Cray Wanderers 1-3 Horsham - Expectation levels have gone through the roof but we'll be better, we'll get better. My target last year was to stay up and that hasn't changed but I need hungry players, says Cray Wanderers boss Neil Smith

Cray Wanderers 1 – 3 Horsham
Location	Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF
Kickoff	16/08/2023 19:45

CRAY WANDERERS  1-3  HORSHAM
Isthmian League Premier Division
Wednesday 16 August 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

CRAY WANDERERS manager Neil Smith says the expectation levels have gone through the roof after finishing in the play-offs last season but his aspirations are to maintain their Isthmian League Premier Division status.

Chief Executive Office Sam Wright announced on Friday that building work on their new stadium at Flamingo Park was going to begin - but Cray Wanderers have opened their new campaign with two defeats, having lost by a single goal on the opening day away to Lewes, managed by former manager Tony Russell, and here tonight against Horsham.

Smith guided the club to a fifth-place finish last term, losing 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 after extra time draw at runners-up Hornchurch in the Play-Off Semi-Finals, but Aveley claimed promotion to National League South for the first time, joining champions Bishop’s Stortford in the sixth tier of English football.

Horsham opened their campaign with a 2-1 home defeat to Hornchurch and are now in tenth-place in the table with three points from two games, while Cray Wanderers are in the relegation zone along with Kingstonian, Concord Rangers and Potters Bar Town at this early stage of the season.

Horsham centre-half Jack Strange powered home a header following a corner to give Dom Di Paola’s side a deserved lead.

Cray Wanderers’ left-back Jamie Mascoll – who played for Hornchurch last season – gifted Horsham their second goal, which was clinically put away by right-back Bobby Price.

The Wands put in a vastly improved second half performance and Anthony Cook swept in following a set-piece.

Some more poor defending from Mascoll gifted Horsham a counter-attacking third deep into stoppage time, tucked away by substitute striker Daniel Ajakaiye, who began his carer with Smith in Bromley’s Academy.

“I thought we started off ok and I think the first goal we could’ve defended better from. Apparently, the players’ are saying he got blocked. We shouldn’t be getting blocked from set-plays,” said Smith, Cray Wanderers’ first full-time football manager.

“Obviously the second goal, the pass got back to Mascoll and he slips over and the guy goes through.

“The third goal was pretty irrelevant because we’ve thrown all the defenders up but the only good thing was we shown a little bit more in the second half with a little bit more energy but I shouldn’t having to have a go at them and reading them the riot act for them to be working hard for each other, so yes, disappointing.”

A quickly taken free-kick from Horsham’s left-back Danny Barker released striker Shamie Fenelon in behind Cray Wanderers’ weak link in defence, right-back Archy Taylor.

Goalkeeper Shaun Rowley raced towards the corner of his penalty area and the 29-year-old Fenelon skipped past him and took aim at goal but Dorking Wanderers season long loanee Cameron Black got back to head away from inside his goal-mouth to deny the Hornets the lead after 156 seconds at Hayes Lane.

Horsham lost Barker to injury after nine minutes so Tom Richards slotted in at left-back, but he was often given freedom down the left wing, as Taylor often failed to press him as Horsham played some attractive Manchester City-esque football of playing out from the back and passing it on the deck.

George Porter, 31, who started his career with Cray Wanderers before his move to Leyton Orient back in 2010, was making his first start of the season but his homecoming only lasted 15 minutes as he tweaked his hamstring and was replaced by Cook.

“We’ve been excited to getting him in there and he’s been training unbelievably, got loads of energy, as we know from our Bromley days, but you lose him early on and then you have to change it a lot earlier than you wanted to,” said Smith.

“You’re going to miss a George Porter at this level. He’s just tweaked his hamstring, so we hope he’s not going to be too long. It wasn’t a tear or anything but it’s a decision that was taken out of my hands very early on.”

Cray Wanderers created their first opening in the 19^th minute when Sam Wood – who played in a three-man midfield – floated a free-kick into the box for centre-half Black to rise and plant his header over the crossbar of former Cray Wanderers keeper Lewis Carey.

“Shaun made a few vital saves.  I thought Cameron Black helped him as well. He’s come in on loan from Dorking Wanderers and was outstanding for us. We shouldn’t have a loan player that wants it more than my own players,” added Smith.

Horsham won the corner count by 9-3 and deservedly opened the scoring with 25 minutes and 50 seconds on the clock.

Richards raised his right arm and swung in a corner from the right with his left-foot and Strange rose to plant a free header into the roof of the net from a central position just seven yards from goal, with players in front and around him.

When asked what was missing from his side during the first half, Smith replied: “Energy, passion, desire, everything that Horsham had for literally two goals.  I thought we started off well but the goal, their desire to get on the end of it. He wanted it more than our player. You can’t be doing that.”

