Cray produced one of their finest away performances of the season as a first half double from Danny Haynes coupled with a stout rearguard action in the second half saw the Wands win at fellow playoff contenders Hastings United.

With the sides in ninth and tenth place and both scoring plenty of goals this had the look of being a fine football match and although there wasn’t a lot of chances created there was some very good football played and the Wands in the end deserved their victory.  After a quick start from Cray, Haynes was played through and placed the ball past Lennie Pidgley to give the Wands the lead in the 9th minute.  The Wands then scored a fine second when Brandon Scott’s cross was despatched emphatically by Haynes.  Hastings though pulled a goal back in first half stoppage time through experienced forward Frannie Collin but despite soaking up a fair bit of pressure Cray held on resolutely to win.

Cray started well and came close after just two minutes when Haynes set up Scott down the right of the penalty area but the winger fired over the crossbar. Then Mundele down the right worked his way close to the by line and his cross found Karl Dent whose half hit shot was cleared by Ollie Rowe.

Cray’s passing in that opening few minutes was excellent and took the lead with a well taken goal in the 9th minute when Dent’s through ball found Haynes who strode on and lifted the ball neatly over the advancing Pidgeley for his nineteenth league goal of the season.

Hastings came closest to scoring when Stephen Butcher played a neat ball into Simon Johnson but Nick Blue did well to block his attempted near post cross shot.

The Wands were holding on well and kept chances for the home side to a minimum with Jay Leader and Paul Lorraine giving exemplary performances at the back.  What was really needed was a second goal and it came in the 38th minute.  Typically good combination play down the right saw Mundele find Scott who put over a fine cross which found Haynes who got in front of Ollie Rowe to place a neat finish wide of Pidgeley to make it 2-0.

A minute into injury time however, Hastings pulled a goal back when Kiernan Hughes- Mason played the ball through to Frannie Collin who tucked home a neat finish from the edge of the area past Blue to set up a dramatic second half.

Chances were few and far between in the second half, with Leader coming close twice, first flicking wide from Jey Siva’s free kick and then header wide from a corner.

Hastings pressed and Blue had to get down well to save from Collin’s header from Matt Bodkin’s cross.

Cray kept going and Dent lashed a near post shot wide and then Haynes came close to notching his hat-trick when Luchford’s fine ball across came to the striker but he scuffed at his attempted shot and the ball sailed away harmlessly away for a goal kick.

The Wands had to do a fair bit of defending in the last five minutes and Bodkin’s low cross from the left went across goal and wide.

Then a free kick on the edge of the box saw the ball crash into the wall for a corner which came to Barry Cogan whose volley went straight to Blue but Cray held on for a tremendous three points on the road.  They remain ninth in the league table before travelling to 8th placed Walton Casuals on Wednesday.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Jey Siva, Jay Leader, Paul Lorraine, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Lee Prescott, Danny Haynes (Sherwin Stanley, 90+2), Karl Dent (Timi Osidobu, 90+1), Brandon Scott (Dane Luchford, 87): Subs:  Solomon Taiwo, Jai McKinlay

Attendance:   404