Cray Wanderers complete the three game home start to the Isthmian Premier season on Saturday as Tim O’Shea’s side welcome Wingate & Finchley to Flamingo Park.
The Wands have made a decent start to the season picking up four points from the first two matches with a solid 2-0 win against Canvey Island on the opening day followed by a hard earned point from a 1-1 draw with Folkestone Invicta on Tuesday night.
The point puts Cray 5th in the admittedly early league table and one of five teams on four points. After the first two games, Cheshunt, Dulwich Hamlet and Burgess Hill Town have begun with two wins out of two with the league table not really going to take shape for a few matches yet.
Tuesday night’s Kent Derby was a good match and high octane and competitive throughout and after a goalless first half Cray took the lead with a fine goal on the counter netted by Nodirbek Bobomurodov for his first league goal for the club.
Folkestone levelled eighteen minutes from time with a goal later credited to Kweku Lucan but the Wands had the better chances after that to win the game. George Brooke who had only been on less than a minute was unlucky to see his goalbound effort hit the bar and then Josh Williams late on saw a shot saved. In the end, a point in fairness was about right in a real test under the lights and in the heat.
It is expected to be sunny and warm too on Saturday as the Wingate & Finchley travel from North London for their third visit to Flamingo Park.
The Blues sit pointless after the first two games but extremely hard to judge too harshly as both defeats came against two of the favourites for promotion and by the odd goal. Ahmet Rifat’s side began with a 1-2 defeat at Billericay Town on the opening day with Ada Okorochieye scoring in stoppage time. On Tuesday night, Dulwich Hamlet were the visitors and won 1-0 with a first half goal.
Wingate & Finchley have had a busy summer of recruitment with eleven new players signing. Defenders Kyron Horsley-McKay, Mackye Townsend-West, midfielders Sam Cornish who returns to the club, Alfie Cutbush, Alkeo Bani and Adam Lovatt. Also up front and on the wings Ada Okorochieye, Demaray Anyadike, Johnny Allotey, Caoilan McGettigan and Isaac Stones added to those players retained from last season like Camilo Restrepo, Ben Watt, Ryan Lowe, Ore Bello and ex Wands keeper Charlie Grainger.
The two league meetings saw a win apiece with Wingate & Finchley winning 1-0 on a rain lashed night on 29th January with a Ben Watt goal but Cray ran out 4-1 winners at Flamingo Park on 12th April with Nyren Clunis, Soul Kader (2) and Josh Williams netting for Cray with Jaiden Drakes-Thomas scoring for the visitors. The sides also met in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup with the Wands winning 1-0 at The Maurice Rebak Stadium with a David Smith goal after a 1-1 draw at Cray.
During the Isthmian League era the clubs have only met in the Isthmian Premier 16 times with Cray winning six, Wingate & Finchley winning five and five draws although the sides have met in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and London Senior Cup during that time.
The Premier League may start this weekend but the Isthmian Premier is well under way and looks to be an even more competitive and hard to call league than last season and clubs like Cray Wanderers and Wingate & Finchley will be highly involved with how the final league table will pan out and should be a fast paced match in the August sun.
Admission £15 adults, £10 concessions, £5 U16-U13s, U12s free available on the gate or online at www.cray-wanderers.com/tickets/ – Printed Match Programme: £3 – Merchandise, hot and cold food/drinks and bars available and big TV screen.
Image courtesy of Steve Cullum