Jenkins demands response after Cray shock defeat (From News Shopper)

Jenkins demands response after Cray shock defeat

6:39am Monday 26th March 2012 in Ryman Premier League By Jerry Dowlen

Cray's 1-2 home defeat by relegation-threatened Leatherhead passed up a great opportunity for the Wands to cement their place in the Ryman Premier play-offs.

Fifth-placed Cray travel to sixth-placed Hendon on Tuesday night, with a furious Ian Jenkins demanding a response from his team after thair flat performance on Sunday.

Jenkins and all the Cray fans were shocked to see such a poor effort from the home side, with Leatherhead racing into a two-goal lead inside the first 24 minutes.

Harry Ottaway headed in unchallenged from a free-kick, and Tom Hutchings punished Cray for a defensive slip when he broke away to score.

Looking the more urgent and committed team, the Tanners might have already been two up if Ben Andrews had hit the target from two early chances against a hesitant Cray defence.

Cray barely registered a threat until Alex Bentley and Jack Clark combined on the left, but Clark's cross into the goalmouth was cleared by Dan Dean as Chris Saunders shaped to shoot at goal.

Saunders couldn't quite steer a diving header on target after Danny Phillips set up an opportunity.

Still looking flat after the interval, Cray needed a goal to change the course of the game, but there came a defining moment midway through the second half when Chico Ramos made a fine double save from Tommy Whitnell.

Jamie Darvill, on as substitute, raised Cray's hopes when he headed home on 85 minutes, but at the final whistle the away team and their supporters couldn't hide their delight with their shock victory against an under-performing Cray.

Cray: Walker, Young, Bentley (Darvill 63), Long, Vines, Sterling. Whitnell, Saunders, Bremner, Phillips, Clark (Willy 61). Subs not used; Stavrinou, Dolby, Perkins..