Cray Wanderers brought the curtain down on their pre-season schedule with an impressive victory at Hayes & Yeading United. In a match between two Isthmian League champions from last season, Cray came away with the win following a Joe Taylor penalty in the 74th minute to notch his ninth goal of pre-season.
Cray had the better of a lively first half and Aaron Rhule hit the crossbar and twice Taylor was denied by fine saves by the trialist goalkeeper of Hayes & Yeading. The second half was a more sedate affair with few chances but Cray had the chance to take the lead when Mitchell Nelson was held inside the area and Taylor stroked home the spot kick.
This was the eighth pre-season game for Cray and Tony Russell’s side had won five and lost two of the previous seven including a rather topsy-turvy 3-5 defeat at Phoenix Sports on Thursday night. This game didn’t promise to be quite so cavalier as two good sides with title’s impressively attained fought out a fascinating encounter on a good pitch and weather wise not too hot so the perfect day for a fine match.
It was the home side who began the more impressive and Paul Hughes’ side were presented with the first opening of the game when the lively Ogo Obi broke through onto Ahmed Abdulla’s pass and was adjudged to have been brought down by Mitchell Nelson just outside the area. From the free kick, Lyle Della-Verde curled a shot fractionally wide of the right post.
Cray were working themselves into the game well and Lee Lewis and Tom Phipp in particular were in impressive form in the early stages. The first opportunity for Cray came after a neat passing move and Phipp and Bradley Pritchard combined to find Karl Dent who broke down the right of the area and fired a shot into the side netting.
The Wands won a couple of corners and from one the ball came to Aaron Rhule but his drive was blocked by a home defender.
The best early chance of the game fell to Cray when Barney Williams ball forward was partially cleared by Mitchal Gough and Rhule pounced on the mistake and from just inside the area fired a shot against the crossbar. Following up Rhule put the ball in the net but the goal was disallowed possibly against Taylor for offside.
For Hayes & Yeading, Obi was a real threat and worked his way down the left and his ball across had to be put behind by Tom Carlse for a corner.
From here Cray began to get on top and Lewis set up Phipp who drove a tremendous 30 yards strikewhich only just went wide of the right post.
Then Phipp at the back sprayed a superb pass out to Andre Coker down the right who held the ball up and slipped a ball through to Taylor whose near post shot was well saved by the trialist keeper for a corner.
This was followed by Taylor being the creator as he picked up a ball on the edge of the area and laid
the ball back to Coker who drove a shot wide of goal from 20 yards. A couple of minutes later, Dent
from 25 yards curled a free kick wide of the left post.
For the home side Obi fired well wide from 12 yards and then did well down the left to turn past
Nelson and fire a shot wide of the right post.
Finally before half time Cray came closest yet to scoring when from a Williams throw in the ball
came to Taylor who held the ball up and his shot seemed to be goal bound but for a superb one
handed save by the keeper.
Then just before the break Rhule and Taylor combined to find Dent down the right and his cross to the far post was volleyed across goal and only just wide by Carlse. Despite the best endeavours and with Cray in the ascendancy the first half ended scoreless.
With several substitutions by Hayes & Yeading and the intensity of the game dropping the second half didn’t really match the quality of the first and there was certainly a late pre-season feel to the half.
Hayes & Yeading looked a little more threatening at the start of the half but the first shooting chance fell to Cray when once again the imperious Taylor did well to hold the ball up and find Coker who drilled a shot just wide of the left post
For Hayes & Yeading, a free kick out on the left saw a drive from Dan Spence deflected off a Cray player for a corner but at this stage Lewis Carey wasn’t called upon too often aside from having to claim a couple of whipped in crosses.
For Cray, Phipp found Coker whose cross was deflected behind for a corner. From the left wing corner, Dent’s cross was looping towards the far post and a defender had to nod the ball over for another corner.
The game had the look of a 0-0 draw about it until in the 74th minute following a corner out on the right, as Freddie Parker’s ball was played into the area, just inside the box, Nelson was held down by Dylan Switters and a penalty kick was awarded. Taylor stepped up to take the penalty and stroked the ball into the bottom right corner of the net for a goal his overall performance deserved.
This led to a rally from Hayes & Yeading United who sought a leveller and almost got in when a ball was played through to Della-Verde who placed the ball into the net but was disallowed for offside. Then Spence’s ball into the area was volleyed wide by the no 17 and then from a free kick, Spence’s cross was headed wide by the no 19.
Cray had defended resolutely and looked very strong at the back and repelled the home side’s attempts to level.
Finally before the end Cray had a couple of openings to score a second, firstly when Parker found Charlie Allen who hit a shot just wide. Then Jerome Federico who made a lively impact when coming on for the last quarter of the game cut inside and curled a shot from 20 yards which the keeper did well to field.
In the end the Wands had done enough to win the game and can look back on a fine afternoon’s work and there have been many plusses during pre-season and can now concentrate on what will be a tricky Isthmian Premier opener at Kingstonian next Saturday.
Hayes & Yeading United: Trialist, Dan Spence, Toby Little, Ismail Yakubu (Capt.), Mitchal Gough, Taofiq Olomowewe, Dylan Switters, Ahmed Abdulla, Elliot Benyon, Lyle Della-Verde, Ogo Obi: Subs: Matt Hall, Troy Timothy, James Clark, Trialist, Tobi Adaje, Kevin Songolo, Max Chabane, Milos Vukasinovic, Trialist.
Cray Wanderers: Lewis Carey, Barney Williams, Tom Carlse, Mitchell Nelson, Tom Phipp, Lee Lewis (Charles Etumnu, 72), Bradley Pritchard (Charlie Allen, 66), Karl Dent (Jerome Federico, 66), Aaron Rhule (Freddie Parker, 66), Andre Coker (Tom Murphy, 72), Joe Taylor
Scorer: Taylor 74 pen
Referee: Jack Ohene
Assistants: Ceri Williams, Fernando Costache