Cray Wanderers look to continue an unbeaten start to 2025 on Saturday as the Wands with six wins in the last eight games head to Hastings United in the Isthmian Premier. Kick off 3pm.
All six of those wins have been carved out of granite with 1-0 score lines and last Saturday moved up to ninth in the table after victory against Potters Bar Town at Flamingo Park.
Kenny Coker’s 7th minute goal proved decisive but overall Cray created the better opening but were debted to Shaun Rowley who made a great one handed save deep into added time for his sixteenth clean sheet of the season.
It was another good team performance with the back four of Ike Orji, Tom Bonner, Remi Sutton and Darion Dowrich again outstanding but the hard work of the forwards, Coker, Josh Williams and Nathan Jeche also deserve credit. Without the suspended Lateef Adaja and Charlie Edwards who missed the match with injury George Penn produced another mature performance in midfield alongside the ever reliable Frankie Raymond and Nyren Clunis.
The Wands now end January with three successive away games with matches to follow at Whitehawk and Wingate & Finchley to end the month.
This will be the third meeting of the season with Hastings United who are 20th in the table on 23 points after the sides met in the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round on 28th September with Cray winning 3-0 at Flamingo Park with goals from Toby King, Kenny Coker and David Smith.
The teams met again in the league on 19th October and finished 0-0 mainly down to the excellence of United keeper Louis Rogers on the day. At that time Cray were in the bottom four on just five points but have picked up thirty points since then to move eleven points clear of the bottom four.
Cray will be seeking their first win at Hastings since January 2017 in a 2-1 victory with two Danny Haynes goals and have lost on the last three visits with the last a 0-3 defeat in August 2023.
Since our last meeting Hastings have changed managers with former Ebbsfleet United boss Danny Searle taking over in December and won the first match in charge at Chichester City on 9th December. However, home form seems to have been their main problem this season and have lost the last three at Pilot Field. Last Saturday, Hastings were beaten 1-3 at Folkestone Invicta with Freddie Legg the scorer in the second half.
At home Hastings have beaten Horsham (2-0), Chatham Town (3-2) and Whitehawk (3-0). They drew with Bognor Regis Town (2-2) and Carshalton Athletic (1-1) and were beaten by Folkestone Invicta (1-2), Cheshunt (2-3), Cray Valley PM (0-1), Dartford (0-3), Bowers & Pitsea (3-4) and Dover Athletic (0-2).
Away from home Hastings have won at Whitehawk (1-0), Chichester City (3-2) and Bognor Regis Town (1-0), drew at Lewes, Cray Wanderers and Billericay Town and were beaten at Potters Bar Town, Hashtag United, Dulwich Hamlet, Wingate & Finchley, Hendon and Folkestone Invicta.
In the FA Trophy, Hastings were beaten in the 1st Round at Hadley but are through to the Quarter Finals of the Isthmian League Cup after wins against Deal Town and Cray Valley PM and are at home to Binfield on Tuesday 21st January. Top scorer is David Rodari with 15 goals.
Cray head to East Sussex with plenty of confidence but this is always a good test and with both sides needing points at both ends of the table this should be a great game.
Admission £13 adults, £9 concessions, U18s free.
Pictures supplied by Ben Keyes and Dave Budden.