Cray Wanderers moved out of the bottom three of the Isthmian Premier after an incredible victory against playoff contenders Carshalton Athletic which saw nine goals shared and a feast of attacking football.  This saw Cray to their first league double of the season.

In a game of many twists Cray had to come from behind at 0-2, 1-3 and 3-4 down with Dan Bassett scoring a hat-trick for the Robins but each time did and had enough left in the tank to win with Jamie Yila's tenth goal of the season twelve minutes from time.

The Robins started in very slick fashion and and in the 4th minute took the lead when the ball came to Lewis White down the right and he set up Dan Bassett who from just inside the area hit a well struck shot which gave Bailey Vose no chance to save.

Shortly after from a free kick just outside the area, White fired in a shot which Vose got down to parry and did well to react as Eze Ebuzoeme looked to follow up. Cray were just looking to get a foot hold in the game when again down the right, Bassett sent in a cross into the six yard box where White reacted quickly to see his shot well saved by Vose and the ball was cleared.

Cray threatened when Jai Reason played a ball forward looking for Jamie Yila when Bradley House looked to clear and the ball came to Chris Dickson who lobbed the ball towards goal and over the bar.  Then Luca Albon fired over as Cray were looking to have weathered the early storm.

However, in the 23rd minute, Carshalton went two in front with another well worked goal down the right and this Bassett exchanged passes with Harry Ottaway to break into the area and place a shot wide of Vose into the net.

Cray almost pulled one back straight away but Dickson's lobbed effort down the left was cleared off the line by Paris Hamilton-Downes.

Cray though continued to try to play football to get back into the game and on 34 minutes scored a superb team goal with at least fifteen passes with Luca Albon heavily involved. The ball came to Reason who played the ball to Albon who then found Yila who strode forward and played a fine pass through to Cameron Brodie down the left of the area and crashed home a fine finish into the top right corner.

Five minutes later and Carshalton showed their quality once again by scoring a third goal when Bassett this time down the left cut inside and saw his initial effort blocked but following up hit a goalbound shot which took a deflection off Freddy Barton and into the net for a first half hat-trick.

Cray though going into the final minute of the half scored a second when a Dan Bennett back pass was slightly underhit and Dickson latched onto the pass down the left of the area, went round House and rolled the ball into the net to make it 3-2.

That would have been enough excitement for one half but there was still time for Cray to draw level with an exceptional strike again from Brodie who after good play by Yila laid the ball across to the right of the area towards Reason who left the ball for Brodie to strike a cracking volley which went into the top left corner of the net.

Carshalton started the second like the first, on the front foot and Dan Bennett played the ball across to Tommy Bradford who was denied by a great block from Brodie and behind for a corner.  From the corner in the 49th minute, Carshalton went back in front when the ball was eventually played out to the lively White down the left and his driven cross-shot was tapped in by Kwaku Frimpong.

Once again Carshalton were just beginning to get on top and Cray survived a penalty shout down the left of the area when White was brought down but was deemed to be just outside the area. Then in the 63rd minute came another great save from Vose as White set up Bobby Price in the area who looked certain to score but the Wands keeper made a brave stop and two follow up shots were blocked.  Then down the right, Eze Ebuzoeme saw his cross-shot down the right fizz across goal with no-one to apply a touch.

Those near misses would prove important as in the 68th minute Cray drew level once more as again down the right Brodie found the pacey Yila who burst into the area and laid an accurate short cross to Luca Albon who did well to place a shot into the bottom left for his first Cray Wanderers goal.

The game was still going from end to end going into the last quarter of an hour and Carshalton came close to scoring a fifth when Ottaway was set up once again by White who hit a near post shot which came back off a post down the left.

A minute later in the 78th minute, Cray went in front for the first time in the match when Vose found Dickson who saw his ball into the area deflected and Yila got to the ball first, laid the ball back to Dickson whose shot was blocked and fell invitingly to Yila who scored his tenth goal of the season.

Cray had to hang on grimly and in the second minute of added on time it looked like Carshalton had made it 5-5 when a ball into the area was met by spectacular overhead kick from Ottaway which went into the bottom right corner but the flag was raised for offside which was a massive relief for the Wands supporters. There was still time late on for Anthony Cook to cut inside the area and saw his effort curl just over the bar with House seemingly beaten.

In the end the final whistle went on a remarkable game and Cray had pulled out a fine team performance against a very good side with a host of attack minded players to win the game and pick up a big three points.  The win moved Cray up one place to 19th in the league table on 23 points and now go into a run of three successive away league matches starting at 3rd placed Lewes on Tuesday night.  

 

Cray Wanderers:  Bailey Vose, Freddy Barton, Richie Danquah, Tom Hanfrey, Kasim Aidoo, Cameron Brodie, Jai Reason (Jacob Munting, 73), Anthony Cook, Luca Albon, Jamie Yila, Chris Dickson: Subs: Erald Desa, Stefan Wright, Emmanuel Oduguwa, Kyel Reid

Att: 314