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Thursday 01st September 2005

Emphatic Cray book place in last four of Kent Senior Trophy

Last season finalists Cray Wanders booked a surprisingly easy passage through to the semi-finals of the Kent Senior Trophy with a 6-0 drubbing away to second placed Go Travel Kent League rivals, Thamesmead Town, writes Stephen McCartney.

Until recently Bayliss Avenue has been a graveyard for the Wands but the ghosts were cast aside as they put in one of their best performances of the season to date.

The first ten minutes of the game unsurprisingly saw the home side dominate and Sam Thomas should have done better than to drag his shot wide of Micky Simmons and the post when well placed.

This miss proved costly as 60 seconds later the Wands had taken the lead.

A deep free kick into the box was flicked on by Richard Dimmock for former Tunbridge Wells player John Mayall to powerfully score at the far post.

Jamie Wood then saw a shot shave the post before his namesake Sam provided the pin point cross for former Maidstone United midfielder Jamie Kempster to head home his 24th goal of the season.

With Wood and Kempster running the show in the first half it was left to Richard Dimmock to steal the headlines with his performance after the break.

Unlucky not to score in the opening period when Peter Deadman deflected his fierce shot onto the bar he made no mistake of finding the target five minutes after the restart when turning his marker and shooting home from the edge of the box.

The trick was repeated ten minutes later with an almost identical effort from the same distance and the hat-trick completed seven minutes from time with a direct free kick that goalkeeper Steve Northwood could neither see nor reach.

The rout was complete two minutes later when Dimmock ran from the halfway line and coolly slid his shot under the advancing keeper for his fourth of the afternoon.

Cray entertain the winner of the VCD Athletic-Greenwich Borough quarter-final tie, which was postponed on Saturday.

Ramsgate met Lordswood for the third time this season for a place in the last four of the Kent Senior Trophy.

Having won the two previous encounters this season, Ramsgate were confident of making progress in the competition, having taken the lead after only 100 seconds when Shane Suter crossed from the by-line for Warren Schulz to slot home from eight yards.

However, Lordswood equalised in the 17th minute when John Gissing's close control set up Mike Cunningham to chip onrushing Rams goalkeeper Lee Pilcher.

Two minutes after the break Lordswood increased their lead when Cunningham scored from eight yards.

But their lead lasted only two minutes, however, as Suter went down the left wing and Mo Takaloo's diving header gave goalkeeper Paul Piggott no chance.

Lordswood substitute Phil Pearson made an immediate impact on the game scoring the winning goal after only being on the pitch for two minutes, he stabbed the ball home from close range after 100 minutes of football.

Lordswood have been drawn at home to Hythe Town in the other semi-final.

Hythe Town needed penalties to end Sevenoaks Town's progress in the competition.

But Sevenoaks took the lead nine minutes after the break when Cramp scored before a penalty scored from Porter levelled proceedings for the home side with thirteen minutes remaining.

Extra time failed to separate the teams, and Hythe won the tie 3-0 on penalties.

Meanwhile, the Jacetts (Deal) Go Travel Kent League manager of the month award for December has been awarded to Willie O'Sullivan of Erith Town.

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