Cray Wanderers notched their first league win of the season maintaining their unbeaten start to the campaign with a stylish victory against Molesey at Hayes Lane.
After a fairly even and quiet first twenty five minutes, Cray started to exert pressure and took the lead in the 28th minute when Bradley Stevenson jinked his way down the left and fired in a shot across keeper Liam Allen.
The visitor’s hopes took a knock in the 34th minute when Antonio Simeone was sent off for bringing down Freddie Parker outside the area and was deemed to be the last man.
Cray took advantage of their man advantage and scored a second in the 41st minute when Parker hit a fine shot from the left edge of the penalty area which went past Allen to give Cray a 2-0 lead at the break.
The Wands continued the attacking momentum in the second half and ten minutes after half time it was 3-0 when from Karl Dent’s corner was met by Mitchell Nelson’s header which the keeper pushed out as far as Lea Dawson who tapped the ball home.
The scoring was completed in the 79th minute when after a patient passing build up down the right, Nelson’s cross was headed in by Jay Leader for his first goal of the season.
Cray were looking to continue the momentum of Wednesday night’s 3-0 win at Thamesmead in the Kent Senior Cup and from that side, the lively forward three of Bradley Stevenson, Freddie Parker and Aaron Rhule kept their places in the team. Dean Carpenter, Karl Dent, Mitchell Nelson and Lea Dawson returned to the side as Cray took on an also unbeaten Molesey side going into the game.
On the hottest day of the season so far the game began fairly quietly with Molesey having the first opening in the second minute when Ashby Charles put a cross over from the left which fell to Ato Okai who curled a shot wide of the right post.
Cray put some neat passing moves together and had a shout for a penalty when from a right wing corner to the near post, Jay Leader appeared to have been held at the near post.
A competitive game was breaking out with some sturdy challenges but chances were few early on with Manny Quarshie firing well over from thirty yards for Molesey.
Then from a free kick out on the right, Craig Lewington’s ball into the box was met by the head of Quarshie which forced Nick Blue into a fine tip over save but the forward was flagged offside.
Around the twenty five minute mark, Cray began to dominate the game more and Karl Dent hit a shot over from twenty yards. Then Timi Osidobu found Stevenson down the left who shot wide.
In the 28th minute, the deadlock was broken when Cray took the lead when again the ball was worked down the left and Stevenson charged into the area and coolly slotted across Allen and into the net for his first goal for Cray.
The game became much more open now and in the 32nd minute, Dean Carpenter set up Stevenson again but this time was denied by the legs of Allen.
Two minutes later, Molesey were reduced to ten men when after a great piece of skill by Parker down the right, he shimmied through the challenge of Antonio Simeone who brought him down twenty yards from goal and the referee perhaps playing to the letter of the law dismissed the defender as last man.
Molesey looked to hit back and Ronnie Sobowale charged through but shot wide from distance before for Cray, Stevenson saw an effort blocked.
In the 41st minute, Cray scored a second goal and Parker who had an exceptional last quarter of the half made a burst down the left and crashed home a shot from the edge of the area which Allen was perhaps a bit slow to get down to but it was a great finish.
Before the break Molesey almost pulled a goal back when Sobowale was denied by a double block at the near post.
Half Time: 2-0
The second half began much more livelier than the first and from a left wing corner, Dent’s cross found Dawson whose header was blocked on the line.
Molesey kept plugging away and Ashley Lodge tested Blue with a shot from distance before for Cray, Ben Mundele played in Aaron Rhule down the right but he was denied a goal by a brave block by Allen. Then Lodge with a free kick curled a shot straight to Blue.
The third Cray goal was on the cards and this time came from a corner down the right with Dent’s cross into the goalmouth met by Mitchell Nelson whose header was pushed out by Allen as far as Dawson who gleefully tapped the ball in from a couple of yards.
Cray had a fair level of control of the game at this stage and Dent sent up Parker with a fine ball through but his deft chipped effort was blocked by Allen.
Molesey never threw the towel in and from a corner down the right, Lewington’s cross to the near post found the head of James King but he directed his header straight to Blue. Then Parker fired just wide from Carpenter’s layoff. Blue then did well to tip over a drive from Darius Hervi. From the corner, Ryan David headed wide.
Cray played some fine possession football in the last fifteen minutes and in the 79th minute scored a fourth when a cross from Nelson down the right found Leader who rose above David to plant a smart header into the net to cap what was a man of the match performance.
The game was now well over as a contest and Josh Andrew fired over for Molesey whilst Dent set up Dawson for an effort which went just wide.
Cray had picked up the three points despite Tony Russell feeling this wasn’t maybe their best performance of the season but the manner of the victory was positive as was the second consecutive clean sheet and Cray now head to a first ever meeting with Shoreham on Monday in good heart.
Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue (Capt.), Ben Mundele (Marcus Evans, 65), Timi Osidobu, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Dean Carpenter (Zak Henry, 75), Karl Dent, Freddie Parker, Bradley Stevenson (Brandon Scott, 69), Aaron Rhule.
Subs not used: Luke Medley, Joe Vines.
Booked: Leader, Rhule, Dawson
Molesey: Liam Allen, Taylor Roles, Ashby Charles, Craig Lewington (Capt.), Ryan David, Antonio Simeone, Josh Andrew, Ato Okai, Manny Quarshie (Kashawn McCalla, 76), Ronnie Sobowale (James King, 63), Ashley Lodge (Darius Hervi, 71)
Sent Off: Simeone 34
Booked: David
Referee: Andy Bennett
Assistant Referees: Harrison Blair, Andrew Connor
Att: 72