Cray Wanderers got their 2017 off to a winning start with a fairly comfortable victory against Chatham Town at Hayes Lane.  Two first half goals from Lee Prescott before the half hour taking his tally over Christmas to three gave Cray a two goal lead at the break against their struggling but very plucky opponents with Karl Dent making it three early in the second half.

Tony Russell’s Wands were looking to build on the dramatic late comeback against Ramsgate on Saturday which claimed a point whilst Paul Piggott’s Chatham had lost their last three league games and needed the points to help their fight against the drop.

In the 14th minute, Cray took the lead with a neatly taken goal by Prescott.  Skipper, Lea Dawson found Danny Haynes who charged down the left and his cross shot was pushed out by Chatham keeper Alex Hyde with Prescott in the right place at the right time to turn the ball home from close range. 

The second Cray goal came in the 28th minute after a very well worked goal.   Scott played a cross from the right which went across goal to Haynes who laid the ball to Dent who made his way to the left by line and put over an excellent deep cross to the back post where Prescott got above of Abdul Lyobi to prod home his second of the game.

Cray dominated the game from there and Haynes lobbed over the bar when played through and Dawson saw a header cleared off the line.

A third goal was on the cards and it duly arrived in the 54th minute and well worth waiting for.  The play switched from Dent down the right who put over a cross which was half cleared by a defender out to Prescott who received a return pass from Siva and played the ball across to Dent who with a little shimmy found a bit space on the edge of the box and fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner for his sixth goal of the season.

There were chances at both ends before the end with Haynes and Dent going close whilst for Chatham, Ejiro Okosieme.saw a header saved by Nick Blue who also saved well from Luke Medley and Ryan Flack.

Cray move up one place to ninth in the league table with Chatham remain 22nd and in the bottom three.  The Wands are next in action on Saturday 7th January when they travel to Hastings United. 

Cray:   Nick Blue, Timi Osidobu, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Lee Prescott (Dane Luchford, 74) Solomon Taiwo, Danny Haynes, Karl Dent, Brandon Scott (Edgar Morais, 74): Subs:  Sean Roberts, Jai McKinlay, Grant Basey

Att:  147