Another cup adventure begins for Cray Wanderers on Saturday as the FA Trophy sees the Isthmian Premier sides enter the competition at the 1st Qualifying Round stage.
Cray have a more than tricky hurdle to get past as the Wands travel to Maldon & Tiptree for a 3 pm ko at the Maldon Stadium. Should the game end in a draw the replay would take place on Wednesday 30th October.
Cray come into the game in good heart having played three away games in a week and remain unbeaten on their league travels after wins at Merstham and Lewes and a hard earned and well merited point at Horsham on Tuesday night.
In all three matches, Cray came from behind showing their resilience and stickability and on Tuesday were behind at Horsham for only two minutes after Lea Dawson’s header put the Hornets in front, Jay Leader swiftly headed home his second of the season to put Cray back on terms. The Wands dug in and defended well in the second half and could have won it at the end with both Joe Taylor and Bradley Pritchard inches away from putting Cray in front. At the finish a point was well deserved and could at the end of the season when the points are all stacked up and analysed this would be one looked back on as a big point.
After the first couple of months of the season being predominantly home matches the last couple of weeks has taken a shift to away games and this continues with a tough trip to Maldon & Tiptree who won their first 16 games of the season in five different competitions before their run ended on Tuesday night with a penalty kicks defeat to AFC Sudbury in the Velocity Trophy. Wayne Brown’s side have maximum points in the Isthmian North with 18 points from six games played and lie 2nd behind leaders Bury Town with three games in hand.
The Jammers have broken new ground by reaching the 1st Round of the FA Cup and were handed a good draw against Football League opposition and not too far to travel away to Leyton Orient. To get to that stage they won at Saffron Walden Town (2-1) and Histon (3-0) and won home games against Wingate & Finchley (4-2) and Chertsey Town (6-1) which set up a 4th qualifying round win at Royston (3-1) last Saturday. Their FA Trophy campaign has already begun and have done so in high scoring fashion in two wins against Felixstowe and Walton United (5-0) and Cray Valley PM (5-2) to set up a clash with the Wands. This means they have beaten both FA Vase finalists from last season this season. Goal scoring hasn’t been a problem with Charlee Hughes leading the way with 16 in all competitions with Jerome Slew not far behind with 14 and Daniel Parish with 12.
In the Isthmian North home form has seen wins against Soham Town Rangers (3-1), Witham Town (5-1), Basildon United (3-0) and Canvey Island (5-0). Away from home they won at Brentwood Town (2-1) and Aveley (2-0). In the Velocity trophy they beat Coggleshall Town and Felixstowe & Walton United before losing to AFC Sudbury and in the Essex Senior Cup beat Wivenhoe 7-1. However, they haven’t played Cray Wanderers yet and will surely be their toughest challenge so far. Last season they finished third in the Isthmian North and reached the playoff final losing to Heybridge Swifts on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Matches between the two sides have been few and far between with just four league matches played in the Isthmian North in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season. Maldon & Tiptree have won 2, and one draw but Cray won the last time the two teams played at Maldon in December 2015 on a very windy afternoon 2-1 with goals from Nathan Fox and James Duckworth. Cray did play at Tiptree United in the FA Vase in November 1976 winning 2-1 with goals from John Scott and Pat Carey. Tiptree United who reached the FA Vase Final in 2001-02 joined forces with Maldon Town in 2009 to become Maldon & Tiptree United.
As matches in the competition go this is probably the match of the round and Cray Wanderers are ready for a tough game but one they will definitely relish.