Cray Wanderers Women returned to league action after the festive break and stayed three points clear at the top of the SCEWFL Division One West after a 6-0 victory against Borough Green Ladies at Flamingo Park and with six different goalscorers.

Dean Jarman’s side were looking to bounce back from the defeat at Tonbridge Angels in the League Cup last Sunday against a battling Borough Green side who started the day bottom of the table on one point.

On a very cold afternoon Cray looked to get on the front foot straight away and in the opening minute, Jessica Oldfield hooked an effort from outside the area over the bar after a clearance from Green goalkeeper Megan Wordingham.

Cray went ahead in the 8th minute when the ball was worked down the right following a Borough Green clearance and came to Katie Jackson who jinked into the area and set up Oldfield for a quality finish.

Shortly after Chloe Ashdown was played in down the left of the area and looked certain to score but for a fine defensive tackle from Charlotte Pickford who diverted the ball past the right post for a corner.  The corner was headed wide by Vittoria D’Urso.

Then, Millie Main hit a shot from distance which was held by Wordingham, a corner from Jackson was headed wide by Annemarie Blanche and Olivia Gregory volleyed over.

Cray continued to come close and Oldfield was denied by a fine save by Wordingham who got a hand to a shot down the right to turn the ball past the left post.

A second goal looked to be on the cards and came on the half hour after Wordingham had done well to make a block to deny Jackson.  The ball was cleared out to D’Urso who from 35 yards lofted a shot towards goal and into the net.

Shortly after Oldfield crashed a shot against the crossbar while at the other end from a corner down the right, Megan Milton’s ball to the near post was headed wide by Amee Bond.

Cray were unlucky not to score a third when Jackson’s cross from the right went away from the keeper to Ashdown who looked certain to score but Bond did superbly to hack the ball off the line.  Then Oldfield hooked wide from a Jackson cross and then hit a dipping cross shot which Wordingham did well to push past the right post.

A minute before half time though, Cray did score a third when Jackson who had a fine half slotted in down the right of the area.

HT:  3-0

Cray continued to pour forward at the start of the second half and Jackson set up Olivia Gregory for a shot which was saved by the legs of Wordingham.  The Borough Green keeper also did well to block a near post effort from Oldfield from a Jackson corner.

Then from a corner down the left from Jackson into the area, Blanche’s header was headed off the line and over by Bond.  

The pressure though was growing and from the resulting corner, the ball was cleared out to Millie Main who from 20 yards rifled home a shot which gave Wordingham no chance to save.

Cray continued to go close and Jackson’s shot was saved by Wordingham, Hannah Atkins shot wide and Ashdown’s cross was turned wide by Hrystyna Kulishko.  Then Atkins shot was well saved by Wordingham and then held a shot from outside the area by Blanche.

For Borough Green who worked extremely hard, Milton saw a shot go off target from outside the area

A fifth goal for Cray came in the 78th minute as Ashdown down the left looked to hit a shot which deflected off the back of a defender into the path of Atkins who did well to slide the ball into the net ahead of Wordingham.

Wordingham did well again to save from Atkins and Eve Sales’ effort was blocked.

There was a special moment for the team as Lauren Henry who due to injury hadn’t played since October 2022 was given five minutes towards the end of the match in defence to help with fitness.

There was still time for one last goal for Cray Wanderers in the last minute when from a throw in down the left the ball eventually came to Olivia Gregory who from just inside the area crashed home a shot to make it 6-0 and complete a very satisfactory afternoon for the team.

Cray moved on to 28 points from ten games played, three points clear of Tonbridge Angels who have played a game more and remained unbeaten in the league. The Wands next Sunday (21st January) are also at home against London Road in the Kent FA Plate (2 pm) and are well worth a watch.

Cray Wanderers: Samantha Sharp, Grace Dodds, Vittoria D’Urso, Claire Goldsmith, Olivia Gregory, Millie Main, Annemarie Blanche, Hrystyna Kulishko, Chloe Ashdown, Jessica Oldfield, Katie Jackson.

Subs not used: Eve Sales, Hannah Atkins, Lauren Henry.

Scorers: Oldfield 8 mins, D’Urso 30, Jackson 44, Main 60, Atkins 78, Gregory 89.

Borough Green: Megan Wordingham, Caitlin O’Keefe, Honour Wheeler, Amee Bond, Charlotte Pickford, Cristie Pritchard, Kirsty Blundell, Megan Milton, Narissa Verrall, Hollie Mills, Alyssa Noble.

Subs not used: Abbie Rose, Francesca Dunsford.

Referee: Adam Back