Cray Wanderers made it back to back wins following up Saturday’s win at Whyteleafe with victory against Herne Bay at Hayes Lane in an enthralling evening’s entertainment.  This ended a five game losing run at home and moved Cray up to 10th place in the league table.

An entertaining first 35 minutes saw opportunities at both ends but it was Cray who took the lead when Lee Prescott made it two goals in two games with a surging run and clinical finish.  Herne Bay though pulled level four minutes later when Mark Lovell converted a penalty following a foul on Danny Williams to make it 1-1 at the break which was about right.  Cray though got off to a positive start to the second half and Jai McKinlay grabbed his first goal for Cray when he was quickest to react to a Prescott corner kick two minutes after the restart.  Cray came close on a number of occasions to adding to their lead with Danny Haynes being denied by keeper Toby Wood on three occasions, Karl Dent hit the top of the crossbar whilst Anthony Adesite hit the post late on.          

The game started at a breakneck pace and Herne Bay came close to taking the lead when Billy Lewens took advantage of a slip up at the back to burst into the area but was denied by a fine save from Nick Blue.

Cray threatened to score through the pace of Danny Haynes and he was denied by an instinctive save from Toby Wood and then from a corner, Lee Prescott’s cross was met by Lea Dawson whose header was saved on the line by Wood with his legs.

A minute later thought, Cray went ahead when Prescott made a 30 yard run into the area and as the Herne Bay defenders backed off placed a smart finish wide of the keeper.

Herne Bay though drew level four minutes later when from a corner, Danny Williams was pulled down by Luke Medley and a penalty was given.  Mark Lovell struck home the penalty for his 20th goal of the season.

The second half saw possibly Cray’s best performance at home for some time and straight away Haynes was denied by a block from Gary Sayer for a corner.

From the resulting corner, Prescott’s fine cross to the far post was turned in by Jai McKinlay for his first goal for Cray.

Cray came close again on a couple of occasions through Haynes who fired into the side netting, then drove a shot wide and then tested Wood with a great strike that was tipped away.   Karl Dent fired a close range strike against the crossbar before Haynes was denied again by Wood.

Herne Bay could have snatched a goal first when Lovell drove a cross shot wide and then from Izzy Adsayo’s overhead kick which went straight to Blue .  With five minutes to go, Ben Gorham placed a header wide from Harry Brown’s free kick.

There was still time in stoppage time for Anthony Adesite to hit the foot of a post and then saw an effort cleared off the line for Cray but they managed to see out the game for a deserved three points.    

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Timi Osidobu, Jai McKinlay, Zak Henry, Lea Dawson, Sean Roberts, Karl Dent, Danny Haynes (Anthony Adesite, 90) Luke Medley (Brandon Scott, 77), Lee Prescott: Subs:  Tyrone Guthrie, Paul Lorraine, Sean Law

Att: 123