Fresh off the back of their top of the table draw at Crabble last week, Cray Valley PM return home this week to entertain another side currently in the play-off places, with boss Steve McKimm expecting another real battle at the Artic Stadium. 

Valley were a goal down in the penultimate minute of the match only for the game to finish 2-2 with both sides scoring in the final 12 minutes of the and saw Valley end with ten men, of which more later. 

McKimm admitted to KSN this week, “It was an entertaining finish! It wasn’t our best performance for the first period of the game, Dover could easily have gone in two up as Max (Ovenden, Valley’s keeper) made two excellent saves whilst we had a couple of half chances.

“Freddie Parker put one just wide, but in the second half we came out and were really good; we kept the pressure on, kept probing at the goal. It really was the old cliche of the game of two halves they won the first, we won the second! It was a good game and a good advert for the Isthmian Premier!” 

Cray equalised first in the last minute of the 90 before Dover retook the lead deep into stoppage time, something that McKimm admitted was tough to take.

“It was because even after we scored at 1-1, we still went for it trying to get the winner. I am not in the League, as I have said previously, to get draws or defend our box, we have a lot of good attacking players and I really don’t see any point not utilising them by camping in your own half so we went for the win after it being 1-1. They scored to go 2-1 and the boys showed great character to go straight up the other end and score again.” 

The one disappointment was Kiki Oshilaja’s second yellow card after that second equaliser, a decision that his manager didn’t like or agree with!

“I watched it back on the video,” McKimm said, “and when they scored their second, they ran into their supporters on the opposite side to the assistant and hugged the crowd and all that.

“When we scored, we celebrated the assistant’s side who had done nothing all game, but when the boys celebrated with our fans, the assistant called the ref over, who on the video can be seen doing nothing and Kiki is booked for going into the crowd which I find absolutely ridiculous.

“I find players taking their shirt off, I don’t know why people do it, I don’t see why that’s a booking and the same with celebrating with your fans, whether it’s the first minute of the ninety-ninth minute, you should be able to celebrate with your fans and I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous!” 

The red card means that Oshilaja misses this weekend’s home game with Lewes. “Lewes will be a massive test as the new management team there who came in for Tony Russell and Joe Vines, has done really well!

“They have built a new squad and have been in the top five of the division since day one and they are still there now. That’s testament to the staff, the players and we know that it won’t be an easy game, and we must be right on it like we have to be in every game.

“Every time I talk to you or give any interview, I always say that we have to be on it in every game you play otherwise you will get done. We know what Lewes’ strengths and weaknesses are and they will know ours and it will be a very good game of football.” 

Some good news for Valley is the return to fitness of the influential Denzel Gayle who returns to the squad after missing since mid-August through injury.

“It’s good news and like having a new player back,” his manager admitted. “He hurt his groin second game of the season and we will use him when and if we have to while he gets some minutes. He’s a bit rusty and we know that his match fitness won’t be there yet, but it is brilliant to have him back and once he gets up and running, it will seem like a new signing for us!”