Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 2-0 Hastings United - Maybe we can get the automatic promotion spot - Ian Jenkins
Saturday 01st January 2011
CRAY WANDERERS 2-0 HASTINGS UNITED
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 1st January 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane
STAR STRIKER Laurent Hamici took his goalscoring tally to nineteen for the season with another quality strike - and said afterwards that Ian Jenkins is the best manager that he’s played for and that Cray Wanderers can go on to win the Ryman Premier League title.
The 23-year-old Frenchman showed a hidden part of his game - team-work - as he set up Leigh Bremner’s sixth minute opener and doubled the Kent side’s lead just three minutes later and then he worked hard as the lone striker after Bremner collected a straight red-card for a two-footed lunge on Matt Hall six minutes before half-time.
Cray Wanderers’ eleventh league win of the season (from 21 games) sees them leapfrog over Bury Town into second place in the table, just five points behind Sutton United, although the Wands have played a game more.
They played a poor Hastings side that were virtually playing their first game together. New manager Jason Hopkinson faces an uphill task to keep the east Sussex side in the division as the club went eight games without a win.
Only Sean Ray, Ben Davisson and Sam Adams started Tony Dolby’s last game in charge of Hastings, which ended in a 3-2 home defeat to eight-man Horsham on 11 December, as Hopkinson handed debuts to Paul Nessling, Ross Sutton, Hall, Ryan Storrie and substitute Kenny Pogue against promotion chasing Cray Wanderers.
Jenkins, too, had to reshuffle his pack, with Tyrone Sterling slotting in to partner John Guest at the heart of defence, with Mark Willy set to go in for a scan on his injured knee on Wednesday.
And the Wands got off to a flying start and visiting keeper Nessling had already made two blocks by the time that Bremner netted his sixth goal of the season, with only 315 seconds on the clock.
Ross Lover swung in a free-kick, which was poorly punched by Nessling, who recovered to block an initial shot from Hamici and another one (in a crowded penalty area) before the ball dropped at Hamici’s feet and he decided to square the ball for Bremner (who appeared offside) to slot the ball into an empty net from a tight angle.
Things got even better for the Wands, as they doubled their lead with 08:21 on the clock.
Left-back Alex Bentley rode a challenge and slipped the ball down the line for the unmarked Hamici, who cut inside and with Cray official Jerry Dowlan and I saying “he’s gonna shoot!” the Frenchman didn’t let us down, striking a right-footed screamer from 25-yards, which curled around the stranded Nessling to find the near corner.
Hamici, who lives in New Cross, south London, and earns a living as a lifeguard, said: “A good performance, three points again. We through we dropped it after the sending-off, but yes, we did it!
“I am pleased it’s going well. I still want to push on. Obviously I feel I can score more until the end of the season. Happy, I’m very happy that the team’s doing well. Second in the league, is good!”
Hamici admitted he has settled at Hayes Lane and paid the biggest compliment to Jenkins and his management team of Joe Francis and Paul Blade.
“It’s everyone! The manager, the players, the club, everything! That’s what’s made me comfortable here and giving me the platform to do well, so yes, I’ve settled well, doing well, I’m happy!”
On his prolific goalscoring form, he added: “The team’s great, quality players in the team so I think me scoring goals is obviously going to benefit everyone else, so yes, I’m happy with it.”
Hamici revealed he was happy playing as the lone striker, although the Hayes Lane faithful witnessed their greedy striker spread the ball to his team-mates, something not seen before.
“At half-time we thought that’s it, we don’t need to chase now so we definitely thought we’ll sit, see what they’ve got and come to us and it was hard. It was a hard battle second half but we got through it.
“It’s a lot of running so it was hard but I want to work hard for the team anyway. It wasn’t a problem for me to work extra hard, so we pulled through in the end.”
Cray Wanderers may be sitting in their highest ever league position, but Hamici feels his team-mates can go one further.
He said: “I still think we can win it! If we push on and we keep doing well, we still have faith so we’re definitely not going to give up on that!”
Speaking about Jenkins, Francis and Blade, the striker said: “He’s the best I’ve had; the best management I’ve had, yes really good. I mean they bring the team together so it’s great. I like all of them!”
When asked his goals target for the rest of the season, Hamici replied: “I wanted 20 before Christmas, but the snow hasn’t helped, so I think I’ve got a target in my head. How many? Well, I’m not going to say! I’ll see what happens!”
Jenkins was taken aback by Hamici’s comments - but praised the striker’s work ethic.
He said: “That’s nice, that’s really nice when you get compliments like that from players. You rarely ever hear that but we just give him a licence. We try and encourage what he’s good at, which is score goals and if he’s enjoying it that’s fortunate for me.
“He’s realised that he’s got to (work hard). I think every player has to do that. You don’t win things and be where you are if players don’t work hard. You can’t have luxuries in the side. We’ve all got to work hard together and he is getting that in his game.”
Cray Wanderers were full of energy, Hastings, meanwhile, were punch drunk and they never recovered from those two early blows.
Hastings finally forced Charlie Mitten into his first save, but Sam Adams’ scuffed shot from 25-yards rolled into the keeper’s arms after Russell Eldridge slid in strongly to snatch the ball off Aaron Day.
Cray were close to sealing victory when Lover’s clever free-kick found Bremner in space around the corner and his low centre found Day, who slid the ball towards goal, but Manning was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
Sterling’s only mistake came on the half-hour mark when he allowed former Tonbridge Angels winger, Fraser Logan, (who partnered Adams in attack) to hook a shot straight into Mitten’s arms from just outside the Wands’ penalty area.
