Cray Wanderers are off on their travels for the first time this season on Tuesday evening as they make the short trip to Barnehurst to take on Phoenix Sports.

Kick off at the Mayfield Ground is 7.45.

Certainly the Wands may have been a little frustrated to draw their opening game with Thamesmead Town on Saturday but there were some positives to take from the performance which almost brought about an opening day victory.

The performance of Karl Dent was excellent, carrying on where he left off last season and got off the mark for the season with a goal. Karl has set himself a target of 20 goals this season, at least one every two games and he certainly has made a positive start with that target.

Michael Frieter was the goal scorer of the second goal early in the second half and he certainly adds real craft and a skillful touch to the midfield and gets into telling positions in the box which was where he was to finish off Brandon Scott’s cutback.

Defensively, Cray did well with Jay Leader and Mitchell Nelson looking a very strong pairing whilst Lea Dawson wasn’t far away from the man of the match honours himself with a typically industrious and hardworking display.

Dean Carpenter also played well breaking up the play and competed well against a tough Thamesmead midfield. Tony Russell has mentioned that he thought the team starting very nervously but had a fair element of control of the game second half whilst maybe not being at their fluent best.

Cray will face a tough challenge on Tuesday night against Steve O’Boyle’s Phoenix Sports side who have been one of the success stories of Kentish football over the last five years or so.

Like Thamesmead Town, Phoenix have been re-allocated to the Bostik South from the North and could really ruffle a few feathers in the league this season. Last season they finished a hugely respectable 8th in the North and could have been one of the contenders for promotion had they remained there.

They definitely got off to a cracking start to the season with a 3-1 win at Ramsgate on Saturday. Goals by Frankie Sawyer, James Fitchett and Dajon Golding gave Phoenix the three points after Ramsgate had levelled early in the second half. In the FA Cup at the weekend Phoenix have been drawn away to Steyning Town who Wands fans may remember played Cray in the Preliminary Round on our run to the 4th Qualifying Round in 2005-06.

Phoenix have come a long way in a short space of time following their placing the Kent Invicta League in 2011-12. Promotion as champions was confirmed the following season and after a season of consolidation won the Southern Counties East League title in 2014-15 gaining promotion to the Isthmian League North for the first time. They finished 14th in their first season and last season did even better coming eighth.

The teams have only met twice in the league during the 2015-16 season. Cray produced a majestic display to win 5-0 at Hayes Lane in September 2015 but Phoenix gained a manner of revenge by winning the only previous contest at the Mayfield Ground 2-1 on Boxing Day that year. Andre McCollin’s penalty sandwiched two second half goals for the home side.

This has the makings of a great contest early in the season and could well be worth a visit if you haven’t been to the ground before.