Cray Wanderers returned to league action after a two week break with a hard fought victory at Herne Bay.
The win gained by a Luke Medley goal forty seconds into the second half was enough to move Cray up above Hastings United back into 9th place in the league table.
The game will not live long in the memory and was a times a rather scrappy affair that belongs in the ugly win folder with Herne Bay’s chances dealt a blow when Kane Phillip was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the hour.
The Wands started with new signing Leigh Bremner partnering Luke Medley in the absence of Danny Haynes through suspension. Grant Basey made a welcome return for his first start since the FA Cup tie at Faversham in September.
Manager Tony Russell had used the enforced break to look at a change of formation with a 3-5-2 layout with Basey, Jay Leader and Paul Lorraine in defence, Ben Mundele and Jey Siva playing out wide with Lea Dawson, Sean Roberts and Karl Dent in the midfield area.
The match got off to a fairly slow start with both sides looking a bit rusty after a couple of weeks without a game. Aside from a corner apiece for both sides there was little to enthuse about early on.
The best early opening fell to Cray in the eleventh minute when good work by Siva down the left saw the ball come to Bremner who turned away from a defender and drilled a low shot just wide of the left post ruffling the side netting.
Herne Bay threatened when lively Michael Turner made a strong run forward and his effort was deflected behind for a corner.
The home side then had a good spell with Kane Phillip presented with an opportunity and his effort just inside the area was blocked by Leader.
Then a minute later an effort from Tamar Hassan was well hit and brought a fine save from Nick Blue.
The Wands had a lot of possession and applied a fair amount of pressure but couldn’t really turn it into goal scoring chances. A free kick was whipped into the box which keeper Jack Delo had to push aside under pressure, then the return ball from Dawson found Lorraine whose cross-shot was mis-hit but forced Delo to clutch the ball at the near post.
For Herne Bay, a free kick from Turner into the box was flicked wide by Mark Lovell. The last meaningful action of a fairly lacklustre first half came a minute before the break when Basey curled a free kick from just outside the area over the bar.
Half Time: 0-0
The second half got off to a dramatic start when just 40 seconds after the restart, Cray out of the blue took the lead. Dent played a ball through to Medley who ran on and his shot was well saved by Delo but following up Medley slid the ball into the net past Turner on the line for his first goal for Cray.
This set the tone for a much more exciting second half and Dent was becoming more of an influence on the game and his swerving run from his own half took him just inside the penalty area and his low shot was gathered well by Delo.
The game then went through a bit of a tetchy phase with Dawson and Phillip booked for an altercation following the award of a free kick for Cray.
From another free kick on the right edge of the penalty area, Basey saw a shot just go over the crossbar.
The home side were reduced to ten men in the 59th minute when Phillip was dismissed for a foul on Mundele. This seemed to inspire the home side who showed more urgency and fluency and Cray found it hard to impose their man advantage.
Herne Bay came into the game a bit more and Danny Walder fired over the bar. Then from a free kick the ball came to Danny Williams whose effort was blocked. This was followed by a good strike from Walder which Blue did well to save.
Cray though in the last twenty minutes began to exert pressure of their own and a sumptuous pass from Dent found Mundele whose first touch was a bit heavy but took him through on goal and his shot at the near post was well blocked by Delo.
Then Cray came close again when Bremner’s flick found Medley who teed up Dent for a shot which went just over the bar. Dent then fired over from 25 yards but Cray couldn’t quite get that second goal which would have made life more comfortable for them.
A corner from the left by Siva was flicked wide by Leader and then substitute Brandon Scott worked an opening with a typical run from the right but his shot was straight at Delo.
Although Cray had dominated the last twenty minutes with a man advantage there was still a risk of a Herne Bay goal and from Adam Woollcott’s pass, Williams effort was blocked by Leader.
In the end Cray won which could be a vital three points come the end of the season in a game in which they perhaps didn’t touch their best form, the win was the important thing and to stay in contention for the playoffs.
Looking back at the game, there were some good performances the defence was rock solid with Basey getting through a full ninety minutes which was a real bonus. The midfield of Dawson, Roberts and Dent were outstanding particularly second half. The wingers got into the game more after the break whilst Bremner and Medley linked well before both were replaced before the end.
Cray will hope this victory can help be a springboard for a good run of form, whilst Herne Bay were a tidy side that looks fairly comfortable in 17th place. The Wands stay in Kent for their next match on Saturday when they travel to Sittingbourne.
Herne Bay: Jack Delo, Michael Turner (James Turner, 70), Gary Sayer, Ben Gorham, Liam Quinn (Capt.), Connor Sanders, Danny Walder (Capt.), Tamer Hassan (Adam Woollcott, 64), Danny Williams, Mark Lovell, Kane Phillip.
Sent Off: Phillip 59
Booked: Quinn, Phillip (2), Sayer, Lovell, Delo
Cray: Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Grant Basey, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Jai McKinlay, 84), Leigh Bremner (Dane Luchford, 85), Luke Medley (Brandon Scott, 76), Jey Siva.
Sub not used: Timi Osidobu
Booked: Dawson, Lorraine
Referee: Peter Cruise
Assistants: Kane Dempster, Simon Cutler
Attendance: 181