Cray Wanderers were hitting aimless long balls forward, and Tom Derry, who started wide left before playing in a central role when Porter was forced off the pitch, was often isolated and lacked service.

Horsham’s holding midfielder James Hammond floated a ball in behind Black to put striker Jack Mazzone through on goal but keeper Rowley did well to narrow the angle and make a block at his near post, making the angle very tight for the ball to squeeze into the bottom corner.

Rowley was keeping the home side in the game and Barker’s replacement, Kadell Daniel sprayed the ball out wide to Richards, who put in a low cross from within the left-channel and it fell to Daniel, whose low shot was blocked by the advancing Rowley.

Horsham were gifted the second goal when it arrived with 41 minutes and 15 seconds on the clock, as the West Sussex side deserved their two-goal advantage at this point in proceedings.

Mascoll was positioned on the edge of his centre-circle inside his own half but in a more central position, rather than a full-back berth.

He opened the gate for Horsham to counter and with an illuminous yellow number two on the back of his shirt, Price showed the composure and clinical streak of a number nine, running straight down the heart of the pitch and slotting his right-footed shot past Rowley to find the bottom left-hand corner in a one-on-one.

“The second goal, the ball’s passed to Mascoll and he falls over and the geezer goes through one-on-one. We nearly stop it,” added Smith.

“Two-nil, it ain’t good enough and that’s never going to be good enough!  Our expectation levels, unfortunately, have gone through the roof because we got into the play-offs but the budget hasn’t.  That’s still the same.

“I’ve got better players, I think, from where we were at the start of last season but good players and talented players aren’t very good if they haven’t got the work ethic and I think a couple of them just lacked that work ethic tonight.”

Cray Wanderers called Carey into action just 100 seconds later, as centre-half Jack Holland played the ball into Nyren Clunis’ feet.  Cook then laid the ball off before stabbing the ball through the heart of the pitch for Clunis to charge towards goal, only for Carey to smother the ball at the wingers’ feet inside the box.

Rowley made a crucial save in the 44^th minute as Horsham once again attacked down Taylor’s side of the artificial pitch,

Daniel played the ball out to Richards on the left before Daniel easily cut inside and past Taylor and Mazzone hit a shot towards the top left-hand corner at the near-post only for Rowley to pull off a great reaction save, tipping the ball over his crossbar, high to his right.

Smith brought on Cameron Thompson for the ineffective Yahaya Bamba at the break and Derry was joined in attack by Cook and Wood, sitting just behind.

Cray Wanderers pulled a goal back with 11 minutes and 43 seconds on the clock, following a set-piece.

Wood floated a left-footed free-kick from close to the right touchline within the right channel and the ball came out to Cook, who hooked a right-footed drive through a crowd of players to find the bottom left-hand corner from 12-yards.

“A great free-kick, on the money, a bit of pace and it does bobble out and Cookie does what Cookie does – he hits the target and that’s all what you can ask for,” said Smith, who then explained why the 34-year-old attacker has been sub for two games running.

“I’ve got to be careful with him. I’ve got to get the most out of him. It’s only the start of the season and I want him for the whole course of it.  Cookie and Woody, they just run around and run through brick walls for you.

“I’ve told Cookie he’ll always be at the club as long as I’m here, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well – he’s brilliant!”

The Wands finally upped the tempo after Cook brought his team-mates back from the dead and they looked like they were going to be the side to snatch a draw out of their first home game of their last season in Bromley.

However, Horsham were dangerous on the counter-attack.  Wood miss-kicked the ball inside the Hornets’ half and the away side broke with Jack Brivio releasing Mazzone in behind Mascoll and Black.  Mazzone’s first touch was sublime with his right-boot before drilling a right-footed shot towards the top near corner, only for the excellent Rowley to tip the ball around his post.

Smith said: “Shaun’s done brilliant. There was not more that he could do for the goals but he’s a good goalkeeper and it looks probably worse for him. If I was him, I’ll be having a go at everybody because he doesn’t deserve to have three goals past him tonight.”

Taylor skipped forward down the right and slipped a pass inside to Cook, who cut inside before unleashing an angled drive, which was spilt by Carey at his near post and Black couldn’t pounce on the loose ball as he was the furthest Cray Wanderers player forward.

Wood swung in a quality delivery from the home side’s third corner in the final 17 minutes but Black held his head in his hands in despair after glancing his header just past the left-hand post.

Cray Wanderers were knocking on the door but gave away a free-kick on the right wing and substitute Charlie Harris – who scored Whitehawk’s Isthmian League South East Division Play-Off Final winner over Hythe Town on 28 April – swung in the free-kick, which came out to Daniel, who cracked a stunning left-footed volley, which screamed harmlessly past the far post from 30-yards, aiming for the top far corner.

