Cray moved up into fourth place and back into the playoff places after a devastating attacking display saw the Wands hit Soham Town Rangers for six.
On a bright, sunny but a little bit chilly Sunday afternoon at Hayes Lane, Cray came out of the traps very quickly with two goals in the opening ten minutes.
The Wands then proceeded for the remainder of the game with some clinical finishing as Cray may it three straight wins and helped boost their goal difference which could be crucial in such a tight playoff picture. Soham came into the game in relative safety in fifteenth place and contributed a lot to the afternoon’s entertainment but their hopes were not helped by the sending off of Robbie Mason in the second half.
Cray were boosted by the signing of Michael Frieter who made such an impression with his two months loan spell earlier in the season. From the side which won up at Brightlingsea last Saturday, Ben Payne returned in defence for Dean Carpenter whilst Frieter started in place of Leigh Bremner.
The Wands have started games very quickly this season but not always put their chances away. This afternoon was a different story as Cray set off on the front foot and went ahead with their first real opening in the fourth minute.
A neat build up started by Grant Basey’s ball out from the back found the impressive Lea Dawson who passed to Jacob Erskine who then received a defence splitting return pass from Frieter to stride on and confidently stroke the ball past Sam McDermid.
It got even better for Cray in the 8th minute when it became 2-0. This time the ball was worked down the left as Karl Dent found James Duckworth who from close to the byline put over a great cross which took out McDermid and the ball fell to Sean Roberts whose shot was blocked by a defender. The loose ball was picked up by Frieter who from six yards prodded the ball into the net via Jordan Gent on the goal line.
Cray didn’t have it all their own way as five minutes later the Wands were indebted to Nick Blue for a fine double save to keep Rangers at bay. Cray got a bit sloppy in possession and Callum Russell was played through but Blue did well to get down to parry the shot. The ball then fell to Robbie Mason whose shot was blocked by the legs of Blue and out for a corner. From the corner, Will Lawton fired over the crossbar.
The game was becoming a very good match to watch and Cray were unlucky when Erskine set up Frieter for a shot that was deflected for a corner whilst Ryan Sharman fired wide for Rangers.
On the half hour, Basey’s free kick from out on the right was played into the box and the ball was cleared out as far as Dent who got under the ball slightly and the ball drifted over the top. For Ranger, Salim Reilzani shot well wide from 30 yards.
Soham had their best chance to get back into the game when again Cray were guilty of being over indulgent with their passing and were dispossessed. The ball was fed out to the left to Ross Paterson who put over a wicked cross which perhaps got a slight touch from Blue but the ball fell to Sharman who contrived to knock the ball wide with the goal at his mercy.
This alerted Cray to the fact that the game wasn’t yet won and Dent hit a rasping shot which just went over the top from the edge of the penalty area.
A minute later in the 37th minute Cray made it 3-0 with another piece of clinical finishing. Sean Roberts having a great game in midfield ball forward was picked up by Jack Watson who was dispossessed by Duckworth who took two touches to stride forward and place the ball wide of the keeper for his seventh league goal of the season.
A lively first half ended with Lawton curling in a looping cross which went over and for Cray powerful forward play by Erskine saw him feed the ball to Frieter who pulled his shot across goal and wide.
Half Time: 3-0
Cray made a switch at half time with Ben Hunt replacing Erskine. The change didn’t effect the pattern of play as Cray began the second half as the first with another early goal.
Karl Dent had already had ane effort which went straight to the keeper before scoring the fourth goal in the 48th minute. The ball went out on the left to Hunt who held the ball up well and laid the ball to Duckworth who then set up Dent just inside the area for a fine curling shot which gave the keeper no chance.
Soham Town were persistent and continued to attack and got back into the game with a fine individual goal of their own in the 52nd minute when Sharman was perhaps given a bit too much room to roam forward and with no challenge coming in, from the edge of the box placed a sweetly struck shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
This set up Soham for mini revival and Sherman shot wide of the right post a couple of minutes later and Relizani saw a shot deflected for a corner.
From the corner however in the 62nd minute, Soham’s chances of a way back into the game were dashed after an altercation inside the penalty area involving Mason and Ben Payne saw both booked, but Mason was shown a yellow card two minutes before that and was sent off.
Cray were unlucky when Duckworth floated a free kick into the box and Dawson was unlucky as he got to the ball before the keeper but his header was off target. Then Soham had probably their last opportunity to get back into the game when from the last of three corner kicks the ball fell to Paterson on the edge of the box but Payne did enough with his challenge to allow the shot to go over the top of the crossbar.
The Wands seemed now to be in full control of the game and in the 77th minute put the gloss on the afternoon with one of the candidates for goal of the season. A swift attack by Cray started by Jay Leader’s ball out to substitute Jamie Mascoll who received a return pass from Dawson down the left hand side and put over an absolute pin point cross to the far post which was met by another replacement, Leigh Bremner who powered a sublime header into the top corner of the net.
The dust had barely settled on that great goal when two minutes later, Cray notched their sixth goal with another brisk counter attack. This time the ball was worked down the right by Frieter’s ball to Hunt who ran into the box and laid the ball across to Mascoll who showed great composure to fire home from ten yards for his first goal for Cray.
By now the game was well won and the last few minutes Cray were able to stroll through the game with Hunt closest to scoring again but his shot was blocked for a corner.
Soham who never gave up despite their rather difficult afternoon had the last opportunity of the game with a dipping volley from Paterson going over the top.
In the end Cray had won a crucial three points which coupled with some dropped points by other teams in the playoff pack made this a very good weekend. Cray though do not have a great deal of time to celebrate the win for too long as they are in action again on Tuesday evening when Thurrock visit Hayes Lane in a match between 2nd and 4th in the table.
In the meantime Cray can look back on a very satisfying afternoon and proof that the Wands have started to click back into top gear at exactly the right time.
Cray: Nick Blue, Adetayo Osifuwa, Grant Basey, Jay Leader, Ben Payne, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Jamie Mascoll, 63), Jacob Erskine (Ben Hunt H/T), James Duckworth (Leigh Bremner, 74), Michael Frieter.
Subs: Jai McKinlay, Sam Faulkner
Booked: Payne, Osifuwa
Soham Town: Sam McDermid, Josh Townsend, Ross Paterson, Will Lawton, Jordan Gent (Capt.) (Dave Theobald, 88), Jack Watson, Callum Russell (George Darling, H/T), Ryan Sharman, Robbie Mason, Dylan Williams, Salim Relizani:
Subs: Robbie Nightingale
Sent Off: Mason 62 (two bookings)
Booked: Relizani, Gent
Att: 183
Referee: Ollie Jackson
Assistants: Ivan Gelov, Kane Dempster
Cray Wanderers 6
Erskine 4, Frieter 8, Duckworth 37,
Dent 48, Bremner 77, Mascoll 79
Soham Town Rangers 1
Sharman 52