Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 0-0 Leiston - We've had a bad run at home so it's good to get a point - Ian Jenkins
Sunday 03rd March 2013
CRAY WANDERERS 0-0 LEISTON
Ryman Premier League
Sunday 3rd March 2013
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane
CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins says he is happy with his side after they edged six points clear of the relegation zone with a point from an uninspiring stalemate at Hayes Lane.
The Wands leapfrogged over Lewes and Harrow Borough into sixteenth-place in the Ryman Premier League table after collecting their 30th point from as many games, against Suffolk side Leiston.
Jenkins was pleased that his side stopped the slide after suffering back-to-back defeats to Hastings United and Whitehawk.
Jenkins, who was sitting in the stand because he is starting his second touchline ban of the season, remained positive after picking up only their ninth point (two wins and three draws) at Hayes Lane this season.
”I’m well happy with a point to be honest with you,” he said afterwards.
”It’s a start. It puts us six points away from the drop zone, which is important, before you’re going to celebrate a point as much as we have.
”Second half I thought we were outstanding. I thought there was only one team in it second half. We had two gilt-edged chances and three or four other good chances so I’m well happy with it to be honest with you.
”The performance, we deserved more. We said before the game if we didn’t lose we’d climb up the table. It’s a big lift just one point and I’m well happy with it.”
Cray Wanderers, who were without influential skipper Mark Willy through sickness and striker Michael Power, who is expected to be out of action for up to two weeks with a hamstring injury, almost opened the scoring inside 58 seconds.
Left-back Jack Clark made progress down the inside left channel and was given time and space to whip in a cross towards the near post but all Danny Phillips could do was stick out his left leg and prod the ball into the gloves of Leiston keeper Glyn Dixon.
Leiston’s best chance of the entire game came with two minutes and 47 seconds on the clock.
Left-back Patrick Brothers released Nathan Stone down the line and he played the ball through to striker Emmanuel Osei, who cut inside Cray Wanderers’ right-back Sam Long and from just inside the corner of the penalty area his curling drive was palmed over the bar by goalkeeper Andy Walker.
Leiston were guilty of woeful finishing after that. Stuart Broadley’s corner from the right came out to Michael Brothers, but the striker’s right-footed drive from inside the D deflected harmlessly wide.
Leiston went closer following their fourth corner of the game in the sixteenth minute.
Central midfielder Gareth Heath swung in a right-footed corner from the left which sailed over the crowd of players to present the unmarked Stone a chance but all he could do was steer his right-footed shot wide of the near post from eight-yards.
Leiston left-back Patrick Brothers picked the ball up before running ten-yards before cracking a speculative left-footed drive from 35-yards, which sailed over Walker’s crossbar.
Jenkins explained that debutant striker, Paul Booth, 36, is on a short-term deal with the club, after scoring 18 goals in 25 appearances for Ryman League Division One South leaders Maidstone United.
He said: “Hopefully he does well for us and we get out of the danger that we’re in and he can go back to Maidstone.
”I’ve spoken to Jay (Saunders) and we’ve had a good chat about it and he can go back to Maidstone and hopefully they get promoted and he can enjoy their promotion party with them.
”It’s funny though football. He might want to stay. He might enjoy it. He’s a great centre forward. Without him today we wouldn’t have played as well as we did. He made a big difference to us. Him and Brems (Leigh Bremner) were a threat.”
When asked about what kind of deal Booth has with the club, Jenkins replied: “Because we’re in the same League we haven’t loaned him. The registration had to be cancelled so we’ve signed him. I said to Jay he can have him back before the registration deadline closes at the end of this month.”
Booth slipped the ball to Sam Long, who was forced into striking a snap shot on the angle from 22-yards, which sailed high over the crossbar.
But Leiston should have broken the stalemate in the 31st minute.
Osei played a precise pass through the heart of Cray’s defence to release Michael Brothers through on goal, but a poor touch outside the box blew the striker’s opportunity to score. Instead he dragged his right-footed shot harmlessly wide of the far post from sixteen-yards.
Cray Wanderers also created a decent chance, just five minutes later.
Stand-in skipper, Aaron Day, who was making his 250th appearance for the club, clipped a long ball into the Leiston box and Bremner waited for the ball to drop before cracking a right-footed angled drive across the face of goal and past the far post from fifteen-yards, despite Booth being left in acres of space in the middle.
The first half ended with both sides creating openings.
Leiston striker Osei played the ball inside to Stone, his right-footed shot from sixteen-yards deflected into the foot of the side netting with Walker struggling.
Thirty-one seconds later Stone turned provider when he threw the ball into the box and Osei’s right-footed shot on the turn from ten-yards was beaten out by Walker at his near post.
Jenkins added: “He made a couple of good saves, ones you’d expect him to stop anyway.”
A ball over the top of Leiston right-back David Head released Bremner, who reached the by-line before delivering into the box, which was devoid of Cray players.
The loose ball was picked up by Chris Saunders, who unleashed his dipping right-footed drive from 25-yards, which only just cleared the crossbar.
Reflecting on the first half, Jenkins admitted: “I thought we cancelled each other out, a little bit, both sides, first half on a lively pitch.
