brodie who squared the ball for Dickson who took the ball round House and rolled it into the empty net to make it 2-3 and then on the next attack it was 3-3.

Yila cutting in from the left to set up Brodie who drove the ball low into the corner of the goal to equalise right on the whistle. 

The second half started in the same vein when a Carshalton corner came out to Harry Ottaway and he set up Kwaku Frimpong with a low cross to make it 4-3 to the visitors from six yards out.

Peter Adeniyi’s side should have had a penalty soon after when White went down on the edge of the area, but Referee Mr Collins awarded a free kick a yard outside the area, must to the annoyance of the visitors support behind the goal.

Bobby Price saw his shot from close range saved by Vose following a frantic goal mouth scramble from a set piece, before Cray battled back again. Yila showed superb strength and control down the right to go past two defenders before crossing for Luca Albon to score past House from 20 yards out and make it 4-4.

From there the game was widen open and played at a frenetic pace, Ottaway could have put Carshalton back in front when he broke into the box and cut in from the left, but his well struck shot cannoned back out off the near post.

Then with The Robins pressing from a corner Cray broke up field at pace, Anthony Cook and Albon combining to play in Yila who capped his man of the match display with a superbly taken goal from just inside the area to make it 5-4 to The Wands, the first time that had been in front all game.

Carshalton pressed again for the final ten minutes, but Cray dug in and defended for their lives, making blocks and tackles around the area. Deep into second half injury time The Robins looked to have broken through and equalised, but just as Ottaway crashed home a spectacular over head kick from a cross into the area, the linesman raised his flag for offside to cut the celebrations short.

There was still time for The Wands break up field again, this time with Albon playing in Cook, but he drove his effort over the bar right on the final whistle. 

Carshalton will wonder how they came away with nothing from this match and will point to the panlry decision and the offside goal, but The Wands were due some luck and this win takes Grant Basey’s men outside of the bottom three ahead of their trip to face former manager Tony Russell’s Lewes on Tuesday night.                                           

Cray: Vose, Barton, Aidoo, Hanfrey, Danquah, Cook, Yila, Reason (Munting 73), Brodie, Albon, Dickson.

Subs Not Used: Desa, Reid, Wright, Oduguwa.

Carshalton: House, Price, Hamilton-Downes, Ebuzoeme (Kapica 82), Bradford, Bennett (Read 72), Williams, Ottaway, Bassett, White.

Subs Not Used: Adeniyi, Koroma, Sankoh.    Goals: 

CWFC – Brodie 34 & 45, Dickson 45, Albon 68, Yila 78mins. CAFC – Bassett 3, 23, 39mins, Frimpong 49mins

Att: 314

HT 3-3 FT 5-4 

Ref: Howard Collins