Cray Wanderers 0 - 1 Tonbridge Angels

In front of a crowd of 1,222 the game was always delicately poised and looked like one where one goal could be decisive and so it proved with Jamie Fielding hooking home for Tonbridge in the 64th minute.  Cray though kept on going and came close to taking the game to a replay in the closing stages with Anthony Cook and Tom Bonner both unlucky not to score during ten minutes of stoppage time.

On an afternoon of great expectation, anticipation, there was plenty of perspiration too as although a match of few chances it was a keenly contested cup tie with so much at stake for both clubs.  With the crowd which is the biggest home attendance since the 1960’s, the weather fluctuated between very wet at the start to very bright by the end but overall it was a great afternoon for Cray Wanderers and a big testament to the hard work of all those involved on the day from volunteers, committee and Directors to make the afternoon as safe as possible for the large crowd.

The match itself began with Tonbridge dominating the early possession but Cray showed they could be a threat from set pieces and Frankie Raymond’s free kick out on the left ended up falling to Nyren Clunis whose shot was charged down.  Then Lateef Adaja found Clunis down the right and his cross was well claimed by Toby Steward in the Angels goal who had a very good game throughout.

For Tonbridge, Liam Vincent’s ball across came to Ryan Hanson whose shot was deflected behind for a corner.  From the corner down the right Sean Shields cross to the far post was headed wide by Hanson.

The game then had a spell of sparring as both teams looked to get to grips to the wet conditions and it looked like a delicately poised tie with both defences with Quade Taylor, Tom Bonner, Ike Orji and Darion Dowrich outstanding for Cray.  

The best chance of the first half fell to Tonbridge in the 30th minute when Vincent’s cross from the left aimed for Noel Leighton was spilled out by Shaun Rowley but following up did superbly to turn aside a well struck shot from Mohammed Dabre.

For Cray, Frankie Raymond’s free kick was claimed by Steward and then down the left, Adaja fizzed across a terrific cross across goal which came to Clunis and his ball back into the six yard box was missed by Steward but headed away by Fielding.  For Tonbridge, a cross towards the far post from the right was volleyed wide by Vincent.

The second half began in brighter weather but was a scrappy affair for the first fifteen minutes with Tonbridge the nearest with Nelson’s cross from the left looping towards goal but hit the bar and over.

The play was held up for five minutes just before the hour when Assistant official Alphie Ibrahim pulled up injured and was replaced after treatment by James Hall.

The tension was becoming more palpable when in the 64th minute Tonbridge took the lead.  At the time Cray were down to ten men as Taylor required treatment off the pitch and from a long throw in down the left the ball was helped on to Nelson and at the second attempt his ball into the box fell invitingly to Fielding who placed a shot into the net from 12 yards.

For Cray, from a free kick into the area Taylor couldn’t get a firm connection and turned an effort wide of goal.

In the 80th minute, Tonbridge almost scored a second when Vincent set up substitute Trevan Robinson down the left of the area and his near post shot was pushed out by Rowley.

Then a minute later came a key moment when Imran Kayani’s fine ball put Adaja in on goal and into the area but was denied by a great tackle from Hanson.  A goal then with so much time to go would have given Cray a huge lift for the latter stages of the game.

With ten minutes of stoppage time to come, Cray rather than meekly departing the competition threw caution to the wind and made it difficult for Tonbridge to see out the game.

The Wands were winning free kicks and down the right, Ike Orji’s cross into the area just glanced off David Smith’s head and off target.  Then, Cray won a couple of corners that required clearances and good goalkeeping from Steward.  

In the first minute of added on time, substitute Anthony Cook came closest yet with a hooked shot towards goal which was tipped onto the bar and over by Steward for a corner.  Then, Frankie Raymond’s cross into the box for Calvin Ekpiteta was put behind for a corner by another fine block by the excellent Ryan Hanson.  Also the Wands had a couple of penalty claims waived away on Anthony Cook and Darion Dowrich.

Cray continued to pour forward and Frankie Raymond shot wide and then a ball into the area by Quade Taylor came to David Smith but went off target.

Then in the 99th minute, Cray won a corner and with Rowley coming up for the kick the ball was aimed towards the far post for Tom Bonner but his header was cleared off the line and came out to Ekpiteta who fired over.

The last chance of a gripping last quarter of the game fell to Tonbridge on the break as Sean Shields went through on goal but Rowley did well to turn the ball aside and came to Vincent who shot over.

In the end, Cray couldn’t quite get the goal their efforts merited and overall perhaps deserved a replay but it is Tonbridge who reach the 1st Round for the first time since 2020-21 while Cray now reflect on a fine cup run but can now look to improve their league position starting on Tuesday night vs Chatham Town at Flamingo Park, 7.45 pm.  With more performances like this then a turning point is surely just around the corner.

 

Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Darion Dowrich, Quade Taylor, Tom Bonner, Ike Orji, Lateef Adaja, Frankie Raymond, Charlie Edwards (Imran Kayani, 55), Nyren Clunis (Anthony Cook, 89), Toby King (Calvin Ekpiteta, 90+6), Kenny Coker (David Smith, 73):  Subs:  Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera, David Ijaha, Max Huxter

Att:  1222