Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 0-1 Lowestoft Town - Cray boss Ian Jenkins' unimpressed with Lowestoft
Tuesday 25th January 2011
CRAY WANDERERS 0-1 LOWESTOFT TOWN Ryman Premier League
Tuesday 25th January 2011
Mike Green reports from Hayes Lane
A tale of two dead balls in the end settled this play-off contenders clash, and unfortunately for Ian Jenkins and his Cray Wanderers side, it was they who missed, as Lowestoft Town collected another clean sheet as their climb up the Ryman Premier table continued.
The only goal of the game came three minutes into the second half when former Ebbsfleet United forward Jamie Forshaw stroked home a stunning free kick from 20 yards.
In all fairness Dave King in the Cray goal had little luck as after doing remarkably well to reach the ball (such was the placing) that the ball ricocheted off of his hand onto the post before rebounding into the opposite corner of the net.
After the game, Jenkins admitted that particularly in the first half, his side had given their opponents far too much respect. “I think so! We spoke about it before the game – everyone I’ve spoken to, managers who have played against Lowestoft have said that if you finish above them you’ve got a good chance of winning it!”
The Cray boss went on, “But looking at it tonight, I wouldn’t say that at all! If anyone comes to me to ask me for my opinion, I’ll tell them that they’re just a run of the mill big side that defend very well. I’m disappointed as I really do think we should have got at the very least a point out of the game!”
The game could have started so well for the home side as within five minutes they were awarded a penalty as Danny Phillips was felled in the box by Forshaw, only for Ross Lover then to see his spot kick magnificently turned around the left post.
Jenkins said: “It was an early one so we had the chance to regain some composure but Ross doesn’t normally miss – he hasn’t done all season long – but it’s first game back as he missed out on Saturday so maybe he wasn’t as confident as he normally is.”
The game soon developed into an enthralling if unspectacular chess match which was always on the verge of igniting due to some of the tackling from both sides – Allan McLeod’s tackle on Joe Francis was possibly the strongest fair challenge seen at Hayes Lane this season, whilst Lowestoft full back Stuart Ainsley was lucky not to be cautioned for firstly bringing down Phillips on half way and then telling referee Mr Darren Blunden “how to referee”! Indeed the Lowestoft full back trod a very fine disciplinary line all night long.
The goal arrived a couple of minutes after half time after Dale McGlone had for the first time got the better of the magnificent John Guest, who alongside Tyrone Sterling, former a formidable partnership at the heart of the Cray defence.
Indeed, Guest even received words of support from his manager. “It was tough of John, but that’s the way he’s played all year. He’s been so consistent, but there are times when he’ll admit that he lunges in and perhaps he’s a bit too tight – he actually conceded a penalty out here the other day too – it’s one of them though. There guy still had to put it in the back of the net and I thought that Kingy was desperately unlucky not to save it to be honest after pushing it onto the post and it rolling in the other side, but fair play to the bloke it was a cracking free kick,” Jenkins admitted.
It then took until the final 20 minutes for the game to explode into life as the home side realised that time was running out!
First Leigh Bremner shot narrowly wide after a fine challenge by Greg Crane, whilst at the other end Crane himself came within inches of sealing the visitors win, with a header that flashed on a couple of inches past the right post after King produced a truly fine finger tipped save to deny McGlone’s thunderous drive from the angle.
Laurent Hamici then wriggled free for Cray only to see his shot go straight at Reynolds when if had only been a fraction either side of the keeper he surely woundn’t have seen it.
Bremner then did remarkably well to get past Crane (the difference in height alone must have been close to 6 inches) only for Reynolds again to deny the home side – this time it was left knee that denied Chris Saunders an equaliser as the ball rebounded to safety though exactly how much the keeper knew about it is questionable but he’s to be commended for being in the right place.
As the clock ticked down towards the 90 minute mark, Hamici had two thunderous shots go very close. Firstly, from Lover’s corner, the Cray top scorer powered home a drive that hit a defender who knew nothing about and then from the resulting flag kick, Hamici was a coat of paint away from equalising as his shot beat Reynolds, but shaved the bar.
Jenkins was in a reflective, but annoyed mood as he spoke after the game. “It was frustrating that we took so long to really get going, but they had something to do what that as well as they had something to hold onto especially scoring just after half time – they really had something to hold onto to! And that’s what they did – the players that they brought on very, very defensive sort of players.
“But you know we did create enough in that last 20 minutes to have won the game.
“I know that we were the only team out there playing football the way it should be played – we got it down on the deck and moved it around passing the ball whilst as soon as they got hold of it and just lumped it forward and support – and if that’s the way they play then good luck to them if that’s the way they want to do it. But I’ll stick with the way that we play thank you very much as I like my teams to play the game as it should be played!
“We go to Hendon now at the weekend and we’ll be alright – I think we actually play better away from home as I think we’ve lost most of our games here. We’re still involved make no doubt about that – look at the table before tonight! There are teams so tight in there, and if results have gone against us tonight we could drop three or four places.
“It’s one of them leagues – you’ve only got to go on another run of two or three wins on the bounce and you’re back in there. We won’t give up on that – we’re good enough to be in the Play Offs!”
Cray Wanderers: Dave King, Allan McLeod, Alex Bentley, Leigh Bremner, Tyrone Sterling, John Guest, Ross Lover, Chris Saunders, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, Jack Clark (Carl Gibbs 68).
Subs: Tony Dolby, Adam Cotterill, Ebenezer Mesade, Lewis Perkins
Booked: Danny Phillips 65
Lowestoft Town: Andy Reynolds, Andrew Cave Brown (Greg Crane 22), Stuart Ainsley, Andrew Fisk, Curtis Haynes Brown, Sam Gaughran, Jamie Forshaw (Adam Smith 80), Dale Cockrill, Lee McGlone, Russell Stone (Michael Frew 46), Joe Francis.
Goal: Jamie Forshaw 48
Booked: Jamie Godbold, Joe Clark
Attendance: 143
Referee: Mr Darren Blunden (Dartford)
Assistants: Mr Paul Yates (Maidstone) & Mr Phillip Rowley (Canterbury)
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