Kentish Football 
Cray Wanderers 2-2 Ebbsfleet United - Jenkins to discuss better financial package for Hamici
Saturday 25th September 2010
CRAY WANDERERS 2-2 EBBSFLEET UNITED
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 25th September 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane
CRAY WANDERERS boss Ian Jenkins hailed heroic goalkeeper Dave King for keeping his side in the FA Cup, after saving a last minute penalty from Ebbsfleet United substitute Ashley Carew.
Ebbsfleet United (unbeaten in five) had taken a 20th minute lead through skipper Paul Lorraine before Cray (unbeaten in six) levelled with their first shot on target through Danny Phillips eleven minutes later.
The Second half didn’t get going until the final fifteen minutes and Frenchman Laurent Hamici scored his 11th goal of the season as the Ryman Premier League hosts looked destined to grab all the headlines with a giant killing act.
But Fleet grabbed an equaliser through striker Calum Willock’s sixth goal of the season, before Phillips committed suicide inside the Wands penalty area as he brought Dean Pooley crashing to the ground, but was grateful to King and the impressive Aaron Day for saving the day.
The former Tooting & Mitcham United stopper is turning out to be a, pardon the pun, penalty king for the Bromley based outfit.
“Definitely a penalty at the end of the day,” Jenkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards. “But a great save from Kingy! He’s 100% with penalties this year, he’s saved three out of three, so we had faith in him!
“You don’t expect people to miss penalities do you, especially at that late stage! Just put your foot through it, that’s what I would’ve done, but fair play to Kingy, he’s guessed the right way and what a save from Aaron Day on the line from the ball that came back in.”
The Wands played well against higher league opposition with an “in-your-face” mentality, and this certainly worked as Fleet boss Liam Daish was clearly disappointed with the performance from his side, one that plays one league above the Wands.
“I just didn’t think we played well today,” bemoaned Daish when speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards.
“Too many players (were) playing within themselves or didn’t put a performance in and if those players ain’t playing at full-tilt it will cost us, it cost us.
“You can’t play at 70%-75%. I don’t care who you’re playing. To be fair, Cray were well up for it. We had a match up and I think we were just a little bit flat, not brave enough on the ball in the first half and didn’t play nowhere near what we’re capable of.”
A crowd that appeared to be at least 600 - although the home club announced the official attendance was only 408 - saw Cray Wanderers start on the front foot, but Ebbsfleet almost scored after 12 minutes.
Recalled Tyrone Sterling made an excellent tackle on Ricky Shakes inside the penalty area and from the resulting throw Willock’s centre was swept towards goal by the impressive Michael West but King dived to his right to make a fine save.
Both of Ebbsfleet’s goals came from set-pieces and they took a 20th minute lead.
Clint Easton’s free-kick was met by a back header from Cray’s tough-tackling central midfielder Allan McLeod and sailed past the far post and King tipped behind West’s resulting corner from the left.
West trotted over to take the corner from the right and picked out Lorraine just 12-yards from goal and his scooping header sailed into the far corner from 12-yards.
But Cray Wanderers showed resolve following that set-back and levelled with the best goal of the game just after the half-an-hour mark.
Steve Lozano squared the ball to the impressive Day in his own half and the central midfielder played a delicious diagonal pass which was latched onto by Phillips, who cut inside Clint Easton and he sent a delicate right-footed chip over the advancing Preston Edwards and there were screams of delight from the home faithful when the ball dropped over Lorraine’s head and into an empty net.
Two of Cray’s central defenders, John Guest and Mark Willy, were solid throughout and both had chances to give their side the lead.
McLeod’s corner from the left was met by a towering bullet header from Guest after 36 minutes, but his effort sailed over Edwards’ crossbar, before Willy went up for a Rhys Coleman free-kick and smashed a hooked left-footed volley screaming towards goal but a strong right hand from Edwards prevented the keeper being beaten at his near post.
Hamici’s first effort on goal - he had three - deflected into Edwards grateful arms after Lozano cut the ball along the edge of the Fleet penalty area before the break.
Other than a driven effort from West, which flashed wide, inside the opening seven minutes, the second half was a turgid affair.
The introduction of substitute Tom Phipp lifted the gloom for a disappointing Ebbsfleet side - and after enhancing passes with West down the right, Phipp’s weak effort was never going to trouble King.
Then, a 72nd minute right-wing corner from West was rolled back to right-back Chris Henry and his cross was glanced wide by Lorraine - before the game exploded into life.
Hamici’s second effort was a fierce right-footed drive from 25-yards, which moved in the air and Edwards was relieved to see the shot fly over his crossbar.
But battling Cray Wanderers were dreaming about a giant-killing when Hamici scored his eleventh goal of the season in the 75th minute.
Cray left-back Sterling had no option other than roll the ball back to King, and instead of the option of spraying the ball to right-back Coleman, King booted the ball up field.
Nippy striker Carl Gibbs was never going to trouble giant Lorraine in the air but the central defender flicked the ball towards his own goal - but Hamici raced onto the ball and was through on goal.
Hamici showed his class by selling Edwards a dummy with a drop of his shoulder - the Fleet keeper going too ground too early - and the Frenchman coolly slotted the ball past him with his lethal right-foot and into the net.
But the joy lasted only seven minutes as Willock ensured Ebbsfleet United stretched their unbeaten record to six games and buried the ghost of last season’s FA Cup defeat at Hayes Lane - to Bromley in the fourth qualifying round.
