Cray Wanderers continued their unbeaten start to October with a merited point from a hard fought game against a strong and quick Haringey Borough side. 

In a fast paced match Cray showed good resilience to come back from going an early goal down against the North London side after Scott Mitchell’s eighth minute goal but Cray regrouped and levelled just after the hour with a superb individual goal from Jamie Yila.

Both teams came close to claiming the three points with Andy Drury’s audacious chip from halfway going just over and Cameron Brodie was denied by a save by the legs of Jonathan Miles. However, Cray were indebted to a great late save from Jack Turner who managed to scoop off the line a header by the left post following a corner.

Cray ended a seven game losing run last Saturday at Carshalton with a 3-1 win and from the side which started that game into the side came Freddy Barton and Jack Hanson for Marvin McCoy whose wife gave birth in the early hours of the morning and Richard Afrane-Kesey. Haringey were seventh coming into the game and from the side which drew 0-0 at Leatherhead last Saturday, Rakim Richards, Georgios Aresti and Jamie-Lee O’Donoghue came in for Roman Michael-Percil, Mekhi McLeod and Sami Bessadi.

On a warm afternoon more spring like than early autumn it was Haringey who came out of the traps quickest and came close with an early free kick with Tosin Olufemi firing a shot over the bar. For Cray, Adam Coombes threatened with a volley down the right which went wide.

In the 8th minute, Haringey went ahead when Michael O’Donoghue’s left wing corner into the box was met by a towering header from an unmarked Scott Mitchell to crash the ball into the net.

After this the game continued at a fast pace but with not many clear cut chances but Cray certainly regrouped and it was even for the rest of the half.

Cray looked to build down the left and Jamie Yila got into the box and saw a shot blocked by Rakim Richards.  Then from a corner down the right, Anthony Cook’s ball to the far post was headed over by Tom Hanfrey.

Cray continued to pose a threat and a cross from Cook down the left into the box saw Coombes and Yila go for the ball together and seemed to come off the head of Yila and behind.  

The Wands had to make a change on the half hour when Freddie Cray came on for the injured Kasim Aidoo but again Cray threatened when the impressive Cameron Brodie found Coombes and his cross was flicked wide of the left post by Yila. Then Cook made a down the right and turned and shot just over from 20 yards.

Haringey were a threat from free kicks and Michael O’Donoghue’s corners and from another from the left another header from Mitchell went just wide of the right post.

The last opportunity of the half fell to Cray when from a free kick down the right, Cook’s ball into the area was glanced wide by Dean Beckwith.

HT: 1-0

For the start of the second half, Richard Afrane-Kesey came on for Jack Hanson and the game continued to be quick but the opening stages of the half were more scrappier with not too many openings.  Cray had a half opening when Yila inside the area was denied by a good tackle from Mitchell.

The game just needed a spark and got it from Jamie Yila on 62 minutes with a superb, individual goal when Afrane-Kesey won the ball and found the winger who from just inside his own half embarked on a run down the left, took on 3 defenders and jinked into the area and smashed a terrific shot high into the net to put Cray on level terms and with his third goal of the season and celebrated with the fans in impressive style.

From here Cray had a little purple patch and played some terrific football and shortly after the goal, Andy Drury saw the keeper slightly off his line with an audacious chipped shot from half way which only just dipped over the bar.

Then, Coombes did well to find room to set up Cameron Brodie on the edge of the area but his shot was well saved by the legs of Jonathan Miles. Shortly after Brodie skewed a shot just past the left post.

For the last twenty minutes, Haringey put Cray under pressure and won a few corners but Cray were defending very well with Barton, Cray, Beckwith and Hanfrey outstanding and even Drury was tracking back to clear balls away from the area and Brodie was mopping up in midfield.

Haringey came close when Georgios Aresti and Alfred Bawling found Roman Michael-Percil down the right and he set up Sami Bessadi who shot wide.  Despite the pressure, Cray were resolute but couldn’t really get the ball enough in the forward areas to search out a winner.

The game’s big moment late on came when Tosin Olufemi’s cross was put behind for a corner and from the right wing cross from O’Donohgue to the far post the ball was in a crowded goalmouth nudged towards goal by Mehdi McLeod and the ball was scooped away superbly by Jack Turner off the line by the post with the home side adamant that the ball was over the line but no goal was given.

Towards the end, Yila again jinked down the left into the area but his ball across was cleared and the last opportunity fell to Haringey when Aresti switched passes with Bawling and fired across goal with no-one to apply a finishing touch.

In the end Cray stemmed the tide and grabbed a fine point and their first drawn game of the season. Danny Kedwell’s side remain 15th in the Isthmian Premier league table but have least stopped the flow of defeats and picked up a deserved 4 points from the two tough away trips in October. With home matches with Folkestone Invicta and Horsham being moved to November, the Wands next league game will also be on the road at Cheshunt on 23rd October. 

Haringey: Jonathan Miles, Tosin Olufemi, Michael O’Donoghue, Rakim Richards, Scott Mitchell (Roman Michael-Percil, 72), Tyrese Owen, Jorge Djassi-Sambu, Georgios Aresti, Jamie-Lee O’Donoghue (Mekhi McLeod, 70), Alfred Bawling, Adyeinka Cole (Sami Bessadi, 70).

Subs not used: Tiernan Parker, Callum Ismail.

Scorer: Mitchell 8 mins

Booked: Bawling

Cray Wanderers: Jack Turner, Freddy Barton, Dean Beckwith, Tom Hanfrey, Kasim Aidoo (Freddie Cray, 30), Cameron Brodie, Jack Hanson (Richard Afrane-Kesey, H/T), Andy Drury, Anthony Cook, Jamie Yila, Adam Coombes (Quaine Bartley, 81).

Subs not used: Zakary Guerfi, Fjord Rogers.

Scorer: Yila 62

Booked: Beckwith

Referee: Callum Walchester

Assistants: Aleksandor Ovens, David Payne

Attendance: 442