Cray Wanderers are back in league action at Hayes Lane on Wednesday evening as they face Whyteleafe for the first time since March 2009.

The match pits the teams in eighth and ninth in the league table with both sides looking to keep pace with the playoff positions.  The Wands will be looking to get their league form back on the rails after two straight away defeats and to get the disappointment of the loss at Tooting and Mitcham on Saturday out of their system.

The Wands will be without Danny Haynes and Jey Siva for one more match but there is enough quality in the side to make this a great game.  Cray have won their last four games at Hayes Lane in league and cup and have been generally playing well at home, particularly defensively.

Whyteleafe got off to a sluggish start to the season and struggled early on.  The dual management team of John Fowler and Dean Davenport left the club at the beginning of October.  They were replaced by new first team manager Leigh Dynan and they are unbeaten under his management which started with a 2-2 draw at leaders Dorking Wanderers on 23rd October.  They have won their last two games impressively, 7-2 at East Grinstead Town last Tuesday and 5-1 at home to Guernsey on Saturday so will arrive in confident mood.

Many Wands fans will remember games against Whyteleafe during their last stint in the Isthmian South and many of the games were draws, though a 4-3 win at Whyteleafe in March 2008 included a world class strike from Michael Power.  Our last meeting at Hayes Lane came in March 2009 during our promotion season with the visitors winning 2-0. 

Whyteleafe were relegated from the Ryman South in 2011-12 and spent two seasons in the Kent League which was renamed the Southern Counties East League winning the title in 2013-14.  Their first season back in the Isthmian South in 2014-15 saw them finish fifth but lost the playoff semi final at Folkestone Invicta.  They finished 16th last season.

This ought to be another terrific contest between two very good footballing sides and with little else to do on a Wednesday night should make a great evening’s entertainment.  You may just have to remember to wrap up warm.

Admission prices are £10.00 adults, £4.00 concessions/u16s