Cray Wanderers home woes continued as Hastings United inflicted a seventh home defeat in 2017 which moved United into the playoff places. 

On a very warm Sunday afternoon in front of the biggest crowd of the season, Hastings started strongly and went in front after just eight minutes when Danny Leonard scored with a well taken goal from just inside the penalty area.  Cray though rallied well and levelled in the 23rd minute with Karl Dent firing home his ninth goal of the season.   Hastings hit back and the impressive Frannie Collin headed in from Sam Cruttwell’s cross after 32 minutes to give Hastings a 2-1 lead at break.  Cray had chances after the interval to level the scores through Danny Haynes and Brandon Scott but it was Hastings who were a bit more decisive and scored a third in the 59th minute through Harry Stannard.  Cray kept going but Hastings added a fourth in injury time with Collin’s second of the game.

Cray were hoping to get off to a good start but it was Hastings who came out of the traps the quickest and should really have taken the lead in the 2nd minute.  Following a corner down the right, Collin’s cross to the near post was turned wide from five yards by Ollie Rowe.

This was a temporary reprieve for Cray as in the 8th minute, Hastings took the lead.  A ball out from the back found Rowe who played a ball through to Danny Leonard who ran on into the box, took on a defender and placed a ball wide of Nick Blue for a well taken goal.

Cray came close to levelling the game in the 14th minute when Brandon Scott put over a fine cross from the right to the far post but Danny Haynes could only head the ball wide.

It was Cray though that scored the next goal.  In the 23rd minute after a period of good passing Dent linked up with Haynes and his return pass found Dent clear on goal who tucked away an excellent finish from twelve yards.

Hastings re-took the lead in the 32nd minute when Sam Cruttwell down the left who cut inside and put over a fine cross into the heart of the penalty box and Collin was on hand to score his 26th goal of the season with a neat header.

The second half almost got off to a dramatic start when Dent played a superb ball through to Haynes who sprung the offside trap but from fifteen yards could only lob the ball wide of goal as keeper Ryan Nicholls advanced.

A third Hastings goal was looking likely and it came in the 59th minute when a ball in from the right was flicked on by Leonard to Bodkin who set up Harry Stannard for a shot which crashed past Blue to give Hastings some daylight.

The Wands almost pulled a goal back when Scott made one of his trademark darting runs from midfield into the penalty area but could only roll the ball wide of goal with Nicholls to beat.

Cray had perhaps their best chance to get back into the game in the 73rd minute when Dent who was having a very good game played a sublime ball through to Scott who from the edge of the area hit a shot which went over the crossbar.

Hastings perhaps put something of a false gloss on the score-line three minutes into injury time.  Bradley Stevenson’s ball forward was miscontrolled by the otherwise excellent Jai McKinlay and Collin took advantage when he stole the ball and hit home a powerful near post shot to make it 4-1 with practically the last kick of the ball. 

Cray remain eleventh in the league table with three games left whilst Hastings moved into the playoff places with the win.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Timi Osidobu, Jai McKInlay, Paul Lorraine (Luke Medley, 53), Lea Dawson (Capt.), Sean Roberts, Lee Prescott, Danny Haynes (Zak Henry, 64), Karl Dent, Brandon Scott:  Subs:  Antonio Lazzari, Tyrone Guthrie, Anthony Adesite

Att: 321