Cray Wanderers 3-1 Thamesmead Town - I said we would just concentrate on the football - Joe Francis

CRAY WANDERERS  3-1  THAMESMEAD TOWN
The FA Cup with Budweiser Second Qualifying Round
Saturday 22^nd September 2012
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

CRAY WANDERERS’ assistant manager Joe Francis praised two-goal hero Leigh Bremner for lifting the gloom engulfing the club following their devastating past 48 hours.

The Ryman Premier League club received the news on Thursday night that chairman Gary Hillman’s plans to build a £18m stadium at Sandy Lane in St Paul’s Cray was unanimously rejected by Bromley Council, which leaves The Second Oldest Football Club in the World searching for a new base when their lease runs out at Bromley’s Hayes Lane ground in two years’ time.

That news clearly affected the players during a poor first half from both sides, but Cray Wanderers booked their place in the penultimate qualifying round of The FA Cup following their 3-1 victory over Ryman League Division One North side Thamesmead Town.

Welshman Gareth Williams, who featured for Bromley in their 3-0 defeat at Leyton Orient in last years’ First Round, gave The Wands a 54^th minute lead, before the Wands’ lowest crowd of the season were rewarded to three goals in the final six minutes of an uninspiring encounter.

Bremner finished with aplomb to double Ian Jenkins’ side’s lead before he took his career total to 104 goals in 260 games with the third as the game entered injury time.

A disappointing Thamesmead Town side then grabbed a consolation goal when striker Rob Carter scored his third goal of the season from close range.

“I spoke to you the other day and I said we would just concentrate on the football and it’s nice to get through the round,” said Francis after he emerged from the home dressing room.

“I thought we was really good for the first 25 minutes. We played with four forwards out there and that was a mark of our intent to try to win the game and then it got a bit careless and a bit scratchy with the ball.

“But we gave them a real volley at half-time. We said we need more purpose in the game and I thought we were much better in the second half.”

Thamesmead Town boss Keith McMahon admitted his side just failed to turn up.

“Second half I thought we lacked a little bit of work-rate. It weren’t our best performance,” McMahon admitted following their fourth FA Cup tie of the campaign.

“First half it took a little while to get used to their shape. I thought the first half was fairly even to be honest.  We had a couple of good chances when they made a few mistakes. We coped with it and done alright.”

McMahon added: “All three goals, I thought, were poor from us defensive wise and I thought we did lack that little bit of effort and passion maybe to get us back into the game.

“I thought we defended fairly well for the first half, the two centre halves were excellent and young Sean (Roberts) in the middle had a decent game but other than that I thought we lacked a little bit, well you can say, passion I think is the word.”

The first half was a poor affair for the poor crowd of just 92 and Thamesmead Town created the first chance inside the opening three minutes.

Ashley Probets’ corner from the left was played out to diminutive winger Enoch Adjei, but the seventeen-year-old rolled his shot harmlessly wide from just outside the penalty box.

Cray Wanderers first chance of the game came in the seventh minute when Williams clipped a right-footed cross into the penalty area and Michael Power, who started his career at Bayliss Avenue, brought the ball under control before his right-footed chip was plucked out of the air by visiting keeper Rob Budd at his near post.

The former Ilford keeper was called into action just 31 seconds later when he dived to his right to tip Bremner’s left-footed curler from the corner of the box around the post.

Thamesmead, who went into this game sitting in seventeenth-place in the Ryman League Division One North table with four points from three League outings, should have done better when Probets’ left-footed free-kick from near to the half-way line was met by Lea Dawson’s looping header from 12-yards, which was caught by keeper Andy Walker.

Williams, who was voted man-of-the-match by the home club’s committee, curled a right-footed shot over from 22-yards, despite a sliding tackle from Thamesmead defender James Donovan, after he received the ball from Aaron Day.

But Cray Wanderers should have broken the deadlock in the 21^st minute when Day played the ball into Bremner’s feet and the hardworking striker cleared the crossbar after unleashing a right-footed angled drive from seventeen-yards from the corner of the box.

A Mazy run from the impressive Sean Roberts saw the Thamesmead midfielder cut inside before laying the ball off to Danny Kerrigan, whose stroked left-footed shot lacked power and Walker gathered easily.

But Thamesmead really should have taken the lead in the 25^th minute after Cray’s left-back Tyrone Sterling slipped on the edge of his penalty area and Adjei picked up the loose ball and played the ball square to Kerrigan, who played Carter through on goal and his right-footed shot was blocked by Walker and the men in green couldn’t force the loose ball into the net.

