The traditional Easter double header comes to a conclusion today with the long-awaited Cray derby as Cray Wanderers travel to Cray Valley PM for only the second ever league game at the Artic Stadium. Kick off 3 pm.
The Wands head to SE9 on the back of a hard to take defeat against Billericay Town on Saturday where Cray’s outside chance of the playoffs took a hit as Billericay fought back from 0-2 and 1-3 down to win 4-3 and leave Tim O’Shea’s side in seventh place, seven off Brentwood Town in fifth and four behind sixth placed Dartford. Cray Valley though need a win for different reasons after dropping back into the bottom four after briefly moving to eighteenth after their 1-0 win at Ramsgate on Good Friday. Cray Wanderers though have been strong on their travels with just two defeats in nineteen away from home with four wins and two draws in 2026.
Cray can certainly be buoyed at the number of chances created in the last two matches against promotion chasing clubs in Aveley and Billericay Town and three goals in each game is no mean feat against traditionally solid defences.
Saturday saw Cray Wanderers get off to an absolute flyer with Alex Hernandez heading in his eighteenth goal of the season putting him one behind joint leaders Jake Hutchinson (Folkestone Invicta) and Daniel Ogunleye (Brentwood Town) in the race for the Isthmian Premier League top scorer and had a fine match throughout.
Lateef Adaja has been in good form and made it two in two games with a classic run and shot for his ninth of the campaign and is finishing the season well.
After Billericay pulled one back, the Wands restored the two goal advantage with ex-Miller Ola Ogunwamide making it three goals in four games getting the key touch to turn the ball into the net before Billericay’s dramatic fightback in the last twenty minutes including injury time. Certainly the game showed football at its best and was a terrific contest. Also how sometimes fates converge in football and the Wands benefited from an injury time winner at Aveley and a week later were on the receiving end but I suppose that is why we love football so much. The good thing about the defeat is there is no time to dwell and the Wands can move on to another game with plenty at stake.
Cray Valley after reaching the playoffs in 2024-25 have had a much more difficult season especially at home where the Millers have only won three times and won more on their travels. Friday’s win at Ramsgate which came courtesy of ex-Wand Chris Dickson’s first goal for the club made it back to back shut out wins for Cray Valley which followed up a 2-0 win at home to St Albans City on 28th March.
The Wands produced their most complete home display of the season to beat Cray Valley 5-0 on 29th December at Flamingo Park with Alex Hernandez (2), Harry Waldock, Sol Kader and Jordy Mongoy on target.
This was part of bad run for Cray Valley of ten winless matches between December and February which saw the ex-Charlton Athletic striker Kevin Lisbie take charge following the departure of Steve McKimm and looked to arrest the slide and bolster the team. A win at Lewes in February helped and the win at Ramsgate puts the Millers on thirty seven points, one behind Hashtag United and Welling United who have a game in hand. After Monday, Cray Valley end the season with a huge match at Hashtag United next Saturday before hosting champions-elect Folkestone Invicta on 18th April and then away to Dartford who may need the points themselves to reach the playoffs on the final day. Cray Valley have a bit of a points cushion over Canvey Island (27) and Potters Bar Town (29) in 22nd and 21st places respectively. Carshalton in 17th with 40 points and Lewes and Wingate & Finchley on 42 are still very much in the mix with Cheshunt on 44 points having a little wriggle room but certainly not safe.
At home Cray Valley have beaten Ramsgate (4-1), Wingate & Finchley (4-1) and St Albans City (2-0). They drew with Canvey Island (1-1), Lewes (1-1), Dartford (1-1) and Cheshunt (3-3) with defeats coming against Carshalton Athletic (0-2), Burgess Hill Town (1-2), Hashtag United (1-2), Chatham Town (0-1), Brentwood Town (1-3), Aveley (1-4), Whitehawk (0-2), Potters Bar Town (1-2), Dulwich Hamlet (1-2), Welling United (1-4), Billericay Town (1-4) and Chichester City (1-4). Current leading scorer is ex-Wand Tom Beere with seven goals.
The only other previous league game at Cray Valley took place on 5th November 2024 with Cray Valley coming from behind to win 2-1 after Lateef Adaja scored for the Wands after forty seconds via an own goal and Beere strike.
This should be a great game and occasion and the first afternoon game between the sides at Cray Valley should attract a bumper crowd.
Adults £14 (£12 in advance), concessions 65+, 16-17, Students (all with proof) £7.
U16s Free (must be accompanied by a paying adult or senior concession (max two)
Pay on gate or online at: https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Fixtures
Images courtesy of Natalie Stebbing