Cray Wanderers’ debut season at Flamingo Park sees a first Saturday home FA Cup tie as Wingate & Finchley are the visitors in the 2nd Qualifying Round. 

Please note the kick off is 1 pm. 

Both teams will be looking to make new ground this season with a place in the 1st Round proper for the first time but before that three qualifying rounds need to be passed as the world’s greatest domestic cup competition still captures the imagination of fans and the footballing world as a whole.  Should the game end in a draw the tie will go to a replay which will be on Tuesday 17th September at the Maurice Rebak Stadium, 7.45 pm.

Cray will be looking to build on the well-earned point from the goalless draw with Horsham last Saturday and the durable and resolute performance helped restore some confidence after four consecutive league defeats. 

The Wands have already attained a piece of history in the brief cup run so far with a record FA Cup win after an 8-0 win at home to Larkfield & New Hythe in the 1st QR Replay on 3rd September.  Goals from Frankie Raymond, Nyren Clunis, Tom Bonner (2), Kenny Coker (2), Anthony Cook and an own goal saw Cray ease through after a 1-1 draw at Larkfield. 

With respect to Larkfield & New Hythe this will be a much tougher assignment for Neil Smith’s side as Wingate & Finchley are a confident side who come into the game 14th in the Isthmian Premier league table on points from six games.  The Blues reached the playoffs last season after a fourth placed finish only losing in the Semi-Final at Enfield Town.

Ahmet Rifat’s side produced a professional performance in the 1st QR to win 4-0 at Thame United with goals from Arthur Iontton, Oga Obi (2) and Andronicus Georgiou.  Their league games have been entertaining with 27 goals in six matches and so far have beaten Dulwich Hamlet (3-2) at home and won 3-2 at Canvey Island. They drew 3-3 with Folkestone Invicta and were beaten at Carshalton Athletic (2-3), at home to Potters Bar Town (1-2) and last Saturday went down to defeat at Bognor Regis (1-2) with an injury time winner. Obi put the Blues ahead and has seven goals for the season.

Wingate & Finchley were formed as a merger of the Wingate & Finchley clubs in 1991 and this will be the first FA Cup meeting between the sides.  The teams have met in the FA Trophy, in 2010 and a handful of meetings in the London Senior Cup with the last in the 2014-15 season. Cray did meet the original Wingate club back in the London Senior League days of the 1950’s and met in the League Cup four seasons in a row including the Final in 1956-57 won by Wingsing Round, the original Finchley club got to the 3rd Round proper in 1952-53.

The two league meetings last season saw Cray complete a league double with a 3-1 win at  Wingate & Finchley on 4th November, 2023 with Gary Lockyer, Frankie Raymond and Anthony Cook scoring with Ruben Carvalho on target for the home side.  Cray also won 1-0 at Hayes Lane on 27th January with a spectacular Lockyer overhead kick.

There should be a great buzz around the ground for an FA Cup tie on Saturday and with both sides forward thinking this could be one of the games of the round.

Admission £10 adults, £5 concessions on gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ , please note season tickets are not valid for this game. Match Programme: £3, golden goals £1, merchandise, hot food & drinks and bar available.