Cray Wanderers six game unbeaten league run came to an abrupt end as East Grinstead Town took the points in another entertaining game at Hayes Lane.  This was despite the Wands leading 2-0 at half time and a young looking East Grinstead Town side came back strongly in the second half to score four goals to put a dent in Cray’s playoff ambitions. 

This was Cray’s first full game since December 4th and they showed no signs of rust as Danny Haynes set up Sherwin Stanley for a chance in the second minute which had the East Grinstead keeper Chris Haigh scrambling to save.

The Wands took the lead in the 10th minute.  Jay Leader won the ball and found Karl Dent who swept the ball down the right to Brandon Scott who showed his great pace to whip a cross into the box and Haynes arriving on the scene bundled the ball into the net for his 22nd goal of the season and to make it 12 successive scoring games for Cray which is already a club record.

East Grinstead though came back at Cray and almost levelled in the 19th minute when Tashi Kwaiye crashed a shot against a post.  Then Jenson Dos Santos saw a near post effort blocked by Paul Lorraine and Nick Blue.  

In the 33rd minute, Cray went two up with a fine individual goal from Scott who picked up  the ball from Lea Dawson’s pass out to the right and the winger worked his way into the penalty area and hit a well hit shot under Haigh and into the net.  This was his third goal in three games and his seventh for the season.  Cray were then on top and Dent was denied by a fine stop from Haigh.

The pattern for the second half was set after just 40 seconds when East Grinstead pulled a goal back when full back Malachi Robinson curled a speculative lobbed shot which looped into the net.

Cray had a couple of chances to score but it was East Grinstead who levelled in the 67th minute with a well taken strike from substitute Jake McIntyre.

In the 79th minute, East Grinstead took the lead when Laste Dombaxe put over a telling cross which was met by Marcus Elliott with a stooping header which crept its way into the net.

The scoring was completed with two minutes to go from the penalty spot when from a counter attack, Kwaiye was brought down in the area and Elliott struck home the spot kick for give the visitors a surprise victory.      
   
Cray:    Nick Blue, Ben Mundele (Timi Osidobu, H/T), Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sol Taiwo (Sean Roberts, 44), Karl Dent (Lee Prescott, 67), Danny Haynes, Sherwin Stanley, Brandon Scott: Subs:  Jai McKinlay, Dane Luchford


Attendance:    108