”Second half we just upped our game. We passed the ball much quicker. We got Danny Phillips into areas where he could hurt teams, which he done.”
Jenkins spoke about his makeshift defence, which saw Barney Abbott (son of unused substitute Gary) partner Billy Burgess at the heart of Cray Wanderers’ defence.
”We played away to Whitehawk on Tuesday night, the league leaders. Barney played along side Mark Willy and he was outstanding. He didn’t do much wrong. He’s a winner, he’s like his dad at the other end of the pitch. He likes to win the ball in the air and he competes and he done really well today and we’ve had a clean sheet with a makeshift Billy Burgess and a young kid in there – so it just shows what we can do.”
Leiston keeper Dixon was forced into diving to his right to clutch Phillips’ left-footed shot across goal inside the opening four minutes of the second half.
Leiston squandered an excellent chance to break the stalemate in the 51st minute.
Rhys Henry released Heath down the left and he brought the ball under control by nodding the ball downwards before reaching the penalty area before sweeping the ball across the box to find Michael Brothers unmarked at the far post but he skied his left-footed shot over from fifteen-yards.
The game then turned into an uninspiring encounter, before Cray Wanderers livened up and missed their best chance of the game with little less than twenty minutes remaining.
Saunders played the ball to Booth, who was on the by-line and he clipped the ball towards the near post for Phillips to inexclicably loop his left-footed shot over the bar from four-yards out.
Jenkins added: “He could’ve scored then! The ball’s come square on, in front of goal, it’s slightly behind him but he knows in there he should’ve scored!”
Another chance fell Jenkins’ side way just 75 seconds later.
Bremner, hard-working as always, broke free down the right channel and he looked up and whipped in a cross which sailed behind the unmarked Booth, who had to use his neck muscles to plant his header past the far post.
Leiston substitute Lee Norfolk almost scored with his first touch of the game, sweeping his left-footed shot across Walker and past the far post from 20-yards.
Leiston were awarded a free-kick just inches away from the penalty area and Heath steered his right-footed free-kick, which deflected off Alex Stavrinou at the near post and Walker did well to dive swiftly low to his right to push the ball away. Norfolk had a couple bites of the cherry to score from the rebound but he steered his shot wide of the near post from an acute angle.
Cray Wanderers’ last chance arrived in the final seven minutes. Walker pumped the ball straight through the heart of the pitch and Bremner’s flick bounced into Saunders’ path, whose left-footed shot from 25-yards bounced once past the right-hand post.
Leiston summed up the poor finishing on show when Patrick Brothers cut inside youth-team hopeful Tijani Eshilokun to cross the ball towards the far post but unmarked Sheridon Driver sliced his left-footed shot wide from six-yards with the goal at his mercy.
Cray Wanderers have 12 games to stave off relegation and Jenkins admitted his side are involved in a relegation battle.
He said: “Yes, of course we are. Not a dog-fight, but we’re in it. Teams below us will say the two teams down the bottom can go down.
”Thurrock have got six games in hand and if they win their games in hand, which at this time of the season is tough for them, they can go above us, so we need to pick up points.
”I don’t know what sort of points we need to stay up.”
The Kent side have the worst home record in the Ryman Premier League and Jenkins said: “I think it’s football at the end of the day. A supporter said to be earlier on if you go back three years we were winning every game at home so that’s football. That’s how it goes. Our away form was better than most before Christmas so the teams are good in this league and they play better away from home.”
Jenkins insists his side remain positive that they can climb their way out of trouble.
”What you get from our team every week is 100%. We are proper together in there. The dressing room is not lost. We’ve lost a few players’ understandable but what you saw out there you can’t really fault our effort.”
Cray Wanderers return to action when they welcome fourth-from-bottom Wingate & Finchley to Hayes Lane on Tuesday night. The Wands will go five points clear if they beat their opponents.
Jenkins, who is expecting a tough game said: “They were a good side last year. It’s one of those games where the winner takes all really because they are just below us so they could go above us if we lose. We can go away from them by five points so we need to win the game. We’re at home. We’ve beaten the hoodo a little bit by not losing at home. We’ve had a bad run at home in recent weeks so it’s good to get a point.”
Cray Wanderers: Andy Walker, Sam Long, Jack Clark, Aaron Day (Tijani Eshilokun 82), Billy Burgess, Barney Abbott, Paul Booth, Alex Stavrinou, Leigh Bremner, Danny Phillips (James Fray 87), Chris Saunders.
Subs: Dan Parkinson, Matt Pooley, Gary Abbott
Booked: Chris Saunders 54, Barney Abbott 56
Leiston: Glyn Dixon, David Head, Patrick Brothers, Sheridon Driver, Joe Jefford, Stuart Boardley, Rhys Henry, Gareth Heath, Emmanuel Osei, Michael Brothers (Ryan Heath 83), Nathan Stone (Lee Norfolk 71).
Subs: George Wilson, Nathan Munson
Booked: Gareth Heath 54
Attendance: 145
Referee: Mr Matt Foley (Palmers Green, London N13)
Assistants: Mr Lee Dyson (Gravesend) & Mr Valentine Anekwe (Bromley)
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