Cray Wanderers 2-1 Wingate & Finchley

Wingate of the Ryman Division One North, one level below Cray, had held the lead since the 45th minute.

But Cray's assistant manager Joe Francis declared that Cray deserved their comeback victory, even though their winning goal came from a hotly-disputed penalty in the 90th minute.

Cray almost began the game with a goal in the very first minute, but Wingate's 'keeper Gavin King saved with his legs after Chris Saunders tried to finish off a good passing move by the Wands.

Cray gained no return from three successive corners, and then faded after a bright opening, allowing Wingate to assert themselves for the first time.

James Bent headed against the bar for the visitors on 25 minutes, and later forced a diving save from Cray 'keeper Dave King with another header.

Wingate took the lead on the stroke of half time, Leon Smith chipping the ball accurately into the empty net with King stranded after a challenge for a long ball down the middle.

Cray's first chance after the restart came on 56 minutes when Carl Gibbs collected a quickly-taken free-kick, but his chip into the goalmouth just eluded the unmarked Richard Whyte.

It began to look as though Wingate would hold on to their lead and frustrate the Wands with time-wasting, and good use of the offside trap.

Cray's attempts to pass their way through the Wingate defence became ineffective, apart from a shooting opportunity for Whyte on 72 minutes that the keeper again saved with his legs, and a shout for a penalty when Gibbs was bundled off the ball as he tried to turn past his marker.

Two late substitutions by Cray manager Ian Jenkins gave his team new impetus, and Wingate were undone in the 85th minute when Danny Phillips received a short-corner on the right and crossed into the box.

Cray skipper Mark Willy headed towards goal and Aaron Day jumped in to head the ball away from King and into the net.

With the game in the 90th minute and a replay looming, Whyte sped after the ball on the left and kept it in play, passing inside to Gibbs who was knocked over as Marc Weatherstone tackled him in the box.

The visitors protested loudly when referee Mr Hicks pointed to the spot, and Ross Lover was kept waiting a long time to take the penalty-kick, but he calmly fired home to put Cray through to the next round.

Cray: King, Whyte, Sterling, Day, Willy, Guest, Lover, Saunders (Mesade 83), Gibbs, Phillips, Lozano (Bentley 79). Subs not used: McLeod, Cottrell, Coleman.