Cray Wanderers and St Albans City served up a six goal Thriller at Flamingo Park on Tuesday night, with both teams taking a point in this entertaining Isthmian League Premier Division match.
The visitors got off to the perfect start when Cray keeper Henry Molyneux couldn’t get a back pass under control and was dispossessed by Kai Brown who rolled the ball into an empty net for 0-1 after only 2 minutes.
Zane Banton then also went close for The Saints as The Wands took a while to get going. Cray slowly came back into things with Alex Hernandez and Ola Ogunwamide having shots saved by Sam Donkin.
Veteran striker Inih Effiong had a shot saved by Molyneaux for City, while Ogunwamide went close for Cray as play flowed from end to end.
Late in the half Rob Strachan and Hernandez both made vital blocks in the box to deny Effiong and Darion Furlong in the area. In injury time Ogunwamide almost levelled up when he cut in from the right, but his shot skidded just wide of the far post.
The second half got off to the best start for The Wands, Ogunwamide broke down the right and sent in a dangerous cross for Jakob Lowe to convert from ten yards out to equalise for the home team.
Five minutes later The Wands took the lead with Ogunwamide providing the vital cross again, this time for Soul Kader to turn the ball home inside the six yard box to make it 2-1.
The Wands lead only lasted four minutes though, as St Albans battled back into things, Zak Sowden-Fletcher having a shot saved by Molyneaux, but he was first to the rebound to equalise with a powerful drive into the net.
With the game being played at a frantic pace, both sides had spells of pressure, Kader going close and Hernandez just failed to connect to a Frankie Raymond corner.
With five minutes to go Saints looked to have won it when Alex Dyer’s free kick from the left was headed home by Furlong for 2-3, but Cray responded again. Ogunwamide curled one just wide and Kader was denied by Donkin after another great ball from Ogunwamide, but from the resulting corner the equaliser finally came in the last minute of added on time.
Raymond’s delivery from the right being bundled home by sub Seidou Sanogo in a crowded penalty area for 3-3 to end a superbly entertaining game with the points shared.
Tim O’Shea’s Wands now focus on the big FA Cup 2nd qualifying round game at home to Maidstone Utd on Saturday afternoon.
Cray – Molyneux, Lema, Morgan, Strachan, Adaja (Unadike 67), Raymond, Hernandez (Payne 80), Ogunwamide, Lowe (Tinubu 58), McLeod (Sanogo 67), Kader.
Subs Not Used: Johnson.
Saints – Donkin, James (Musonda 79), Page (Sowden-Fletcher 53), Dyer, Sutton, Gray (Turner 73), Effiong (Ayolie 79), Banton, Brown, Faulkner (Knight 73), Furlong.
HT 0-1 FT 3-3
Goals: CWFC – Lowe 46, Kader 51, Sanogo 95mins.
SCFC – Brown 2, Sowden-Fletcher 55, Furlong 84mins.
Att: 419
Referee: Oliver Kaya