But Walderslade based referee Mr Paul Kelly wasted no time in showing Bremner a straight red-card for a two-footed lunge on Hall in front of the home dug-outs, jumping down on Hall’s leg and the central midfielder didn’t re-appear after the half-time whistle.
Jenkins, who was serving the last of his four match touchline ban and said: “From the distance, I was up in the stand, it looked like it was a harsh sending off but I spoke to the boys at half-time and they said it was a straight red. They were near the incident so you’ve got to hold your hands up. At the end of the day the referee got it spot on.”
Jenkins opted to play with a 4-5-1 formation with Hamici showing a new side to his game, holding up the ball and playing the ball to team-mates, instead of going for goal himself.
Cray ventured forward just before the hour-mark when Liam Bellamy exchanged slick passes with Danny Phillips, before the right-sided midfielder arrowed a dipping left-footed drive just over from 30-yards.
Phillips then exchanged passes from Lover’s short corner from the left and cut in before cracking a right-footed angled curling drive, which screamed past the far post.
Hastings defender Sean Ray was beaten for pace by Hamici, but Nessling came off his line to smother at the striker’s feet, before Hopkinson went for broke and threw Ray up front for the final twenty minutes.
Hamici centred the ball from the right for Day to nip in front of his marker to loop a shot over the bar, before Hastings striker Adams slammed a right-footed shot just past the right-hand post, before Davisson pumped the ball forward and the unmarked Ray clipped the left-hand post from six-yards.
Hastings were a poor side, miss-placing passes on numerous occasions and didn’t look like scoring against a solid Cray side, who were comfortable on the ball and full of energy and if Bremner stayed on the pitch for the entire game then the score-line would have been much higher as Hastings offered very little in the final third.
Jenkins was naturally beaming at the final whistle.
“I thought it was a good, solid display. I’m well happy with that mate to be honest with you,” he said.
“I think Leigh’s (goal) was a little bit fortunate. I thought he might have been offside when he put it in. We could have scored a couple before that in that incident, we had a couple of good chances there but Laurent’s goal was typical Lol, he cuts inside and smashes it in before the keeper’s even moved. We were cruising at that time.”
Reflecting on the second half, Jenkins added: “I’m surprised, I thought they would have put a little bit more pressure on us. But we were solid to be honest with you. Lol up front on his own, he worked hard, we dragged him off with 20 (minutes) to go. When we got the ball we still looked a threat, which was really good. We created the better chances in the second half.”
The Wands boss praised the versatile Sterling, who didn’t look out of place alongside Guest.
“He looked brilliant! I thought it was Vidic/Ferdinand in there, it was fantastic,” said the Manchester United follower.
“We know he can do that, Tyrone, he can play anywhere on the pitch. He’s got great pace, a great athlete and we put him there and didn’t even know Wills (Mark Willy) was away, although it’s a big miss, Wills. Hopefully he’s having a scan on Wednesday on his knee and we’ll see what the damage is.”
Reflecting on his league position on the opening day of 2011, Jenkins replied; “We could’ve gone one better I suppose, we could’ve been top, but I’m well happy with where we are and we deserve to be where we are.
“I think we’ve got a good squad and we’ve just got to push on now and maybe, maybe, get the automatic spot and get promoted - that’s what we’re looking for.”
Being the highest ranked Kent side in the division is a remarkable achievement on average crowds of 207 - the fifth lowest in the division - and groundsharing Bromley’s Hayes Lane ground since 1998.
“When you’re down the bottom, you get a lot of knockers and thoroughly deserved, but when you’re in that dressing room, you know what sort of players you’ve got,” added Jenkins.
“I made a few changes this year, we’ve got a great dressing room and it’s one of the reasons there. Everyone gets on well, we muck in together and we deserve to be where we are.”
With Dave King returning to fitness following a back strain that has put him out of action for six games, Jenkins looks set to part company with stand-in keeper Mitten.
“I’ve got to decide what I’m going to do with that one to be honest with you,” said Jenkins.
“Charlie’s been fantastic, he’s helped us out and that’s why he came here. Kingy’s my number one, Charlie knows that anyway, so it looks like, Charlie. I’ll have a chat with him and see what goes on but I can’t afford to keep both of them on board.
“I know who I’m going to keep, yes! Which one am I going to keep? I’ve got to speak to the players first!”
Today’s crowd was the club’s largest of the season so far.
Jenkins said: “I don’t think they look at the league table, I think they look at the way we play. I think we showed them what a good footballing side we are. That’s why they came through the turnstile.”
Cray Wanderers: Charlie Mitten, Adam Cotterell, Alex Bentley, Leigh Bremner, Tyrone Sterling, John Guest, Ross Lover, Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici (Ebenezar Masade 84), Danny Phillips (Allan McLeod 76), Liam Bellamy (Chris Saunders 72).
Subs: Steve Lozano, Dave King.
Goals: Leigh Bremner 6, Laurent Hamici 9
Booked: Aaron Day 90
Sent Off: Leigh Bremner 39
Hastings United: Paul Nessling, Josh Jirbandey, Ross Sutton, Matt Hall (Kenny Pogue 46), Sean Ray, Scott Manning, Ben Davisson, Ryan Storrie (Josh Millward 71), Sam Adams, Russell Eldridge, Fraser Logan.
Sub: Matt Dann.
Booked: Matt Hall 34, Ben Davisson 77
Attendance: 276
Referee: Mr Paul Kelly (Walderslade)
Assistants: Mr James Macey (Bexley) & Mr Christopher Myatt (Dartford)
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