Cray Wanderers got their 2017 off to a winning start with a fairly comfortable victory against Chatham Town at Hayes Lane.
Two first half goals from Lee Prescott before the half hour taking his tally over Christmas to three gave Cray a two goal lead at the break against their struggling but very plucky opponents with Karl Dent making it three early in the second half.
Tony Russell’s Wands were looking to build on the dramatic late comeback against Ramsgate on Saturday which claimed a point whilst Paul Piggott’s Chatham had lost their last three league games and needed the points to help their fight against the drop.
There were two changes to the starting line up for the Wands with Lea Dawson starting in place of Sean Roberts and Timi Osidobu came in for Dane Luchford.
On a very bright but bitterly cold afternoon the game started in a pretty brisk manner with Cray creating the best early chance in the 4th minute with Brandon Scott down the right whose cross shot was half cleared by Oliver Brown and the ball fell to Dent who hit a low shot which the Chatham keeper, Alex Hyde got down to save.
Cray were passing the ball around confidently without creating too much whilst Chatham were looking to threaten through top scorer, Luke Medley but was for the most part well contained aside from one effort from the edge of the penalty area which was deflected behind for a corner.
In the 14th minute, Cray took the lead with a neatly taken goal by Prescott. Skipper, Dawson found Danny Haynes who charged down the left and his cross shot was pushed out by Hyde with Prescott in the right place at the right time to turn the ball home from close range.
This was a key time to score as Cray then grew in confidence and Chatham looked a little more bedraggled and the Wands without perhaps hitting top form took a grip on the game.
The second Cray goal came in the 28th minute after a very well worked goal. Scott played a cross from the right which went across goal to Haynes who laid the ball to Dent who made his way to the left by line and put over an excellent deep cross to the back post where Prescott got above of Abdul Lyobi to prod home his second of the game.
The Wands began to dominate more and a minute later nearly made it three when Jey Siva ‘s corner was headed wide by Paul Lorraine.
Then Dawson played a lovely ball through to Haynes, who was onside and seemed odds on to score but his attempted lob went just over the crossbar.
Before the break, a free kick from Sol Taiwo out on the right was played into the box and Lorraine seemed to attempt a scorpion kick but his attempt was off target.
With four minutes to the break, another Siva corner to the back post found Dawson whose header was cleared off the line by Ryan Flack and following up Haynes turned his shot into the side netting.
The last shooting chance of the half fell to Chatham when Flack found Brown whose low strike was well held by Nick Blue.
Half Time: 2-0
The last time Cray had a two goal lead at half time against East Grinstead Town two weeks ago, they ended up losing the match but any chance of that happening today seemed highly unlikely despite a couple of Chatham changes at half time.
Cray continued on the offensive from the start and Taiwo who had an excellent game, put a ball through to Haynes which he caught on the volley but was denied by a fine save by Hyde turning the ball behind. From the corner, the ball eventually came to Prescott whose shot was well held by Hyde.
A third goal was on the cards and it duly arrived in the 54th minute and well worth waiting for. The play switched from Dent down the right who put over a cross which was half cleared by a defender out to Prescott who received a return pass from Siva and played the ball across to Dent who with a little shimmy found a bit space on the edge of the box and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner for his sixth goal of the season.
This probably marked the end of the game as a contest although Jordan Gallagher got his head to a cross from Lyobi which was claimed by Blue. Then Haynes was put through by Dent and took the ball round the keeper but was denied by a really fine saving tackle by Ejiro Okosieme.
More chances followed with Haynes denied again by Hyde, then Scott set up Dent for a snap shot which was well held by the keeper. Prescott looking for his hat-trick from twenty five yards hit a drive which was deflected behind for a corner.
The intensity of the game went after that and Chatham started to forge one or two openings late in the match to give their supporters hope.
First a Cameron Heffernan cross was met by the head of the tall and impressive Okosieme forcing Blue to make a smart stop on his goalline.
Then the Cray keeper had to be alert to make a good save to deny Medley who was set up by Flack and his effort was pushed aside and Blue did well to recover the ball ahead of an incoming forward. This was followed by Flack shooting straight at Blue on two occasions.
The game wound down and Dane Luchford’s cutback from the left was met on the volley by Dent forcing Hyde to make another sharp save.
Then the last meaningful action came Ricky Freeman saw his attempted lob cleared off the line meaning Cray were able to claim a clean sheet.
A word also for referee Andrew Williams who had an excellent game, keeping the match flowing and was barely noticed which is what most referees want.
The win puts Cray back up to ninth, six points off the play off places with the next five games against playoff chasing teams (Hastings United, Walton Casuals, Corinthian Casuals, Tooting & Mitcham and Corinthian Casuals again) but are very much in the thick of congested playoff picture.
Chatham Town meanwhile looked a little dispirited at times but perhaps showed enough to suggest they could get themselves out of the bottom three and looked to have two or three good young players.
Cray now head for Hastings United next Saturday in good heart but can take a well earned breather for a few days on the back of a confidence boosting win.
Cray: Nick Blue, Timi Osidobu, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Lee Prescott (Dane Luchford, 74) Solomon Taiwo, Danny Haynes, Karl Dent, Brandon Scott (Edgar Morais, 74).
Subs not used: Sean Roberts, Jai McKinlay, Grant Basey
Chatham Town: Alex Hyde, Cameron Heffernan, Abdul Lyobi, Oliver Brown (Owen Price, 70), Jack Healy (Ricky Freeman, H/T), Ejiro Okosieme, Ryan Flack, Tom Michaelson, Enoch Adjey (Jordan Gallagher, H/T), Luke Medley, Josli Bray.
Subs not used: Austin Edwards, Kyron Lighfoot
Referee: Andrew Williams
Assistants: Rhys Battye, Alexis Stacchini
Attendance: 147
Cray Wanderers 3
Prescott 14, 28, Dent 54
Chatham Town 0