Cray Wanderers continued their fine form with an excellent victory over Corinthian Casuals at King George’s Field completing a league double over their hosts and brought to an end an impressive eight game winning streak for Casuals.  Junior Dadson’s tenth minute goal separated the sides with Casuals reduced to ten men for much of the second half.

Cray had won their last two matches both at home but this looked on paper to be a tough challenge as 2nd placed Casuals took on 4th placed Cray.

The Wands looked confident from the off whilst Casuals probed for an early opening but it was Cray with the first serious attack of the game who took the lead after ten minutes.  The ball was worked down the left and Karl Dent played in Charlie MacDonald who raced away from a defender, cut inside and from the edge of the area whipped a ball towards the far post when Junior Dadson stole in to fire home from five yards.

After that Cray played with great assurance and discipline and almost scored again after 24 minutes in a game of few chances.  From a free kick twenty five yards out on the left, Dent played in a superb ball towards the near post where MacDonald met the ball with a firm header from six yards but was denied by a very good save by Danny Bracken.

Cray started the second half well and MacDonald was denied by another good save from Bracken thirty seconds into the second half.  Then from another Dent’s free kick towards the far post found Mitchell Nelson whose header was saved by the keeper by the right post.

In the 54th minute came an incident which was out of context of the game an altercation took place about 20 yards from the Cray goal when Gabriel Odunaike was sent off for violent conduct in an incident involving Jay Leader supposedly for raising his hands and striking the Wands defender.  This led to Odunaike refusing to leave the field and started a little melee which mostly involved people from both benches and a cameraman trying to break it up. 

This perked up the home side and Jordan Clarke saw a right wing shot pushed round for a corner and following a blocked free kick on the edge from the resulting corner Max Oldham headed over.

Towards the end MacDonald was denied again by Bracken and Terry Murray fired over for the home side.  The last serious attack came from Cray when Aaron Rhule saw a low drive saved by the keeper.

Cray held out for a big win and an impressive clean sheet.  Cray remain fourth in the Isthmian South on 78 points, three behind 2nd and 3rd placed Corinthian Casuals and Carshalton Athletic with six more games still to play.    

Cray Wanderers: Nick Blue, Barney Williams, Ben Mundele, Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Lea Dawson (Capt.), Zak Henry, Karl Dent (Kyron Farrell, 86), Charlie MacDonald (Michael Power, 90), Aaron Rhule, Junior Dadson (Brandon Scott, 69): Subs: Michael Freiter, Marcus Evans

Att: 252