Smith pushed plenty of bodies forward as stoppage time (5:57 first half, 6:55 second half) approached in search of the equaliser.

Two of their substitutes combined as Cray Wanderers came close to drawing level with 40:49 on the clock.

Wood, who was now playing as a holding midfielder, fed the ball into substitute Rio Campbell, who teed up Cook, who swept a right-footed shot towards the bottom far corner from 30-yards, only for the ball to flash the wrong side of the foot of the upright.

Cook played the ball into Clunis, who stung Carey’s fingers with a powerful drive from inside the D, only for the Horsham keeper to pat the ball down and gather at the second attempt (48:08)

Mascoll made another defensive howler, opening the gate for Ajakaiye, who easily spun the hapless defender and racing into oceans of space before slotting his right-footed shot underneath the advancing Rowley into the centre of the empty goal (50:29).

“When we play with energy and we play with passion and we play with pace, we’re a tough side,” insisted Smith, when asked about his side pressing for a late equaliser.

“I thought we really would get the equaliser and then you send your centre-halves up in the last minute in the game and we pass a short ball when the keeper really should’ve put it up there and you’ve got one more chance at it.  Those decisions, they don’t cost you but they don’t help you.

“My problem is the goals we’re giving away, they’re not having to work for them. That’s not us but at the same time it’s very early.  You’re losing players, we’ve got players coming in.

“Listen, it’s not good enough. We know that and as a group we’ll make it right. It’s poor. It’s two defeats but at the start of the season you’ll say Lewes are going to be up and around the play-offs. You’re going to have Horsham up and around the play-offs. Billericay, who we play on Saturday, in and around the play-offs, if not the winners.

“We know it’s going to be difficult. It’s probably harder this year in the league than it was last year. You’re going to have (Isthmian League South East Division champions) Chatham Town up there, all these clubs in there.

“We’ll be better, we’ll get better. My target last year was to stay up and that hasn’t changed.”

Billericay Town arrive at Hayes Lane sitting in fifth-place in the table, having sealed a couple of 1-0 wins over Kingstonian and Cheshunt.

“It will be a tough game. I watched them against Hendon in pre-season and they’ve probably got 20 players and both teams, whoever they play, will be a tough team to play against, let alone their subs that come on, so they’re very strong,” said Smith, who wants to keep the club in the seventh tier come the end of the season.

“We had a fantastic season last season and expectation levels go through the roof.  I totally understand it. I’ve got in some good players but I need hungry players now.

“Our aspirations are the same as they were last year – don’t get relegated! That was it.  Get the 40 points as quickly as you can.  We got them quite early (last season). We had a great run to get into the play-offs.  The expectation levels hasn’t changed, stay up, don’t get into a relegation fight. I know it sounds a bit ironic, because we’ve lost two games.”

Smith visited Flamingo Park on Monday, as building work commenced and he is excited about the future.

“Oh, Flamingo Park, a little bit of good news.  Listen, I know a lot of people didn’t think it would ever happen and I know I got told that last year but my directors have been very honest and they’ve said as soon we can, we will, we’ll get it done and it’s starting.

“It may be a season we’ll have to consolidate but we’re moving into a new home.

“The boys did really well in The FA Youth Cup beating Sevenoaks 3-0 on Monday night.  There’s some good things happening. I’ve just got to make sure that there’s some good things happening on the pitch.

“We’re about building a club, as well as a team. We’re getting a lot of good things off the pitch going. We’ve got a ladies team (who attended the game tonight). We’ve got a girls’ academy hopefully starting next season, so there’s some really, really good plusses.

“Obviously, you’re going to get judged on results, also we’re also getting judged on what we’re doing as a club and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Archy Taylor, Jamie Mascoll, David Ijaha (Rio Campbell 70), Cameron Black, Jack Holland, Tom Derry, Sam Wood, George Porter (Anthony Cook 15), Yahaya Bamba (Cameron Thompson 46), Nyren Clunis.
Subs: Tom Penfold, Mason Saunders-Henry

Goal: Anthony Cook 57

Booked: Archy Taylor 61

Horsham: Lewis Carey, Bobby Price, Danny Barker (Kadell Daniel 9), James Hammond, Jack Strange, Sami El-Abd, Tom Richards, Doug Tuck, Jack Mazzone (Daniel Ajakaiye 70), Shamir Fenelon, Jack Brivio (Charlie Harris 79).
Subs: Alex Malins, Lucas Santos Rodriques

Goals: Jack Strange 26, Bobby Price 42, Daniel Ajakaiye 90

Booked: Jack Strange 18, Tom Richards 90

Attendance: 261
Referee: Mr Stuart Smith
Assistants: Mr Ryan Chantrill-Smith & Mr Josh Burns