Cray Wanderers play the third of three straight Kent derbies and against play-off contenders on Saturday as the Wands in sixth place visit seventh placed Dartford in one of the key matches of the day in the Isthmian Premier.
The Wands come into the game unbeaten in five with four of those game drawn including a merited point last Saturday against fifth placed Chatham Town at Flamingo Park. In a tight game of few chances, Cray certainly edged the match but fell behind to a Nile Ranger goal twelve minutes from time. The Wands though have shown resilience and resolve throughout the season and fought back and levelled three minutes from the end with an Alex Hernandez penalty for his fifteenth goal of the season. New signing Ola Ogunwamide was unlucky not to fashion a winner in added time but overall a point was the least Cray deserved for their efforts where once again defensively as against Ramsgate the previous week kept opposition chances to a minimum.
The point kept Cray on forty eight points from thirty one games played, two behind Chatham Town although the Medway side have played three games fewer. Folkestone Invicta with seventy four points have a thirteen point buffer from second placed Aveley with Brentwood Town on fifty five points in third and Billericay Town in fourth on fifty one points. The playoff pack is tightly bunched with Dartford a point behind Cray but do have two games in hand. Ramsgate are eighth with forty four points from thirty games, Burgess Hill Town in ninth on forty three from thirty games and Whitehawk in tenth cannot be ruled out on forty one points but have only played twenty seven games.
The Wands will travel to Dartford with a fine away record this season and have lost just one out of fifteen on the road and that was at Folkestone Invicta. Cray have won five out of the last seven away from home but will be a tough test against a Dartford side who have done well at home and have won seven out of the last eight at Princes Park and only Folkestone Invicta on 13th December have won there this season. Ady Pennock’s side were also the last to beat Aveley in the league on 17th January and also beaten Brentwood Town, 3-2 in their last home match on 31st January. Dartford have also won at Chatham Town so have done well against other playoff contenders.
The Darts though will be looking to bounce back from last Saturday’s 0-1 defeat at Potters Bar Town where Nana Kyei’s eleventh minute goal proved enough for a big three points for the Scholars in their relegation fight.
At home Dartford have beaten Carshalton Athletic (4-1), Cheshunt (2-0), Whitehawk (3-0), Potters Bar Town (4-1), Welling United (3-1), Chichester City (2-0), Dulwich Hamlet (1-0), St Albans City (1-0), Aveley (2-0) and Brentwood Town (3-2). Dartford drew with Billericay Town (1-1), Canvey Island (2-2) and Burgess Hill Town (3-3) with the only defeat against Folkestone Invicta (1-2). Top scorer is Olly Box who netted twice when Cray last visited Dartford on Boxing Day 2024 with the home side winning 2-1.
When the two teams met at Flamingo Park on 25th October, Dartford were 2-0 winners with a goal in each half from Eddie Dsane and Callum Jones. Historically Dartford and Cray Wanderers although fairly close and linked by the Rivers Dart and Cray mainly met in cup ties until the mid-nineties when the teams met for three seasons in the Kent League including the 1993-94 season when the teams groundshared at Oxford Road. In the Isthmian League era this will be the fourth meeting at Dartford with the home side winning once and two draws. Cray’s last win at Princes Park was in October 2017 when Thamesmead Town played there.
In a match between two teams in the playoff race this promises to be the game of the day and one which both sides will be looking to maintain their good home and away records this season.
Admission: £15 adults, concessions £10 (ID required, includes full time students, unemployed & registered disabled. £5 youth (U13-U16, ID may be required), U12s free (must be accompanied by an adult).