The Wands are back in action on Wednesday as the FA Trophy Preliminary Round tie between Cray and Carshalton Athletic will be finally decided.   Kick off at Hayes Lane is 7.45pm.

The two teams met in the original tie back on October 9th and the game finished in an exciting 3-3 draw.  However, the FA decreed that the Robins fielded an ineligible player in the Trophy game and the expected replay was instead ruled to be played at Hayes Lane and not at Colston Avenue.

The tie will be concluded on Wednesday evening with the tie going to extra time and penalties to produce a winner.   The winners will be at home to Marlow from the Southern League Central this Saturday (29th October).

The two sides met even more recently in the league on 15th October and Cray produced a performance of some style to win 4-1 with two goals from Danny Haynes and a goal apiece from Ben Mundele and Brandon Scott.  With both teams playing attractive and positive football this should be another great match. 

Tony Russell’s side though will want to bounce back from the disappointment of Saturday’s defeat at Lewes which was their first loss in six games and look to get back on track.   Cray had been the better side first half at the Dripping Pan but a bad start to the second half saw the home side take the lead early on and Cray never really recovered with the Wands depleted to nine men by the end.  One defeat though doesn’t make this team a bad side and they have shown already this season an ability to bounce back from setbacks.       

Meanwhile, Peter Adeniyi’s Carshalton Athletic side have drawn their last two games since our last meeting drawing 1-1 at Molesey on 18th October and 1-1 at home to Ramsgate last Saturday.   They do possess some very good forward players and certainly Ricky Korboa had an excellent game in the Trophy tie but less effective in the league game.  

If this game follows the pattern of the original tie this will be some game to watch and could in theory easily go the distance in order to produce a winner.

Season tickets are not valid for this game, it will be pay on the day.  Admission is £10.00 adults, £4.00 concessions/U16s.