Cray produced one of their finest away performances of the season as a first half double from Danny Haynes coupled with a stout rearguard action in the second half saw the Wands win at fellow playoff contenders Hastings United.
With the sides in ninth and tenth place and both scoring plenty of goals this had the look of being a fine football match and although there wasn’t a lot of chances created there was some very good football played and the Wands in the end deserved their victory. After a quick start from Cray, Haynes was played through and placed the ball past Lennie Pidgley to give the Wands the lead in the 9th minute. The Wands then scored a fine second when Brandon Scott’s cross was despatched emphatically by Haynes. Hastings though pulled a goal back in first half stoppage time through experienced forward Frannie Collin but despite soaking up a fair bit of pressure Cray held on resolutely to win.
Tony Russell made a couple of changes from the side which beat Chatham Town on Monday afternoon. Ben Mundele returned following injury at right back for Timi Osidobu whilst Sean Roberts came in for Solomon Taiwo.
Cray started well and came close after just two minutes when Haynes set up Scott down the right of the penalty area but the winger fired over the crossbar.
Then Mundele down the right worked his way close to the by line and his cross found Karl Dent whose half hit shot was cleared by Ollie Rowe.
Cray’s passing in that opening few minutes was excellent and took the lead with a well taken goal in the 9th minute when Dent’s through ball found Haynes who strode on and lifted the ball neatly over the advancing Pidgeley for his nineteenth league goal of the season.
Hastings though play good football too and looked to threaten through the quality of captain Simon Johnson and the trickery of Matt Bodkin in particular. A corner from Collin from the right was cleared away by Leader and they came closest to scoring when Stephen Butcher played a neat ball into Johnson but Blue did well to block his attempted near post cross shot.
Cray continued to play well and Dent down the left found Lee Prescott who laid the to Roberts but his shot lacked power and went straight through to the keeper.
The Wands were holding on well and kept chances for the home side to a minimum with Jay Leader and Paul Lorraine giving exemplary performances at the back. What was really needed was a second goal and It came in the 38th minute. Typically good combination play down the right saw Mundele find Scott who put over a fine cross which found Haynes who got in front of Rowe to place a neat finish wide of Pidgeley to make it 2-0.
Hastings though had a good spell before half time and threatened to score when Bodkin set up Johnson for a low shot held well by Blue.
Then, a minute into injury time, Hastings pulled a goal back when Kiernan Hughes- Mason played the ball through to Collin who tucked home a neat finish from the edge of the area past Blue to set up a dramatic second half.
Half Time: 1-2 
Cray were able to weather any early storm from the home side in the second half and the Wands dug deep to hang on whilst continuing to play some neat football on the eye.
The best opportunities for Hastings came from another corner from Colin right into the heart of the penalty area which forced Blue to scramble the ball away.
For Cray, a free kick down the right from Jey Sive to the near post was flicked wide by Leader. Then for the home side Johnny Akoto and Bodkin set up Johnson who fired a shot narrowly wide of the left post. Then another Collin corner was scrambled away well by Cray.
The Wands continued to press for a third goal and Scott down the right saw a cross shot deflected behind for a corner. From the left wing kick, Siva’s ball was met forcibly by the head of Leader but steered his header wide of goal.
Hastings pushed forward and Bodkin found Johnson whose effort was blocked and the follow up from Jordan Robins was drilled wide. Then Blue had to get down well to save from Collin’s header from Bodkin’s cross.
Cray kept going and Dent lashed a near post shot wide and then Haynes came close to notching his hat-trick when Luchford’s fine ball across came to the striker but he scuffed at his attempted shot and the ball sailed away harmlessly away for a goal kick.
The Wands had to do a fair bit of defending in the last five minutes and Bodkin’s low cross from the left went across goal and wide.
Then a free kick on the edge of the box saw the ball crash into the wall for a corner which came to Barry Cogan whose volley went straight to Blue.
In the end after four minutes of injury time, Cray held on well to win and this was one of their most pleasing results and performances of the season on a good pitch against a decent side and this should help maintain the Wands promotion push for the remaining weeks of the season. The Wands remain ninth in the table but are just three points behind fifth placed Corinthian Casuals who they play next week.
Cray next travel to Walton Casuals on Wednesday night on the 3G pitch and then to Corinthian Casuals on Saturday as their run of games against playoff contenders continues.
Cray: Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Lee Prescott, Danny Haynes (Sherwin Stanley, 90+2), Karl Dent (Timi Osidobu, 90+1), Brandon Scott (Dane Luchford, 87): Subs: Solomon Taiwo, Jai McKinlay
Booked: Prescott, Lorraine, Dawson
Hastings United: Lenny Pidgeley, Johnny Akoto, Stephen Butcher, Sam Cruttwell, Ollie Rowe, Jordan Robins (Steve Watt, 81), Matt Bodkin, Simon Johnson (Capt.), Jack Harris (Barry Cogan, H/T), Frannie Collin, Kiernan Hughes-Mason
Booked: Akoto, Collin
Referee: Michal Marsh
Assistants: Timothy Hatt, Andrew Senior
Attendance: 407