Henry (who was fouled by Willy on the edge of the penalty box) stroked a dangerous looking free-kick into a crowded penalty area and Willock got the slightest of touches to the ball as it bounced into the far corner.
Both Kent sides had chances to snatch victory before the penalty drama.
Day’s looping throw into the penalty area caused panic in the Fleet penalty area and Willy teed up Guest to blast his shot over from the edge of the box.
But Ebbsfleet’s chance was a gilt-edged one as Easton’s free-kick from inside his own half was flicked on by Willock and West fired a left-footed drive agonisingly across the face of goal and the ball trickled past the far post.
Then came the penalty drama. Former Bromley midfielder Carew stepped up to take the penalty after Phillips clumsy challenge brought Pooley crashing to the ground, but King dived to his left to block and Ram Marwa’s follow-up was heroically cleared off the line by Day.
But fit-again Leigh Bremner, who had just came off the substitutes bench, almost grabbed the Wands victory, but his effort was blocked by Easton inside the six-yard box. Either side of the left-back then Cray Wanderers would have gone through.
Jenkins was clearly the happier manager afterwards.
“In the end, after the penalty save, yes, but up to that point we were the team that should’ve won it to be honest with you,” he said.
“We’ve come back from a goal down and done really well.
“We’ve got players out there that can score goals. I thought, when it was 1-1, I thought we were the better side. I’m surprised that we didn’t go on and win it when we had good opportunities.”
Jenkins revealed that he will sit down with his chairman (Gary Hillman) to try and convince him to hand Hamici a much improved financial package, especially as the Frenchman has already scored two hat-tricks in nine completed games.
He said: “ He’s a good lad, Laurent. He works really hard. There’s a lot of clubs that are looking at him at the moment, which is a shame. Let’s hope he stays with us and he scores a few more.
“It’s one of these things, people are looking at him already. I’ll have a chat with the chairman, hopefully we can (keep him), maybe get him a little bit more money if he wants a little bit more. I don’t know about a contract though.
“He’s happy at the club put it that way. If you’re doing well at a club and you’re scoring goals, why leave it?
“If a big club comes in, yes, a pro club, George Porter (who left for Leyton Orient) last year, go and move, but why go up a couple of levels when you can just enjoy it down here?”
When asked how he was feeling, Jenkins who has been with his beloved club since 1993, said: “It’s like a win at the end of the day. We’ve got another chance. We live to fight another day, don’t we?”
Jenkins added: “The goals that we conceded defensively were bad. We know they put good balls into the box from set-pieces and we didn’t defend them really well. We did a lot of the time but the two goals we conceded….We always say that as managers, always pick holes in things, but at the end of the day you don’t make mistakes the game’s not what it is.
“Physically, I thought we really stood up. I said to them before the game we know how they play like, we know what they’re about, but physically we have to stand up. We’re the lower league side, they have to know they’ve been in a game today and I think they did so I was well pleased with that, the physical side of our game.”
Fleet boss, Daish, meanwhile, felt his side were not up too it.
When asked about his feelings, Daish said: “Don’t know, I think, weird really, strange feelings. I mean I feel disappointed that we haven’t gone through because of the late penalty but at 2-1 the way we conceded the second goal I feel happy that I’ve got a second bite of the cherry so it’s mixed emotions really.”
Daish added: “I just think we could’ve been braver. I’m a bit disappointed that Callum and Westy ain’t fighting for that ball to get the headlines. They’ve had great seasons so far, both on five or six goals each. You know, it’s wanting players to take the headlines. What’s the worse thing that they could’ve done? Missed? Well, Ashley missed anyway, so that’s gone now.
“We’re still in the tie and we get back to Stonebridge Road (on Tuesday night) and hopefully put a better performance in.”
The former central defender was clearly disappointed with his two central defenders - Lorraine and Pooley - with the way that Hamici scored.
“I’m not being funny,” he said. “It was shambolic really, that sort of defending. It wasn’t even a ball, it was caught, it was in the air a long time. Two centre halves, one of them got to clear up and go and deal with it and the other one’s got to work round and cover up but that didn’t happen. We didn’t win the header. We flicked it on for him to run through and score and at that point you’re thinking here we go again, but we got back into it and could’ve won it. As I say, we’re quite happy that we’re in the tie.”
Reflecting on the game, bearded Daish added: “I think the whole game lacked real quality. It was based on mistakes really. Hopefully at home we can put on a better show.”
Cray Wanderers: Dave King, Allan McLeod (Ross Lover 68), Carl Gibbs, Rhys Coleman, Mark Willy, John Guest, Steve Lozano (Leigh Bremner 86), Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, Tyrone Sterling.
Subs: Frankie Sawyer, Kieran McCann, Adam Cottrell, Richard Whyte, Sam Wright.
Goals: Danny Phillips 31, Laurent Hamici 75
Booked: Allan McLeod 29, Mark Willy 88
Ebbsfleet United: Preston Edwards, Chris Henry, Clint Easton, Craig Stone, Dean Pooley, Paul Lorraine, Michael West, Ram Marwa, Calum Willock, Gareth Williams (Tom Phipp 61), Ricky Shakes (Ashley Carew 53).
Subs: Tyron Sealey, Ugo Udoji, Joe Hagan, Paul McCarthy, Aiden Sherlock.
Goals: Paul Lorraine 20, Calum Willock 82
Booked: Ram Marwa 37, Preston Edwards 90
Attendance: 408
Referee: Mr Ben Knight (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Assistants: Mr Daniel Austin (Portsmouth, Hampshire) & Mr Gavin Collins (Aldershot, Hampshire)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd