Cray Wanderers stopped a two game losing league run with a dramatic late comeback to grab a point against in-form Whyteleafe. 

In another entertaining encounter at Hayes Lane, the visitors who were one place behind Cray in the league table in ninth place were 1-0 up at the break and extended their lead just after the hour.  With twelve minutes to go, debutante Sherwin Stanley pulled a goal back with an adept volley from thirty yards.  Then with the game just entering injury time, Cray were awarded a penalty when Karl Dent was fouled inside the box and Solomon Taiwo slotted home the kick.

Cray perhaps just edged the early exchanges with Brandon Scott looking lively and won a couple of corners from which they threatened.   The first from Lee Prescott down the right found McKinlay who flicked an effort wide.  Shortly after in the eighth minute another Prescott corner found Jay Leader whose header was blocked but fired the rebound wide of goal.

Then, this time from the left, Prescott’s corner was flicked towards goal by Lea Dawson and forced keeper Daly Brannon to make a smart stop and Dawson headed the rebound over.

Cray had the best opening of the game in the 16th minute when Ben Mundele made a surging run into the box down the left and laid the ball across to Dent who fired well over the bar.

Cray were unlucky not to score when Mundele was put through by Dent and although he seemed to stumble got a shot in from 8 yards which Brannon did well to block and following up Stanley’s effort was deflected over the bar for a corner.

Whyteleafe though had threatened and took the lead in the 26th minute when Jenson Grant found the nippy Ibrahim Akanbi who found himself space and fired an unstoppable shot past Nick Blue in the Cray goal.

Whyteleafe though were the better side early in the second and Blue did well to save when Scott Day’s effort was goal bound and forced the Cray keeper to parry the ball away.  Then Bentley saw a shot blocked and the follow up from Day was wide of goal 

A second goal for Whyteleafe was on the cards and it came in the 62nd minute when Sam Clayton down the left put over an excellent cross to the far post which was met by the head of Mensah who steered the ball deftly into the net.

The introduction of Dane Luchford and Solomon Taiwo seemed to give Cray a fresh impetus particularly Taiwo who slotted in at the back but his range of long passing helped to get Scott more involved. 

Cray were unfortunate not to score when they were awarded a free kick in a central position, twenty yards from goal.  Taiwo’s kick was heading for the top corner but was pushed brilliantly over by Brannon.  From the corner, the ball came to Luchford but his attempt on goal lacked power and went through to Brannon.

With twelve minutes to go, Cray pulled a goal back when Dent’s pass forward found Brannon who came out of his goal and was challenged by Luchford.  His attempted clearance fell to Stanley who with a first time volley sent the ball sailing into the back of the net.

This led to a fairly concerted period of pressure from and with the game just entering stoppage time Cray were presented with an opportunity to level the game when down the right of the area, Sean Roberts and Dawson kept the ball moving inside the box and eventually Dent, now down the left was pushed over clumsily by Graham Bentley and the referee pointed to the spot.

Taiwo who had played really well since coming on, despatched the kick emphatically with his first goal for the club and Cray were now back to 2-2.

With a couple of minutes still to play, Cray sensed an unlikely winner and almost grabbed it when from a corner, the ball came to Dent but he shot over the bar.

In the end a 2-2 draw was probably about the right result and helped to get Cray back up to sixth in the table.  The Wands had shown a lot of resilience, patience and durability to come back and sets them up for what should be a great FA Trophy tie with Worthing on Sunday.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ade Osifuwa, Timi Osidobu, Jay Leader, Jai McKinlay (Sol Taiwo, 67), Lea Dawson (Capt.), Lee Prescott (Sean Roberts, 81), Karl Dent, Sherwin Stanley, Ben Mundele (Dane Luchford, 65), Brandon Scott: Subs:  Sean Law, Dillon Green

Attendance:   115