Cray Wanderers continued their remarkable start to the Bostik South-East season making it seven wins out of seven away from home and thirteen in all after a hard fought victory at Guernsey.

On a tough morning of travelling with a two hour delay for the flights departure from Gatwick the game started 45 minutes late and after a goalless first half, the Wands went in front three minutes after the break with Bradley Pritchard’s third goal of the season.  Guernsey battled back and levelled on 57 minutes when William Fazackerly fired home for Guernsey’s first ever goal against Cray Wanderers.   Cray though kept on going and went back in front six minutes from time after a superb piece of finishing from Archie Johnson to claim the three points for Tony Russell’s side.

On a rather chilly afternoon the game started at a brisk pace with Cray coming close in the 2nd minute when Junior Dadson broke down the left and put over a cross to the far post to Jerome Federico but couldn’t get a full connection and the ball went wide.  Then Dadson saw a goalbound effort blocked.  For Guernsey, Matt Loaring fired in a shot from 20 yards which Nick Blue got down to save.

Federico was close to getting a penalty after being hauled back by Thomas Dodds but only a free kick was given.  Then Wilberforce Ocran tested home keeper Jordan Kelly with a low drive.  Before the break efforts from Tom Phipp, Ben Mundele and Dadson went just wide.

The second half began well for Cray and on 48 minutes, Federico picked up the ball in midfield ran forward and slipped a ball into Ocran inside the area whose flicked effort was deflected off a defender into the path of Bradley Pritchard who from eight yards fired under the keeper to put Cray in front.

In the 57th minute Guernsey drew level with their first ever goal against the Wands.  The ball was worked down the left and Dodds hooked over a cross which was seemingly only half hit by Fazackerly but managed to bundle the ball into the net to make it 1-1.

Both sides had chances with Dadson curling wide and Pritchard firing just over and for the home side Fazackerly’s header was saved by Blue.

In the 84th minute Cray retook the lead with a fine piece of instinctive finishing from Johnson when a quick throw in from Pritchard was not dealt with particularly well by the Guernsey defence and with a shot on the turn from just inside the area sent the ball crashing past Kelly into the top right hand corner.

Cray were able to see out the remaining minutes and keep up their remarkable unbeaten start stretching to 13 games and keep a seven point lead over Hastings United at the top of the table.  After a rather tortuous trip this could prove to be a huge three points come the end of the season.

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Barney Williams, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Tom Phipp (Zak Henry, 80), Sean Roberts, Bradley Pritchard, Wilberforce Ocran (Freddie Parker, 79), Junior Dadson, Jerome Federico (Archie Johnson, 68):  Subs: Malik Solebo, Karl Dent

Att: 638