Cray Wanderers grabbed a dramatic injury time equaliser to secure a point against second placed Chatham Town in an entertaining game at Hayes Lane on Good Friday afternoon.
Cray started the game with a quick attack that saw Enoch Muwonge cross for Tom Beere whose close range effort was well saved by Mitchell Beeney in The Chats goal.
From there though the visitors dominated possession and they went close when Jack Evans’ deep cross from the right hit the far post and Jordy Robins fired the rebound over.
After a spell Cray battled back and went in front on 21 minutes when Frankie Raymond’s free kick from the left was powerfully headed home by Jack Holland from six yards out to make it 1-0.
Chatham came back straight away with Evans hitting the post and they levelled up on 34 minutes when Robins’ volley towards goal was powerfully headed in by Harvey Bradbury to wrong foot Shain Rowley and make it 1-1.
Ashley Nzala went close soon after before he had to go off injured after a lengthy delay for treatment soon after. Late in the half Jamie Yila (one of four ex-Cray players in the Chatham squad) crossed for Francis Mampolo who turned the ball just over the bar at the far post, but the half ended all square.
The second half saw Cray start brightly again with Beere volleying wide from a Gary Lockyer knock down, but as the half went on Chatham started to dominate possession again, Mampolo having a shot deflected wide.
Town’s persistent probing for a way through The Wands defence eventually paid off on 63 minutes when Mampolo broke in from the left and unleashed an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area to put Chatham 2-1 in front.
Cray rallied after going behind with Sam Wood shooting wide from the left and Anthony Cook driving a long range free kick narrowly wide. With The Wands pressing Wood crossed for Alfie Evans whose diving header at the far post went just the wrong side of the post.
Cray had a good shout for a penalty turned down when Cook went down in the area and from the resulting corner a mad scramble in the six yards box was eventually cleared to safety.
With The Wands now on top, David Ijaha was next to go close for Neil Smith’s side with a turn and shot in the area that was well saved by Beeney.
Then in the five minutes of added on time a series of Cray corners eventually saw the ball come out to Evans and from ten yards out the young Cray sub drove the ball through a crowd of players and into the far corner of the net to make it 2-2 right at the death and share the points.
The point sees Cray move up to fourteenth in the Isthmian League Premier Division table ahead of their trip to Margate on Monday, while Chatham Town are now eleven points clear in second place.
Cray: Rowley, Kwartchey, Holland, Bonner, Wood, Ijahah, Raymond, Porter (Evans 77), Beere (Cook 64), Muwonge (Brown 69), Lockyer. Subs Not Used: Hallard, Johnson.
Chatham: Beeney, Scarlett, Mascoll, Robins, Butler, Nelson, Nzala (Mampolo 40), Evans, Bradbury (Dickson 71), Yila, Kedwell (Dunne 76). Subs nOt Used: Isiaka, Cooper.
Goals: CWFC – Holland 21, Evans 95mins. CTFC – Bradbury 34, Mampolo 63mins.
Referee: Craig Barnett
HT 1-1 FT 2-2
ATT: 384