Power and Bremner linked up well but Laurent Hamici skied his right-footed shot over the Thamesmead crossbar with a shot from the edge of the D.

Thamesmead’s highly-rated midfielder Dawson hooked a speculative right-footed shot from wide on the right into Walker’s arms as a poor first half came to an end.

The Cray Wanderers management team needed to lift their players during the half-time interval after their first half display was sluggish and set the mood around the club following Thursday night’s morale sapping rejection.

Francis said: “At half-time you have to remind them that if you take your foot of the pedal and you don’t pass with any quality and you dally on the ball any team can get after you and make it difficult so we said to them you have to impose yourselves on the game and pass it quicker and make your quality count and work a bit harder, condense the space getting up. It allows your midfield to get second balls and just be better all round basically.

“Yes, it needed spark! That’s what we said in there.  This could be a performance where you limp across the line – or we could go out!  They responded second half so that was good.

“It’s about getting through to the next round, that’s the most important thing.”

McMahon added: “It didn’t seem like (both teams were playing well) if I’m honest. I didn’t think it was a great game of football. I know the pitch had something to do with it.  I thought they gave the ball away a lot first half and I thought we did.  

“I thought we would have pressed them a little bit more, got in their faces a little bit more. They’re a League above us and we had to try to make it difficult.  I don’t think we done it as a whole side today. We done it a little bit as individuals and we got what we deserved.”

Cray Wanderers created the first chance of the second half when Thamesmead right-back Jack Hopkins slipped over and this allowed Power to put the ball into the box and Bremner suffered from a loss of composure and blasted over from ten-yards.

But Cray Wanderers were celebrating when Williams showed his class with a fine finish to give Cray Wanderers a 54^th minute lead

Sterling run saw him sprint up the pitch and his cross into the near post was flicked on by Bremner and Chris Saunders played an intelligent low pass to find the unmarked Williams on the other side of the penalty area and he stroked a low left-footed drive across Budd to score from eight-yards.

Francis praised Williams by saying, “He’s a good finisher. He just passed it into the net. I thought he played really well in the second half Gareth.  He’s a good player. He’s a good footballer and he’s a good little player.  His passing was crisp and sharp and I thought he did very well today.

“I thought the other notable performers were our back four (Sterling, Joe Vines, Mark Willy and Burgess). Again, we didn’t look in any trouble at any time really and I thought Billy Burgess played ever so well and up top I thought Leigh Bremner was outstanding.”

McMahon added: “We got the ball on the right back, right next to us. We told them at half-time, the first 10-15 minutes drop holes and put it in behind the full-back and he’s just passed it to their left-back and he’s put Brems in and he’s crossed it and he’s had an easy chance to score.  I’m disappointed with all three goals if I’m honest.”

Roberts’ low left-footed shot on the turn from the corner of the penalty area was comfortably gathered by Walker three minutes later.

Bremner cut a ball back to Power and his left-footed drive was comfortably saved low down by Budd in the Thamesmead goal, before Williams sent his left-footed free-kick from nineteen-yards over after Hopkins gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position.

Thamesmead defender Donovan came up from the back and almost scored in the 68^th minute when he slid his left-footed shot narrowly wide of the post after Probets 35-yard free-kick came out to him on the edge of the penalty area.

Hamici went for glory in a counter-attack when he hit a speculative right-footed drive from 35-yards, which was destined to flash past the near post but Budd saved his blushes by diving to his right to smother the ball.

Cray Wanderers continued to press and Bremner’s left-footed drive from 25-yards flashed just wide of the right-hand post after his one-two with Power.

Bremner’s lay-off set up a chance for Hamici, whose right-footed rasping shot from 22-yards was tipped over the bar by Budd, high to his right.

But Cray Wanderers doubled their lead with six minutes to go when Sterling played a delightful ball over the top of the two Thamesmead central defenders and Bremner slotted his right-footed shot across the keeper and into the far corner to score from twelve-yards.

Both McMahon and Francis heaped praise on the home side’s star-striker.

McMahon said: “I thought he was the best player on the pitch!  I don’t know they didn’t give him man-of-the-match but he was a decent player. He led the line well. We’re pushing but it’s three-against-one when the ball’s played over the top. It’s a normal bread and butter, easy to deal with, but he’s took it well and it’s hard to bounce back from that.

