Cray Wanderers 2-4 Concord Rangers - We're being punished for our mistakes, says Paul Blade

CRAY WANDERERS  2-4  CONCORD RANGERS
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 31^st December 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

CRAY WANDERERS assistant manager Paul Blade admitted defensive mistakes proved costly against clinical Concord Rangers.

A hat-trick from Concord Rangers’ striker, Tony Stokes, a graduate of West Ham United’s Academy, ensured the Essex side extended their unbeaten run to four games, as Cray Wanderers mirrored their 4-2 home defeat to their sole Kent rivals Margate in their last game.

Concord, who were fresh from their 2-0 away victory over neighbours Canvey Island, took the lead through Harry Elmes’ emphatic finish in the fifteenth minute.

Cray Wanderers levelled just five minutes later through Tommy Whitnell’s fifteenth goal of the season, converting a penalty, before Stokes smashed a penalty straight down the middle to hand the Essex side a 25^th minute lead.

The key moment came early in the second half when Cray Wanderers striker Leigh Bremner was put through on goal but swept wide before Stokes fired Concord Rangers into a 3-1 lead with their next attack in the 50^th minute.

Stokes completed his hat-trick with 22 minutes remaining, before Bremner headed home his tenth goal of the season in the last six minutes to make it a disappointing Christmas for Ian Jenkins’ side.

“I don’t think the game today reflected the score,” Blade, 45, admitted afterwards.

“I don’t think they had that many chances.  The chances they did have they put away.

“If we put the chance we had just after half-time, Leigh Bremner, to go 2-2, I think we would’ve won the game, but if you don’t put your chances away and get back into the game like we should’ve done and (make) silly mistakes, again, defensively, you get punished and that’s what’s happened today.”

Jenkins kept faith with the side that lost to Margate on Tuesday afternoon - but Concord Rangers pressed early on.

Stokes flicked the ball square to James Elmes who had time to sweep the ball across to Ryan Ware, who had time and space to crack a right-footed drive past the far post from 25-yards.

Concord skipper, Nicky Cowley, then looped the ball high into the air where hardworking striker Harry Elmes headed the ball into Andy Walker’s gloves from sixteen-yards.

Concord Rangers Higham-based keeper, Andrew Young, 31, who enjoyed plenty of success with Dartford, and attracted an official seven-day approach from Bromley last week, pushed over Jack Clark’s in-swinging cross from the right flank, after Sam Long’s short pass.

But a sublime through ball from Karl Beckford released Harry Elmes down the left and after cutting inside and getting the better of two Cray defenders, cracked an excellent right-footed screamer across Walker to find the top far corner from fifteen-yards to hand Concord Rangers the lead.

They could have doubled their lead when Beckford’s corner was cut back to James Elmes who had time to put in a cross and Stokes’ touch let him down at the near post and Walker was able to gather.

Cray Wanderers, who were playing in front of their second highest league crowd of the season, clawed themselves back into the game.

Danny Phillips’ laid the ball back to Clark inside the penalty area and he swept the ball across the face of goal for Bremner, who had his back to goal and was fouled from behind by Concord right-back Arthur Lee, on the edge of the six-yard box.

Andrew Young dived to his left and got a hand to Whitnell’s right-footed penalty, but he couldn’t prevent the ball creeping into the corner of the net.

Concord swiftly regained their lead in the 25^th minute when Cray defender Danny Young tripped Stokes in the corner of the penalty area.

Cray keeper Walker stormed towards the penalty taker in an attempt to put him off, but Stokes kept composed and smashed his right-footed penalty straight down the middle of the pitch past Walker, who had dived to his left.

Margate, who play Concord next weekend, should take notice that (according to one of their officials) Stokes usually smashes his penalties straight down the middle!

Cray Wanderers squandered numerous chances during the game and had they taken those opportunities then they would have certainly won this game.

An impressive 50-yard solo run from Tyrone Sterling saw the Cray Wanderers’ left-back reach the edge of the Concord penalty area and his lay-off gave Clark a pop at goal - a left-footed drive which flew past the near post.

Clark then whipped in a dangerous looking left-footed free-kick from 25-yards, which bounced once in front of Young, who made a comfortable near-post save.

And Long, who plays at right-back, but leaves acres of space when he marauds forward, had a couple of efforts just before the break.

Clark cut a left-wing corner back to Phillips, who teed up the ball for Long, who sent a right-footed curler agonisingly past the top of the far-post from 25-yards, before Long sprinted towards the edge of the Concord penalty area and was denied by a smart diving save from Young, who dived low to his left to beat the shot away.

Blade said: “They had, what, five or six chances and scored four goals, that’s clinical!

“We had numerous chances first half, we had decent balls delivered into the box.  Second half, the same thing!  We had enough of the possession, we created chances, put balls in the box again, but that little bit of desire in the box was lacking a little bit and if you do make mistakes at the other end, you’re going to get punished.”

