Cray Wanderers made it through to the 4th QR of the FA Cup for only the second time in the clubs history following a night of incredible drama which saw Cray twice go two goals in front, both sides were reduced to ten men before half time before Bristol Manor Farm staged a dramatic fightback in the second half to take the tie to penalties which Cray won 4-2 with Herson Rodrigues Alves firing in the decisive kick.

Cray got off to a flying start and after Tom Phipp had hit the post and Rhys Murrell-Williamson saw a shot saved, the Wands went ahead in the 6th minute. Good work from Murrell-Williamson down the right saw the ball played to Ben Mundele who thumped home a terrific finish from the edge of the area.

Five minutes later, the Wands went further ahead when after Jerome Federico was brought down 20 yards from goal, Freddie Parker curled the ball over the wall and into the top right corner of the net.

However, a minute later the Southern League Division One South side pulled a goal back when a Wands goal kick was intercepted by Marcus Day who drove into the area and coolly slotted the ball home.

Cray twice came close to scoring again with Murrell-Williamson denied by a fine save from Ben John who then made a top drawer one handed stop to deny Joe Taylor from close range.  At the other end Day saw a shot pushed over by Lewis Carey.

One the stroke of half-time Cray scored a third goal when Murrell-Willimason put over a right wing cross which Taylor left for Parker to shoot from 12 yards past John into the net to make it 3-1.

However following the goal, John was sent off for aiming a headbutt at Parker and Mundele was sent off for Cray for a second bookable offence.

Unfortunately following this Murrell-Williamson had to leave the field with a serious Anaphylaxis episode and had to go to hospital for treatment. 

In the 52nd minute though, Bristol Manor Farm had reduced the arrears once again when Stuart Tovey’s cross from the left towards the far post was turned in from close range by Mike Bryant.

Now it was most definitely game on and Jamie Adams found Day whose shot was headed off the line by Tom Carlse.

Bristol Manor Farm were having a sustained spell of pressure and Lucas Vowles who had an impressive second half cut in from the left and hit a shot which was deflected past the right post for a corner.  From the corner from the right to the far post a header from Steve Kingdon was held by Carey.

A minute later, it was 3-3 when Vowles again looked to cut inside from the left and this time from just inside the area crashed a shot past Carey and into the net and suddenly the home side could smell an upset.

Cray finished the game strongly and Bristol sub keeper Luc Rees made three excellent saves to deny Bradley Pritchard, Herson Rodrigues Alves and near the end from Jay Leader's header. 

In the end though the monumental clash was decided on spot kicks after 90 minutes. First up for Cray was Parker but his shot was superbly saved by Rees.  Then Vowles saw his penalty saved by Carey. Joe Taylor shot Cray 1-0 up and then the decisive miss as Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist's penalty was chipped over the bar. Mitchell Nelson and Barney Williams scored for Cray and Jamie Adams and Jamie Bird scored for Bristol making it 3-2 and up stepped Rodrigues Alves to score and win the tie and put Cray in the 4th Qualifying Round draw on Thursday.

Cray have only once appeared in the 4th Qualifying Round fifteen years ago where they lost at Grays.  Cray's next league game is on Saturday at Haringey Borough.

Cray Wanderers: Lewis Carey, Ben Mundele, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Tom Carlse, Rhys Murrell-Williamson (Barney Williams, H/T), Tom Phipp (Charlie Allen, 76), Bradley Pritchard, Jerome Federico (Herson Rodrigues Alves, 72), Freddie Parker, Joe Taylor: Subs:  Lee Lewis, Martin Onoabaghbe, Kyron Richards, Roman Hall

Att:  392