Francis said: “Yes, he just works hard. If he could just – and he knows this – be a bit more composed in and around the box he wouldn’t be playing at this level.  It was a good finish and he deserves that. I thought he was excellent and to cap it off with another one is great for his confidence.”

Tony Dolby came off the bench to play a three-minute cameo role and he played a part in Cray Wanderers’ flattering third goal.

Dolby clipped his left-footed free-kick towards the far post and Bremner’s diving header was parried by Budd, but the confident striker got up off the floor and slammed the ball into the net to score his fifth goal of the season, which was reward for all of his hard work.

Francis said: “Tony Dolby has got a great delivery and he’s called it and you could see there was an intent with the ball in. Leigh’s so brave, a diving header and to get up to put the rebound in, brilliant.  Comfortable win.”

McMahon just wanted to know where his defenders were, saying, “We’ve just stood and watched. Rob’s made a great save, we’ve had bodies around and we’ve just stood and watched him knock it in.

“We tried to throw bodies forward, we had four up top in the last fifteen minutes. It’s a Cup game, you might as well lose 3-0 than 1-0. It makes no difference.  You might as well have a bit of a go. He deserved his goals. He was the best player on the pitch by a distance.”

Thamesmead Town scored a consolation three minutes and eight seconds into injury time when Hopkins raced down the right flank and whipped in a cross into the six-yard box and the ball bounced off Cray right-back Billy Burgess and Carter side-footed the ball into the bottom near corner from close range.

McMahon said: “We’ve scored in every game. It’s a consolation goal.  It was the first time we’ve actually got Jack forward down the flaks and it’s a bit unlike us. 

“We didn’t actually turn up today. We’ve got ourselves a consolation goal. I thought it was a null and void game, which is disappointing because it’s a massive, massive game for the club. We needed the finances and obviously the players do as well and we got what we deserved.”

Francis added: “Sloppy goal, but there you go, in the next round!”

Thamesmead Town play their fourth League game on Tuesday night when Brentwood Town visit Bayliss Avenue, before Cray Wanderers visit in the FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round next Saturday.

McMahon said: “Today we let ourselves down as a whole side and we all know that because the lads are all gutted in there.  They’re absolutely gutted because they thought if we turned up we could have got a result out there.  We know that’s not the best Cray’s played either so hopefully it will be a lot better for the crowd (next weekend) because both sides can play better than they did today.

“We’re not all down, we’ve lost one game in seven (before today) and we need to just put it behind us, move forward and bounce back, good sides do and I’m sure we will and show really what we can do next week.”

Cray Wanderers join landlords Bromley (who won 1-0 at Sutton United today thanks to in-form Pierre Joseph-Dubois) in Monday’s Third Qualifying Round draw.

The Wands have never reached the First Round proper of The FA Cup and Francis is looking for a decent draw to keep their dream alive, after defeating Kent League side Greenwich Borough and Thamesmead Town to get to the next stage.

He said: “We would like another team that we’ll have a chance against, that’s what we’d like.  We don’t mind (playing a Conference South team) on a one-off because we can compete with anybody, even from one level above because there’s a philosophical thing there. Players get lifted.  Thamesmead should’ve been lifted today and I think we’d get lifted if we was to play a team from above.”

Cray Wanderers: Andy Walker, Billy Burgess, Tyrone Sterling, Aaron Day (Tony Dolby 87), Mark Willy, Joe Vines, Laurent Hamici, Chris Saunders, Leigh Bremner, Gareth Williams (James Darvill 89), Michael Power.
Subs: Louis Sprossen, Matt Pooley, Williams Pearoux, Dan Parkinson, John Guest

Goals: Gareth Williams 54, Leigh Bremner 84, 90

Booked: Aaron Day 87, Andy Walker 90

Thamesmead Town: Rob Budd, Jack Hopkins, Ashley Probets, Danny Kerrigan (Adriano Lawson 82), Lewis Tozer, James Donovan, Sean Roberts, Lea Dawson, Rob Carter, Rikki Cable, Enoch Adjei.
Subs: Tom Nayma, Richard Butler, Daniel Johnson, Daniel Carpanini

Goal: Rob Carter 90

Booked: Rob Carter 41, James Donovan 90, Lewis Tozer 90

Attendance: 92
Referee: Mr Mark Mellor (Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Stephen Bates (St Albans, Hertfordshire) & Mr Ian Corner (Stevenage, Hertfordshire)