After a very busy Festive period Cray Wanderers are back in Isthmian League Premier Division action on Saturday afternoon when they entertain Lewes at Hayes Lane.

The Wands go into the game having picked up five points from their last three matches, keeping clean sheets in all of them. In the last game on New Year’s Day Cray drew 0-0

at home to Hastings Utd, a result that took Neil Smith’s side up to fifteenth in the table with 24 points from 21 league matches played.  

The Wands have been missing a number of players through injury and suspension including Jack Holland, Nyren Clunis, Yahya Bamba & Tom Bonner, but they have recently brought in forward Tolu Oyebola who scored on his debut in the 2-0 win against Enfield Town last Friday and youth player George Brooke has stepped up into the first team squad.    

Lewes travel up from Sussex sitting in ninth place with 31 points from 19 games, The Rooks are managed by former Wands player and boss Tony Russell who had a very successful time at the club along with coaches Joe Vines & Nathan White. In their last outing Lewes won 1-0 at home to Bognor Regis Town, Jake Elliott with the vital goal in the second half. Midfield maestro Bradley Pritchard is the only player left in the Lewes squad from the initial exodus of Cray Players who moved with the management team in 2021. 

When the sides met at The Dripping Pan on the opening day of the season, Lewes won 1-0 with a first half goal from Chris Whelpdale and this game looks set to be equally as tight between two inform sides, with Lewes looking to keep in touch with the play off places and Cray hoping to extend the gap between themselves and the bottom four.     

Entrance for the game is £12 for adults and £6 for concessions, there is an excellent printed programme at £2. Kick off is at 3pm.