Pre-season football returned to Hayes Lane as Cray Wanderers hosted Welling United and it’s given Wands boss Neil Smith the taste for the upcoming season.

After the game, Cray manager Neil Smith said: “I just said to the boys, I don’t like pre-seasons. People look at results but I don’t really go for results. I go for hopefully getting players through injury free for the start of the season but in terms of the game, I couldn’t have asked for anything more from both of my teams.”

Although Smith has been busy signing trusted players Jack Holland, George Porter and Frankie Raymond, he is very enthusiastic about having a team with a blend of experience and youth.

He said: “I did a lot of work during the summer. I knew people that I wanted to get on board and managed to get them but the biggest plus today was that I’ve got Reggie Rye who plays for my academy and was playing today and the goalkeeper who came on has just turned sixteen.”

“The winger who came on has just turned sixteen and I want to promote the academy as well.”

Winning wasn’t of primary importance to Smith. It was more getting minutes in their legs.

He said: “No injuries, a little bit fitter, and we’ve still got a long, long way to go. I think I’ve got a good team but I’ve got a great changing room where the boys all respect each other, they all know each other. There’s a bit of encouragement, a bit of camaraderie, and during the season, you’re going to need that.”

More is expected of Smith’s senior players than just winning football matches.

He confirmed: “They’re here to develop my academy. It’s a new academy and we’re trying to give them a pathway to Cray but if they can go on even better.”

Whilst developing young players is important, Smith will still demand that his team is competitive in first team matches.

He confirmed: “Last year we probably over-achieved, to be brutally honest. What we did was that we made teams have to work really hard to beat us and then, hopefully, the little bit of quality I’ve got in the side shines through.”

Picture supplied by Jon Hilliger.