Cray Wanderers confirmed a place in the Ryman North playoffs after a tremendous victory at second placed Thurrock to give the Wands a twelve point lead over the sixth placed club with three games to go.
Cray boss, Tony Russell, the March Manager of the Month had to make some tactical adjustments to his side and the team had a patched up look but this wasn’t evident from the kick off as Cray took the game to the hosts and were unlucky not to score at least four times in the first half.
The Wands took the lead with a classic counterpunch through Karl Dent twenty minutes after the break and some resolute defending and fine goalkeeping from Nick Blue helped Cray to a third consecutive 1-0 win to make it six unbeaten away from home.
From the team that ground out a gritty win at Cheshunt on Saturday, Jamie Mascoll and Dean Carpenter began the match with Karl Dent returning from injury in place of Ben Payne, Elliott Cox and Leigh Bremner. This meant Aryan Tajbakhsh played at right back for the second time in recent games with Grant Basey in central defence, Jamie Mascoll at left back and Dean Carpenter in midfield, with James Duckworth the central striker. One thing we have learnt this season is never to write off this group of players and they always seem to come up trumps when the chips are down.
The two teams met on the 15th March in a tremendous contest at Hayes Lane which went Thurrock’s way and the two teams served up another thrilling match with plenty to play for both sides. Any thoughts that Cray might struggle to adjust to these changes were quickly forgotten as they came out of the traps really quickly. James Duckworth made an electric start to the game and worked his way down the left putting over a fine ball which Karl Dent just couldn’t get to. The from a free kick, Duckworth’s cross was turned wide by Remi Sutton for a corner just as Michael Frieter looked as if he would get on the end of it.
Then Tajbakhsh down the right put over a terrific cross which again narrowly missed Sean Roberts run into the box. This was followed shortly after by a similar decent cross into the box and it seemed Cray just needed a touch of fortune in front of goal. Then Tajbakhsh’s ball from the right found its way to Lea Dawson who lashed a shot wide.
Thurrock threatened when David Cowley’s header went away from goal following a corner but Cray continued to harry, chase and look positive and Jamie Mascoll’s ball into the box was headed behind for another corner.
Cray came closest yet in the 19th minute when the impressive Roberts won the ball and played in Dent down the left of the area and his shot was deflected by Lewis Clark for a corner. From the corner from the right by Grant Basey to the back post, Jay Leader’s header on goal was blocked by a couple of defenders and the ball was cleared as Dawson looked to apply a finishing touch.
Cray were a bit fortunate when they gave the ball way and Ross Wall’s ball through to Jordan Clark was marginally offside and the game started to develop a little bit of edge.
The Wands tested Thurrock keeper Rhys Madden when Dent’s shot from the edge of the area was parried by the keeper and the game was becoming a see-saw affair. Thurrock best half chance came just before the half hour when Wall got on the end of a cross into the area but as Nick Blue came to meet the cross Wall was distracted enough to divert his header away from goal.
The best opening of the half came in the 31st minute when Roberts put a great ball through to Duckworth down the right hand side of the area and his well struck shot was turned behind excellently by Madden at his near post.
Then two minutes later more good combination play down the right saw Frieter play in Roberts who shot narrowly wide of goal.
You felt that Cray had done everything but score in the first half but Thurrock were still a threat in the game but the nearest they came before half time was from a shot by Ross Gleed which went well over.
Cray suffered a setback just before half time when Duckworth suffered an ankle injury and was replaced by Ray Powell. There was just a touch of edginess creeping into the game before the break with the Wands frustrating the home side who seemed to be trying to influence the referee on a few occasions.
Half Time: 0-0
The Wands stuck to the same shape second half with Powell up front for Duckworth. Thurrock for their part looked a better side early in the second half and were a little unfortunate not to score when a corner into the box by Cowley was met by the head of ex-Wand Junior Baker but his header towards goal bounced over the top to Cray’s relief.
Cray were being pegged back more and perhaps lost their fluency of the first half but Powell’s gave a virtuoso performance of running and clever centre forward play and had a good physical battle with Baker.
Thurrock had their best chance to score when Reece Morgan found Daniel Francis who found space and his shot from just inside the area was saved instinctively by the feet of Nick Blue.
A free kick from Basey was curled into the box and was turned wide under pressure by Michael Toner for a corner.
Meanwhile at the other end from a Thurrock corner, Cowley’s kick was met in a crowded goal mouth by Wall whose effort was brilliantly blocked again by Blue.
That turned out to be a key moment of the game as two minutes later in the 65th minute after relieving that pressure, Cray put together their best passing of the half and Basey found Powell down the left who took the ball inside the area as Madden in goal came out to meet him, Razor cleverly managed to lay the ball across to Dent who took a couple of touches before firing in a shot from just inside the area which went into the net via a slight deflection to send the Cray fans wild with delight.
The Wands looked to have their tails up at that stage but Thurrock nearly got back into the game with a sharp break and Francis set up Wall for shot which bounced back off the crossbar and the follow up shot in the ensuing scramble saw Roberts clear frantically off the line as Cray started to soak up real pressure.
All the Cray players were really putting in a shift at this stage and despite Thurrock pressure, Cray looked calm and managed to repel the home side’s attacks and look to catch them on the break. They nearly did this when Dawson shot well over and then good work by Frieter set up Powell down the right who hit a sweet strike which went just over.
With four minutes to go, Thurrock came close again when Clark headed wide but this was the last real opportunity they created as Cray cleverly used the five minutes of stoppage time to see the game safely through but after taking a bit of a battering at times the Wands got through the game unscathed and all the players deserve immense credit for such a committed, composed and industrious display that gave the healthy travelling Cray contingent a happy and short trip back to the Cray’s knowing what a huge three points that was.
Once again Jay Leader’s performance was nothing short of outstanding and Tajbakhsh looked so assured at right back and Mascoll at left back. The midfield expended a lot of energy with Carpenter, Roberts, Dawson, Dent and Frieter covering every blade of grass. Nick Blue appears to be back to his very best and Basey is not only a real threat with his deliver from set pieces but he is also an outstanding defender and the usually razor sharp Ross Wall got little change up front.
This leaves Cray with three games remaining, still in fourth place on 86 points, but just one point behind third placed Thurrock who were leapfrogged by Harlow Town’s victory at Bury Town.
The possibility remains large of a return to Thurrock for a playoff semi final that Cray deserve for their endeavours this season.
Cray: Nick Blue, Aryan Tajbakhsh, Grant Basey, Jay Leader, Jamie Mascoll, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Ben Payne, 73), Dean Carpenter, James Duckworth (Ray Powell, 45+1), Michael Frieter (Jai McKinlay, 90):
Subs: Ben Hunt, Sam Faulkner
Booked: Dawson, Tajbakhsh
Thurrock: Rhys Madden, Reece Morgan, Lewis Clark, Junior Baker, Remi Sutton, Michael Toner, Jordan Clark (Jack Brocklebank, 88) Ross Gleed (Ronnie Winn, 86) Ross Wall, Daniel Francis (Charlie Cole, 75) David Cowley (Capt.)
Booked: Sutton, Gleed, Cowley
Att: 153
Referee: Anthony Pope
Assistants: John Sadlin, Jamie Garwood