Cray Wanderers capped a great cup week with victory on penalties at Cheshunt to advance to the 1st Round of the FA Trophy.
Following a 1-1 draw after ninety minutes Cray kept their nerve in the shoot-out to score all five kicks with JJ Briggs saving the Ambers fourth penalty from Tommy Wood and Jakob Lowe kept his composure to slot home the winning spot kick.
Both goals in the match came in the first half with Cheshunt in front in the 21st minute via an Obi Onyegawara goal but Cray fought back to level ten minutes before half through Ade Yusuff’s seventh goal of the season. Both teams had opportunities in the second half but neither could find a winners setting up the tension of a shoot-out. As a result, the Isthmian Premier League match at home to Wingate & Finchley on 24th October will be rearranged.
The story of September Saturdays in 2026 has been one with wonderful sunshine and not little warmth and this was no exception as the Wands headed to Hertfordshire for a second FA Trophy visit to Cheshunt Stadium and the first for twenty years.
After the remarkable win on Tuesday at Maidstone and fine performance last Saturday it would have been understandable if there was a bit of a feeling of after the Lord Mayor’s show here but credit to Tim O’Shea’s side for their performance on the day. There were two changes with Seidou Sanogo came in for the rested Frankie Raymond and captain for the day, Ade Yusuff in for Soul Kader.
Cheshunt were unbeaten at home so far and had beaten Lewes 3-1 at home last Saturday and manager James Collins made two changes with Jerry Gyebi and Obi Onyegawara in for Fletcher Hedge and Antonis Vasiliou.
It was Cray who played the ball around well in the opening minutes winning a couple of corners but couldn’t quite make that earlier superiority tell.
Cheshunt had the first shooting chance of the day just after the quarter of an hour mark when Zubayr Boadi saw a shot well held by JJ Briggs.
The Wands though came the closest early on when from a free kick out on the left Frankie Morgan’s ball to the near post was flicked towards goal by Yusuff but hit the top of the crossbar and went over.
It was the home side who went in front after twenty-one minutes when after a sustained spell of pressure around the box a cross from the right towards the far post was turned in by Obi Onyeagwara.
The Wands though had deserved parity and ten minutes before half time drew level when down the right Ola Ogunwamide who had made such an impact at Maidstone put over a tantalising cross which fell to Yusuff who made no mistake for goal no seven of the season.
The game just went through a bit of a lull before half time and at the break the match was delicately poised.
HT: 1-1
The second half saw the Wands on the front foot and for the first ten-fifteen minutes looked to win the tie with some concerted pressure.
Firstly Morgan did well to set up Sammie McLeod in the area but his shot was tipped over well by R’avan Constable. Then the ball came to Alex Hernandez whose low shot was held by Constable.
The Wands were looking to create openings but just couldn’t find the target. Seidou Sanogo fired over the bar as did Ogunwamide. Then Lateef Adaja down the left cut inside but curled his shot just past the right post.
The game with no extra-time and replay went from end to end until the last five minutes with Cheshunt threatening with Eddie Wright seeing a shot held by Briggs. Then the ball went up the other end where substitute Soul Kader worked himself an opening but on the stretch his shot down the right of the area was gathered by Constable.
For Cheshunt Jakai Bascoe-Fisher saw a shot pushed round the right post by Briggs and the home side perhaps came closest to winning when Tommy Wood headed over a Cole DaSilva cross right wing cross.
Both teams to their credit sought to win the match before penalties but it seemed inevitable in the end that a tight game as it usually is down at Cheshunt would be decided by the dramatic lottery of a shoot-out to decide who would go in Monday’s 1st Round draw.
So to the penalties. Cheshunt stepped up first with Cole Da Silva, Kenny Coker and Sam Granville all scoring and for Cray, Sammie McLeod, Alfie Payne and Ola Ogunwamide scored to make it 3-3.
The fourth kick for Cheshunt saw Tommy Wood seeing his shot pushed out well by Briggs with Kader slotting in to make it 4-3 to Cray. The final action saw Bascoe-Fisher score for Cheshunt but like all the other kicks Jakob Lowe showed composure for one so young to score the winner and cap off one of the great weeks for Cray Wanderers.
Although not quite the pizazz of Tuesday there was still a job to do which was done against a side who are hard to beat at home and there still a lot of joy to be found watching the Wands at the moment.
Cray next travel to Maldon & Tiptree for the rearranged fixture from August on Tuesday 29th September with a brief return to league action before the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round tie with Chippenham Town on 3rd October.
Cheshunt: R’avan Constable, Jerry Gyebi, Raul Fernandes Da Silva (Capt.), Charlie Naylor, Zubayr Boadi (Eddie Wright, 57), Joe Re (Arthur Iontton, 75), Sam Granville, Cole DaSilva, Imani Lanquedoc (Jakai Bascoe-Fisher, 79), Obi Onyeagwara (Kenny Coker, 57), Tommy Wood.
Scorer: Onyeagwara 21
Pens: DaSilva, Coker, Granville, Bascoe-Fisher scored; Wood: Saved
Booked: Naylor 83
Cray Wands: JJ Briggs, Crossley Lema, Rob Strachan, Frankie Morgan (William Unadike, 58), Tobi Tinibu, Sammie McLeod, Seidou Sanogo (Alfie Payne, 73), Adaja, Ogunwamide, Hernandez (Jakob Lowe 74), Yusuff (Soul Kader 65). Sub: Kian Eyers
Scorer: Yusuff 35
Pens: McLeod, Payne, Ogunwamide, Kader, Lowe scored
Booked: Lowe 86
Referee: Samuel Olhausen
Assistants: Nazarij Bilanovszkij, Terrence Connolly