Cray Wanderers took a massive step towards securing their Isthmian League Premier Division status with an emphatic win over fellow relegation rivals East Thurrock Utd at Hayes Lane on Wednesday night.
The Wands lined up in a 5-3-2 formation with Antony Cook and Kasim Aidoo playing as wing backs. After a cagey start the visitors had the first shot on goal with Oli Coker firing over from long range.
From there both teams had chances with Sam Wood firing wide after good work by Chris Dickson and Ollie Miles heading over for The Rocks from a Coker near post corner.
Miles then almost scored in freakish circumstances when deflecting a clearance goal wards, but the ball looped up just over the bar. Cray had a good spell of pressure when Saul Kader flicked the ball on to Dickson, but East Thurrock’s keeper Arthur Janata saved at the feet of the veteran striker and then on 24 minutes they got the vital breakthrough.
Cook played in Kader who then scrambled the ball through to Dickson who showed great strength to hold off two defenders and cooll slot the ball low into the corner of the net for 1-0.
Aidoo went close soon after with a long range drive that Janata saved well, but The Wands did go 2-0 up on 29 minutes when Cook played a superb ball down the wing to Kader who powered into the box before unleashing an unstoppable effort that swerved just inside the near post giving Janata no chance.
The half drifted for a while from there, until late on when Wood was played in by Cook and he shot just wide from the edge of the area.
The second half started with East Thurrock on top, pressing with a series of corners, before Cray stepped up their intensity again and started to press.
Jamie Yila went close with a shot across goal from a tight angle and Wood hit a low drive just wide latching on to a Yila knock down.
On the hour mark Cray made their vital break through when Yila hit the post from just inside the area and Dickson reacted first to smash the ball into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.
The Rocks had another series of corners from there and Yila had to head the ball off the line from one, before The Wands cleared their lines. The game was wide open for a spell with Cook going close twice for Neil Smith’s side and then East Thurrock had two good chances with Jonny Ashman shooting wide when well placed and Nana Adarkwa heading wide from a cross soon after.
With 18 minutes to go The Rocks pulled a goal back when Coker picked the ball up from 25 yards out, after what looked like a foul by Tom Barton on Ethan Kaiser, and crashed the ball into the far corner of the net for 3-1.
With Cray struggling to keep on top of things and conceding a number of silly fouls it looked like the visitors might get back into the game, Ben Wyss driving the ball over from range, but any nerves were settled with five minutes to go when Wood capped a superb display with a fine solo goal.
The popular midfielder picking the ball up just inside the East Thurrock half before running clear and sliding the ball home past Janata into the corner of the net from 20 yards out to make it 4-1.
Late in the game Cray’s 17 year old keeper Nathan Boamah made a brilliant save low down to his right to deny Wyss and there was still time for Aidoo to see his powerful shot deflect wide at the other end, before the final whistle sounded and confirmed the vital three points for Cray.
The win leaves Cray in nineteenth with one game left to play, away at second place Bishop Stortford on Saturday, if they can match or better what East Thurrock do at home to Horsham then Neil Smith’s side will have achieved league safety.
Cray: Boamah, Aiddo, Kaiser, Danquah, Hanfrey, Cook, Yila (Williams 88), Wood (Albon 88), Smith, Dickson, Kader (Reid 90).
Subs Not Used: Brodie, Filip.
East Thurrock: Janata, Wyss, Morrell, Barton, Boswell, Dear, Ashman, Spooner, Miles (Ardarkwa 32), Harry, Coker (Dantas-Carvalho 80).
Subs Not Used: Sartorias, Dutton, Collins.
Goals: CWFC – Dickson 24 & 60mins, Kader 29mins, Wood 85mins. ETUFC – Coker 72mins
HT 2-0 FT 4-1
Att: 463
Referee: Howard Collins