Cray Wanderers Under 18s progressed to the next round of the FA Youth Cup courtesy of an impressive win over Fisher at Hayes Lane on Wednesday night.

The Wands started the game on the front foot with Bailey Dell latching on to a stray ball out from the Fisher keeper and firing just over, before Shaquon Williams then hit the bar with an in-swinging corner.

Fisher then came into things when Tamal Biljars ran into the box and saw his powerful drive come back off the foot of the near post with the help of keeper Dylan White. The Wands influential midfielder Arens Mula then hit the post at the other end with a well struck shot from distance and Williams had another dangerous corner pushed off the line by keeper Francisco Matos.

Dell had a shot saved from a corner as Cray continued to press, while on the break Biljars was denied by the feet of Wands keeper White. Just after the half hour Cray made their pressure finally pay when Williams received the ball on the edge of the box and drove his shot past Matos into the far corner of the net for 1-0.

Dell had another effort tipped away by Matos soon after before The Wands made it 2-0 on 35 minutes when a sort corner routine on the left saw Mula cut into the box and drive the ball home at the near post. Fisher, managed by former Cray player Solomon Taiwo, responded immediately though when Marvis Bounegrun played in Biljars and he ran clear before coolly slotting the ball home for 2-1.

The game looked to be in the balance from there, but Cray seized the initiative three minutes later when Dell’s free kick from the left was headed home by Mula as he glanced it into the far post to make it 3-1.

Jed Nsiah-Asare had a shot saved by Matos and Israel Kabengele was also denied by the visitor’s keeper before Cray made it 4-1 dead on half time when another Williams corner was headed home by Ben Morgan to give the home side a commanding lead at the break. 

The second half got off to a scrappy start with several breaks for injuries, Nsiah-Asare had two further efforts saved by Matos, while Fisher’s Biljars had a free kick saved by White.

The Wands went further ahead just before the hour mark when Williams crossed for Kabengele who hit the bar and after a scramble in the six yard box Mula completed his hatrick with a close range header.

Two minutes later the scoring was completed when Williams once again raced clear, crossed from the left and Nsiah-Asare converted his chance at the second attempt just inside the six yard box. David Barriediaz then had a goal ruled out for offside, went close with a curing effort from distance and then fired just wide, but he couldn’t quite get on the score sheet.

Biljars fired over for the visitors who kept going, before Nsiah-Asare also went close for The Wands. In the end the score stayed the same as The Wands comfortably ran out 6-1 winners securing a trip down the road to Glebe in the next round. 

Cray: White, West, Morgan, Lewin-Thomas, Dell, Traore, Williams, Nsiah-Asare, Mula, Kabengele, Kargbo.

Subs: Mountain, Bah, Barriediaz, Efuardo, Miller, Osei.

Fisher: Matos, Lambert, Smilling, Bounegrun, Jallo, Linala, Timamba, Abubaka, Biljars, Watson, Allgate.

Subs: Collins, Clark, Varew, Edwards, McFarlane, Akinola, Morsal.             

Goals; CWFC – Williams 31, Mula 35, 40, & 59, Morgan 45, Nsiah-Asare 62mins. FFC – Biljars 37mins.

Ref: Mr Tunde Adebayo 

HT 4-1 FT 6-1.