Cray Wanderers frustrating start to the season continued as Isthmian Premier league leaders Enfield Town inflicted a fourth straight loss as two second half Marcus Wyllie goals ensured the home side remain one of two sides in the league with a 100% record.

The Wands had their moments in a first half punctuated by torrential rain and came close through Anthony Cook twice and Frankie Raymond but in a drier second half, Enfield capitalised on two moments of hesitation at the back and Marcus Wyllie slotted the Towners in front ten minutes after the restart. 

Eight minutes later his lifted shot took  a slight deflection which sent the ball into the net and despite chances for Cameron Black and Rio Campbell near the end couldn’t get back into the game.

Cray were looking for a change of fortune after performing well against Billericay last Saturday without any just reward. 

For the visit to Enfield Town there were two changes to the starting lineup with left back/midfield player Will Wood joining Cray from Welling United on a two month loan starting in place of Sam Wood and Yahya Bamba in for Mason Saunders-Henry. 

Enfield Town had won their opening three games and made one change to the side which won 2-1 at Folkestone Invicta last Saturday with Carlos Garcia Velasco coming in for Joe Payne.

The game started at a decent pace and evenly contested with Will Wood’s early left wing cross well claimed by Rhys Forster.  

The first real moment of incision came in the 10th minute when Mickey Parcell down the left found space to set up Marcus Wyllie who did well to control the ball and fire in a shot which Shaun Rowley did well to turn over the bar for a corner.  Shortly after Parcell and Reece Beckles-Richards combined to set up Sam Youngs down the left who drove a shot wide.

Cray though were very much in the game and in the 20th minute came closest yet when Yahya Bamba down the left put over a telling cross which was glanced wide of the right post by the head of Anthony Cook from just outside the area.

Then Archy Taylor down the right played the ball across and was helped on by Will Wood for Frankie Raymond to drive a shot wide of the right post.

The heavens opened around the half hour mark and the remainder of the half with Cray perhaps just having the slight edge and down the left Bamba cut into the area but drove a shot into the side net.

This was followed by Cook hitting a shot from outside the area on the skiddy surface which Forster parried and held at the second attempt.   Then a free kick out on the left was played to Raymond whose cross to the far post was glanced off target by Cameron Black.

Just before the break Enfield imposed some pressure and right on half time, the ball came to Oliver Knight who hit a well struck shot down the right which Rowley got down well to save.

A much drier second half began a little bit scrappy with Wyllie blazing a free kick over the bar and Beckles-Richards seeing a shot blocked by Jack Holland.

Enfield though looked to be getting on top and in the 55th minute took the lead when Knight won the ball off Archy Taylor and found Wyllie down the left and his cross-shot went across goal but the ball stayed alive and a cross played back to Wyllie at the far post was fired into the bottom right corner for his fourth goal of the season.

Cray were on the ropes a little bit after this and Wyllie blazed an effort over the bar and then Youngs fired wide of the left post.

Then in the 63rd minute Enfield went two nil up when Holland was dispossessed by Wyllie down the right who sought to cut into the area and his lofted shot looked to have taken a nick off a defender and looped into the net.

Cray looked to inject some fresh impetus with David Ijaha and Tom Derry coming on and in the 71st minute came close to pulling a goal back when Jamie Mascoll’s ball forward was flicked on by Derry for Cameron Black to break into the area but Forster did well to make an instinctive save to turn the ball away.

Rio Campbell was brought on for the last quarter of an hour and was unlucky not to score two minutes before the end when Bamba’s cross from the left was left by Derry for Campbell whose first time shot was saved by Forster’s legs.

Cray did keep plugging away with Bamba shooting wide from Derry’s set up but the Wands were unable to grab a consolation goal which would have been a fairer reflection of the scoreline. 

Enfield Town in the end made it four wins out of four joining Chatham Town with a 100% winning record to start the season and always look a realistic promotion prospect.

For Cray, who are 20th are one of four teams without a point and visit Hastings United on Monday but it is still way too early for despondency and the Wands just need a change of fortune in front of goal.

Enfield Town:           

Rhys Forster, Mickey Parcell, Carlos Garcia-Velasco, Scott Thomas, Joshua Okotcha,

James Richmond, Dylan Adjei-Hersey (Gucci Soulya-Osekanogo, 83), Sam Youngs, Oliver Knight (Sami Bessadi, 88), Marcus Wyllie, Reece Beckles-Richards: 

Subs: Adi Connolly, Ekow Coker, Jordan Adeoye

Scorer:           Wyllie 55, 63

Cray Wanderers: 

Shaun Rowley, Archy Taylor, Cameron Black, Jack Holland (David Ijaha, 66),

Jamie Mascoll, Will Wood, Frankie Raymond, Anthony Cook (Rio Campbell, 74), Nyren Clunis (Tom Derry, 69), Cameron Thompson, Yahya Bamba:  Subs: Sam Wood, Mason Saunders-Henry

Booked:         W. Wood 45+1, Taylor 80

Referee:   Michael Scott

Assistants:  Gavin Bailey, George Barker

Att:      526

Images courtesy of Ozay Booth