Cray Wanderers went down to their second straight league defeat and moved down to 4th place in the Isthmian South as Ashford United avenged their 9-1 defeat in January with a determined display in perhaps the surprise result of the day. 

Ashford debutant Daniel Ajakaiye scored twice for the Nuts n Bolts giving them the lead with their first attack after 6 minutes.  Cray levelled after 56 minutes when Brandon Scott finished well from Aaron Rhule’s cross but the last word fell to the home side who won the game in the 86th minute with Ajakaiye’s second goal.    

Cray started the game well in the first five minutes and threatened to take the lead but it was Ashford who against the run of play went in front.  Following a throw in down the left the ball was played forward up to Daniel Ajakaiye and the former Bromley and Whyteleafe player held off challenges to fire in a near post shot which fizzed past Nick Blue and Ashford were ahead.

Cray pushed for a leveller throughout the first half but their best chance came after 14 minutes when Brandon Scott did well down the right to work his way into the area and lay the ball to MacDonald whose shot was pushed out by George Kamurasi but following up Scott turned the ball wide of the left post. 

In the second half a Cray goal was on the cards and duly arrived in the 56th minute when from a throw in down the left the ball came to Rhule who picked out Scott from just inside the penalty area who finished in great style stroking the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

This set up a flurry of activity with Scott unlucky not to score again when he jinked past a couple of players and into the area but his near post shot was pushed behind well by Kamurasi for a corner.  From the right wing kick, Michael Freiter’s ball to the far post was met by the head of Mitchell Nelson and his header seemed goalbound but Kamurasi did very well to turn the ball behind once again.

Cray looked the more likely winners but again out of nothing, Ashford went back in front four minutes from time when a ball through from Dean Grant found Ajakaiye in space who from inside the area calmly slotted the ball into the net.

The Wands threw everything into the last few minutes to get back into it again and Dean Carpenter saw an effort deflected behind for a corner and then in stoppage time, Junior Dadson down the right was denied by a block from Kamurasi and George McLennan.

Ashford held out to make it just one win in six games for Cray and they next face in form Whyteleafe at Hayes Lane on Saturday, 3rd March.

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Barney Williams, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Zak Henry, Dean Carpenter (Capt.), Michael Freiter (Karl Dent, 83), Charlie MacDonald (Michael Power, 76), Aaron Rhule, Brandon Scott (Junior Dadson, 76): Subs: Marcus Evans, Joe Vines

Att: 198