The curtain came down on Cray Wanderers home games for the 2018-19 season as Sevenoaks Town staged a dramatic comeback in the last 15 minutes to end the Wands unbeaten home record for the season in an Easter Monday thriller at Hayes Lane.

It looked like the Isthmian South-East champions Cray would grab another three points as they led 2-0 just after the half hour with goals from Freddie Parker and Junior Dadson with Ainsley Everett pulling a goal back before the break.  The Wands went 3-1 up with nineteen minutes to go via Jordan Clarke’s strike just thirty seconds after coming on as a substitute before Sevenoaks roared back with goals from ex-Cray players Dan Parkinson and two from in-form striker Frankie Sawyer including an 81st penalty and a well taken effort in the last minute.   

The match began in hazy sunshine and Cray enjoyed some good early possession and pressure but it was Sevenoaks who created the first opening in the ninth minute when Sawyer down the left got into the area and his effort was blocked by skipper for the day, Nick Blue and the ball came loose to three times former Cray player Tommy Whitnell and his shot was charged behind for a corner.  Then Sawyer volleyed wide from Ainsley Everett’s cross.

Cray were beginning to build pressure and on twenty minutes made the breakthrough when good work down the left by Junior Dadson who made a charging run down close to the byline and pulled the ball across to Freddie Parker who scored his second goal over Easter with a clinical finish from ten yards for his 12th of the season.

On 32 minutes it looked like Cray had taken a full grip of the game with a second goal which was well crafted and finished by the impressive Dadson who made a strong run from midfield to the left edge of the penalty area and placed a shot wide of Ben Bridle-Card into the bottom right corner to also edge to 12 goals for the season.

Sevenoaks though pulled a goal back with four minutes left in the first half when Sawyer down the right whipped over a good ball from the byline to the far post and was swept home by Everett shooting into the bottom right corner.

The second half was action packed and for the visitors, Fraser Walker fired just wide of the left post and Sawyer was denied by a good blocked save from Blue.  Cray were unlucky not to score a third when another good whipped in cross from Dadson down the left to the far post was met on the volley by Jerome Federico and was possibly pushed onto the crossbar by Bridle-Card.

The last twenty minutes were explosive and on 72 minutes Jordan Clarke just 30 seconds after coming on as substitute put the Wands 3-1 in front with his first touch.  The ball came from Garvey-Williams out to Federico down the right and his ball across was missed by Joe Taylor but came to Clarke who from six yards fired into the net possibly off a defender on the line and seemingly give Cray some comfort in the game.

Two minutes later though Sevenoaks reduced the arrears when from a right wing corner, Everett’s cross was met by Dan Parkinson who powered home a header from five yards to make it game on once again.

Everett then tested Blue with a curling shot from outside the area while at the other end Bridle-Card did well to block Tom Carlse’s run into the area and Federico fired a shot just over.

On 81 minutes Sevenoaks had the chance to draw level when a ball was played out from the back over the top to Lauris Chin who broke into the area and was adjudged to have been brought down by Carlse and a penalty was awarded.  From the spot, Sawyer stroked home his 15th of the season to make it 3-3 with still more excitement to come.

Sevenoaks were unlucky not to take the lead when Bryan Fowler set up fellow substitute Michael Aziaya for a tremendous shot which looked to have beaten Blue all ends up but came thudding back off the right post.  Then for Cray, Parker saw a free kick pushed out by Bridle-Card and Federico shot just over from Taylor’s layoff.

There was a sting in the tail as in the final minute, Sevenoaks took the lead when the ball was worked down the right to Sawyer who used his pace to break into the area, take the ball round Blue and did well to set himself up to fire into the net to complete the comeback.

It was certainly a dramatic afternoon with the pressure off and entertaining fare for the Easter Monday crowd.  Cray Wanderers complete their fixtures on Saturday with a trip to Hythe Town, kick off 3pm.

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue (Capt.), Ben Mundele, Tom Carlse, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Charles Etumnu (Kyrique Garvey-Williams, H/T), Sean Roberts, Lee Lewis (Joe Taylor, 53), Freddie Parker, Junior Dadson (Jordan Clarke, 71), Jerome Federico:  Subs: Archie Johnson, Barney Williams

Att: 194