| CRAY WANDERERS FC MATCH REPORTS PAGE 2003-04 SEVENOAKS TOWN 0 CRAY WANDERERS 3 Go Travel Kent League Premier Division, 12th August 2003 /// Report by Peter Goringe. /// After their stuttering start at Hythe three days earlier, Cray re-discovered their championship form with this comprehensive victory over league new boys Sevenoaks Town. It was a big night for Sevenoaks. This was their first-ever home Kent League game at their neat Greatness Park enclosure. They were delighted by a bumper crowd of 350, but most will have gone home disappointed as they were completely outclassed by a classy Wands side. Cray�s fluent passing and movement, allied to their strong defensive unit, put them in complete control right from the kick-off. In fact, so great was their dominance that Wands� �keeper Tony Kessell did not touch the ball in open play during the first 30 minutes! To their credit, Sevenoaks worked hard in defence and restricted Cray to half-chances in the opening stages. Ironically, it was immediately after their first period of pressure that Sevenoaks fell behind after 39 minutes. A cross from Paul Dimmock, a constant threat on the right flank, fell invitingly for Jamie Wood, an early substitute for the injured Richard Dimmock, and he slammed the ball home with the aid of a deflection. Sevenoaks� only real chance came shortly after the interval when Dave Wood bore down on goal and forced Kessell to save with his legs. They were soon to rue the missed opportunity as Cray sealed the points with two high quality goals in six minutes. On 57 minutes, James Taylor headed home a Dimmock cross, rounding off a flowing move initiated by Adam Heaslewood�s cross-field pass to Phil Turner. And Turner himself notched the third, running unchallenged from the centre circle before firing home a low shot. Cray should really have added to their lead. After 73 minutes, Jamie Wood and Ricky Bennett were denied by an amazing series of three goal-line clearances and just before the final whistle, Darren Smart denied Wood when he was clean through. Cray team: Kessell, Turner, Rawlings, Gray, Evans (Watts, 69), Taylor, Heaslewood (Lover, 83), Kempster, R Dimmock (Wood, 12), Bennett, P Dimmock. Subs (not used): Whelan, Woolf. /// HYTHE TOWN 1 CRAY WANDERERS 1 Go Travel Kent League Premier Division Saturday 9 August 2003 /// Report by Jerry Dowlen /// Reigning champions Cray Wanderers began their 2003-04 campaign with a scrappy 1 - 1 draw at Hythe Town. Cray scrambled away some early Hythe attacks, and should have taken the lead on 8 minutes when Jamie Wood, unmarked at the far post, headed over from Phil Turner's right-wing cross. Cray fell behind on 13 minutes when a Hythe breakaway saw their right back Michael Yianni carry the ball from penalty area to penalty area without being tackled, and he finished his run with a low shot past Cray's new 'keeper Tony Kessell. Hythe's next attack brought more defensive hesitancy from Cray as Jason Brazier found himself clean through, but his lob over Kessell went wide. Adam Heaslewood's free-kick was held low by Alan Williams in the 24th minute as Cray came back into the game, and a cross-field pass from Ricky Bennett to Turner began the move that led to Cray's equaliser on 29 minutes. Turner sent the ball down the right touchline where Paul Dimmock beat his man near the corner-flag and sent a deep cross to the far post for his brother Richard Dimmock to power home a header. Cray finished the first half strongly and went closest from Jamie Kempster's turn and shot that went narrowly wide on 43 minutes. Yianni was left free on the right again a minute later and cracked in a shot that Kessell held with a diving save. Cray went close after the interval when Bennett's chip shot was inches too high with Williams at full stretch. Despite dominating possession, Cray couldn't carve out any more clear-cut chances, their best effort coming on 78 minutes when Paul Dimmock was crowded out at the far post as he tried to head into the empty net. Meanwhile the home side looked dangerous from occasional breakaway attacks in the searing heat, and Kessell had to be alert on 56 minutes to tip away Brazier's snap-shot that looked to be creeping in from a narrow angle. From the resultant corner-kick, Kessell got down smartly to hold Danny Porter's firm downward header Further troublesome runs by the 18 year old Yianni set up chances for Roy Godden, whose cross-shot flashed wide, and for Jeff Ross whose looping header beat the advancing Kessell but was headed off the line by David Gray. Cray team: Kessell, Turner, Rawlings, Gray, Evans, Wood (Woolf), Heaslewood, Kempster, R Dimmock, Bennett (Taylor), P Dimmock. Subs not used: Jenkins, Lover, Watts. /// |