Cray Wanderers and Carshalton Athletic will meet again this Thursday in the FA Trophy after an enthralling 90 minutes at Hayes Lane finished in a 3-3 draw.

A game which swung from end to end practically from the first whistle looked to be going the Robins way at half time as they fought back from a goal down to lead at the break.  However, Cray played exceptionally well in the second half and re-took the lead before Carshalton levelled five minutes from time.  

Cray started the game well and Danny Haynes fired just over the bar and Brandon Scott was twice denied by Carshalton keeper Alexandros Kozakis.

Carshalton though were lively and Nick Blue had to make good saves to deny Brendan Murphy-McVey and Mickel Miller.

The game was flashing by so quickly with barely a moments rest and it was no surprise that a goal should come and it came for Cray in the 27th minute.  The excellent Jey Siva played a superb ball through to Haynes down the right,who  took a couple of strides forward and placed a

A goal for Carshalton though was on the cards and it came in the 37th minute.  Good pressing by Carshalton led to good work down the left by Michael Males who played the ball to Murphy-McVey who played in Korboa who finished with a low shot to make it 1-1.

Cray then went straight up the other end with Haynes beating the offside trap down the left but his curling effort was met by a brilliant one handed save by Kozakis.

This proved crucial as in the 41st minute, Carshalton went in front when Sekou Kaba found Murphy-McVey who from ten yards crashed a well struck shot past Blue at the near post. 

Cray levelled the game in the 51st minute which stemmed from some patient Wands build up play.  Mundele and Prescott combined to find Karl Dent who put over a fine cross from the left over to the back post where Scott met the ball to power a header past Kozakis’s despairing dive.

Carshalton though should really have gone back in front half way through the half when Phillips was played through but his close range effort was deflected wide for a corner by Blue.

in the 77th minute Cray did take the lead with another exemplary piece of finishing by Haynes.  Leader won the ball and found Roberts who delivered a fine ball out to Haynes down the right who lashed a crisp shot across the keeper and into the back of the net.

A key moment came in the 82nd minute when Haynes burst through looking to complete his hat-trick but his goalbound shot was excellently saved by Kozakis for a corner.  From the corner the ball came to Leader but he headed wide.

With five minutes to go though, Carshalton made it 3-3 with something of a soft goal albeit well taken.  A hopeful ball upfield led to indecision between Siva and Blue and Korboa stole in and lobbed the ball expertly over the keeper and into the net.

In the end a breathless game between two very good sides ended in a 3-3 draw which means the teams go at it again on Thursday at Colston Avenue and then again in the league on Saturday afternoon.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Jai McKinlay (Ben Mundele, 49), Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Solomon Taiwo (Lee Prescott, 42), Sean Roberts, Danny Haynes, Karl Dent, Brandon Scott: Subs: Max Williams, Bradley Woods-Garness, Timi Osidobu

 Attendance:  187

  

Mark Hunt