Cray Wanderers continued their excellent start to the Bostik South-East season with a first ever home victory against East Grinstead Town to make it four league wins in a row at the start of the season for the first time since 2005.  The clean sheet kept meant Cray’s record of not conceding in their first four league games remained intact.  A goal in each half, the first an own goal by East Grinstead captain Callum Emptage was added to by Ben Mundele’s header.

On a warm, bright early September afternoon the game was played at a very steady pace and both sides had opportunities in the first six minutes.

After five minutes Cray were very unlucky not to score when Junior Dadson turned inside the area and from 14 yards fired in a shot which thudded off the inside of the cross bar and bounced out and away.

A minute later though East Grinstead had a great chance to take the lead when from a right wing corner, Michael Wilson’s ball into the area was headed wide unmarked by Callum Emptage.

The game then went through a bit of a quiet phase before the Wands went ahead in the 25th minute.  Power won the ball in midfield and played the ball out to the right to Federico who was giving Karn Miller-Neave a torrid afternoon and from inside the area his attempted ball across came off Emptage and the deflection took the ball past keeper Sheikh Cessay into the bottom right corner of the net.

Cray came close when Fedrico’s near post shot was held by Ceesay and for the visitors Ainsley Everett fired wide under pressure from Sean Roberts.

The second half was more lively and Bradley Pritchard saw a shot pushed out by Cessay and twice Elliott came close for East Grinstead once with a shot on the turn and then from a header straight to Nick Blue.

In the 59th minute Cray scored the second when from a corner down the left, Dent’s cross to the back post was met emphatically by the head of Mundele who rose above a defender to steer the ball into the net and give Cray a two goal lead.

Cray had other chances to add to the score with Michael Power twice shooting wide and seeing a stinging near post drive pushed away by Cessay.

The Wands saw out the victory which puts Cray second in the Isthmian South-East table.  They are next in action in the FA Cup Preliminary Round replay at Rusthall on Wednesday evening with the winners heading to Metropolitan Police in the next round.

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Barney Williams (Capt.), Archie Johnson, Ben Mundele, Mitchell Nelson, Bradley Pritchard, Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Malik Solebo, 90), Michael Power, Junior Dadson, Jerome Federico (Aaron Rhule, 73):  Subs: Freddie Parker, Jay Leader, Joe Vines

Att: 133