Cray Wanderers kept their playoff hopes alive on Non-League Day with an injury time winner through Max Fiddes to end Aveley’s thirteen game unbeaten home run and help edge Folkestone Invicta closer to the Isthmian Premier league title.
The match saw Cray score away from home in the first ten minutes for the seventh time this season as Lateef Adaja netted his eighth of the campaign after four minutes from the edge of the area. The Wands came close to making it two nil in the first half but did add a second in the 57th minute when Remi Sutton was on hand to turn the ball in from a corner for his first goal of the season.
Aveley though showed why they were second in the league by turning the game around in the last ten minutes with substitute Liam Nash in the right place at the right time to score with two close range finishes, the second coming two minutes from the end.
However, Cray showed their resilience to grab a winner when following a Wands clearance off the line the ball was switched out to the right to Ola Ogunwamide who close to the byline laid the ball to the near post for Max Fiddes to score his fourth goal for the Wands and his fifteenth of the season.
On a bright if still slightly breezy afternoon there was a possibility if Cray won and Folkestone beat Carshalton Athletic that Invicta would be crowned champions. Although Cray kept up their side of the bargain, Folkestone drew 3-3 so will have to wait until Saturday to clinch the championship.
Cray in seventh place, eight points off the playoffs have been impressive away from home with just two defeats in eighteen coming into this game and were seeking an eighth win on the road. Aveley though have had a very strong season especially since October and lie second in the table ten points clear of sixth placed Dartford and had been unbeaten in thirteen winning eleven.
For Cray who had won their last two games there were three changes to the side which beat Potters Bar Town with Remi Sutton returning after missing the last two matches in for Frankie Morgan, Lateef Adaja started in place of the injured Jordy Mongoy and Daniel Ajakaiye came in for Max Fiddes who saw his loan spell with the Wands extended until the end of the season. Aveley named an unchanged side from the 3-0-win vs Cheshunt last Saturday.
The game began with Cray once again on the front foot away from home in the second minute Daniel Ajakaiye came close to scoring his first goal for the Wands in his first full start shooting just over down the left of the area.
Two minutes later Cray went ahead with a well-crafted but beautifully taken goal when down the right Ola Ogunwamide whipped a ball into the area which was helped on by Ajakaiye can fell to Lateef Adaja who from the edge of the box hit a well struck shot which beat Jonathan North for the perfect start to the game.
Cray continued to cause the home side problems with the quickness and movement and in the 12th minute as this time down the left Ogunwamide set up Adaja who was denied by a good, blocked save by North.
Five minutes later Cray were unlucky not to score again when Harry Seaden’s ball forward fell to Ajakaiye who beat two players to work an opening and saw his curling shot clip the bar and go over.
Cray played superbly especially in the first half hour and could have scored a second in the 32nd minute when Ogunwamide this time down the right curled a shot just over.
Aveley began to get more of a foothold in the latter stages of the half and Toby Aromolran who scored twice when the Millers won at Flamingo Park in January curled an effort towards goal which was well claimed by Seaden with Ollie Peters looking to get a touch.
Aveley came closest in the first half eight minutes before the break when Jess Nwabueze saw an effort blocled and fell to Fletcher Hubbard whose shot was saved.
Cray though four minutes before the break having soaked up pressure broke well and Alex Hernandez and Adaja combined to set up Ogunwamide who first time saw his shot once again go just over skimming the crossbar.
HT: 0-1
With Folkestone losing at half time Aveley still had a chance to claw back some points but Cray still had the better of the opening exchanges of the second half and Frankie Raymond played a fine pass to Hernandez who saw his effort held by North and Ogunwamide saw a shot blocked.
In the 57th minute Cray deservedly went two nil up when from a corner down the right, Raymond’s ball to the far post was glanced on by Tom Bonner for Remi Sutton to turn the ball in from inside the six-yard box for his first goal of the season.
The Wands still looked good going forward and Raymond shot over and
Cray had defended superbly throughout the game with the nearest for Aveley came from a free kick from Nwabueze who shot wide of goal. Then George Saunders saw a shot blocked.
Hernandez for Cray looking for his eighteenth of the season saw a shot deflected through to North and then saw a free kick blocked and came to substitute Max Fiddes whose shot went through to the keeper.
With ten minutes to go Aveley reduced the arrears when down the left a ball into the box was headed on Aromoloran for substitute Liam Nash to turn the ball in with the goal awarded following consultation between referee and Assistant.
Cray could now expect something of a siege in the latter stages and Aveley with their tails up went on to equalise in the last minute when this time down the right George Saunders cross was turned in once again by Nash for his second in nine minutes.
The Wands though had grabbed late goals on a few occasions this season including at Parkside vs Hashtag United in January and after Saunders near post effort was cleared off the line in the second of five added on minutes the ball was switched out to Ogunwamide down the right who gave the Millers defence a torrid time throughout and broke into the area and close to the byline cut the ball across to the near post for a real predators finish from Fiddes for his fourth goal for the Wands.
There was little time for Aveley to respond again but Cray held on for another fine away performance and although heavy outsiders for the playoffs being seven points behind Brentwood in fifth still kept in contention with the win. Folkestone had fought back to 3-3 but Aveley fourteen points behind with the loss surely are too far behind and Invicta also with an incredible goal difference of +58 acts like an extra point and can claim the title at St Albans City on Saturday.
The Wands meanwhile making it just one defeat in eleven games can go into another big game against the in-form side of the league, Billericay Town on Saturday probably having to win the game to stay in contention but with huge confidence after another excellent never say die performance. From Harry Seaden through to Max Fiddes up front this was a great all round team display against a very strong side who played in the National South last season.
Aveley: Jonathan North, Harry Critchley, Jayden Robinson (Liam Nash, 60) George Wind, Jayden Gipson, Matt Johnson (Anthony Church, 60), Ollie Peters, Ryan Henshaw (Capt.), Fletcher Hubbard (George Saunders, 60), Jesse Nwabueze (Toby Tinibu, 77), Toby Aromoloran: Sub: Louis Reynolds
Scorers: Nash 80, 89
Booked: Nwabueze 25, Church 74
Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Crossley Lema, Tom Bonner (Capt.), Quade Taylor, Remi Sutton, Frankie Raymond, Alex Stepien-Iwumene, Lateef Adaja, Ola Ogunwamide, Alex Hernandez (Frankie Morgan, 90+4), Daniel Ajakaiye (Max Fiddes, 73): Subs: Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, Shae Hutchinson, Ralfi Hand
Scorers: Adaja 4, Sutton 57, Fiddes 90+2
Booked: Stepien-Iwumene 26, Lema 62, Bonner 82, Raymond 84
Referee: Richard Baker
Assistants: Joseph Greenleaf, Ashley Butler
Att: 411
Images courtesy of Natalie Stribbling