The key moment in this Ryman Premier League encounter came early in the second half when Clark released Bremner through on goal but with the home fans’ ready to celebrate their side forcing themselves back into the game, Bremner’s flicked a right-footed shot from sixteen-yards, which bounced agonisingly once past the right-hand post.

Blade said: “It’s cost us!  It’s moments like that that change games and either wins you games or losses you games. 

“He’s been man enough.  He’s held his hands up.  He knew he should’ve scored.  He’s probably cost us a result or at least a point.  But at the same time you can’t keep making mistakes like we have done defensively because at this level of football you’re going to get punished.”

Concord, who went into the game in seventeenth place, increased their lead with their next attack, in the 50^th minute.

Danny Young slipped on the edge of his penalty area and Harry Elmes’ right-footed shot was parried by the diving Walker and Stokes swept his right-footed shot into an empty net.

Sixth-placed Wands then squandered three decent openings, before clinical Stokes completed his hat-trick in the 68^th minute.

Phillips’ run resulted in the Cray midfielder cracking a left-footed shot across Young and past the far post from 20-yards.  Long then cracked a right-footed drive agonisingly past the post with the diving Concord keeper beaten, but their best chance came on the hour-mark.

Clark floated a left-wing cross into the penalty area, where an unmarked Lewis Perkins’ glanced a diving downward header straight at Young.

Therefore, it was inevitable that Concord would snatch their third goal with their next attack – but courtesy of a quality finish.

Harry Elmes stabbed the ball forward into Stokes’ path, who stroked a low left-footed drive across the diving Walker, the ball nestling into the bottom far corner.

Speaking about Concord’s hat-trick hero, Blade said: “He’s a good finisher.  The goals he took, again, were clinical and that’s the difference between the two teams.

“We’ve got no complaints on our players’ desire, work-ethic, the way we play.  We’ll never stop them from playing.  We’ll never change our way but we just have to cut out these little mad situations where we just make a mistake and get punished.  We just have to get cut that out. At the moment it’s just costing us games.”

Whitnell and Perkins then let fly with attempts on goal, which failed to trouble Young, before Concord skipper Cowley sent a shot narrowly over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area – a rare shot that didn’t result in a goal!

Cray Wanderers pulled a goal back late on when Alex Bentley floated in a cross from the left and Bremner powered his header over Young to find the top right-hand corner.

Blade admitted influential skipper, Mark Willy, who has missed the club’s last four games through a broken collarbone, is a massive loss.

“Yes, he’s our skipper, you always miss your skipper because the skipper is supposed to be your leader on the pitch and he’s a centre half,” said the former Thamesmead Town manager.

“Yes, we’d love him back in the side but he’s not and we have to deal with it.”

Cray Wanderers are next in action with a trip to Carshalton Athletic on Monday (3pm) and Blade urges his players to remain professional tonight.

He said:  “We said to them ‘you’ve got to be sensible’.  We’ve got to trust them.  They’re young, we’ve all done it, we’ve all been there.  We’ve gone out and had a few beers and sometimes gone over the top a little bit but they have to think about there’s a game on Monday so you’d like to think that they get their mind-set right and they do look after themselves to a point.

“But you can’t stop the boys from going out.  You can’t stop them from enjoying themselves – it is New Years’ Eve.

“It’s just one of those things, you put it in their trust not to go to the extent where they’re stupid and turn up (at Carshalton Athletic’s Colston Avenue) and they don’t feel great.

“They’re young players, today they do look after themselves and two defeats on the bounce it is important we get something from the game on Monday.”

Cray Wanderers: Andy Walker, Sam Long, Alex Bentley, Aaron Day (Joe Vines 87), Danny Young (James Fray 79), Tyrone Sterling, Tommy Whitnell, Lewis Perkins, Leigh Bremner, Danny Phillips, Jack Clark.
Subs: Dan Ackland, Dan Johnson, Tony Dolby

Goals: Tommy Whitnell 20 (pen), Leigh Bremner 84

Booked: Danny Phillips 62

Concord Rangers: Andrew Young, Ryan Ware (Daniel Olamide Scott-Durojaiye 66), Kurt Robinson, Karl Beckford (Antonio Gonnella 46), Lee White, Ryan Tafazolli, James Elmes (Sherwin Stanley 76), Nicky Cowley, Arthur Lee, Harry Elmes, Tony Stokes.
Sub: James Dudley

Goals: Harry Elmes 15, Tony Stokes 25 (pen), 49, 68

Booked: Harry Elmes 30, Ryan Ware 35, Nicky Cowley 85, Daniel Olamide Scott-Durojaiye 86

Attendance: 205
Referee:  Mr Dave Margetts (Harlow, Essex)
Assistants:  Mr Phillip Jones (Epsom, Surrey) & Mr Michael Hayden (Epsom, Surrey)