Jenkins admits: "We're uneracheiving and we should be higher in the table"

Ian Jenkins breathed a huge sigh of relief after today’s Ryman League Division One South game against Ashford Town was abandoned at half-time following a ten minute half-time deluge at Hayes Lane, writes Stephen McCartney.

The Cray Wanderers’ manager, who saw his side put on a lacklustre display against their Kent rivals, was relieved when Chipstead based referee, Mr Nigel Lugg, halted proceedings with his side 2-0 down.

A Matt Carruthers’ free-kick gave Ashford Town, who arrived at Hayes Lane with a three match unbeaten run under their belts, a deserved lead after eight minutes.

Then, Tottenham based striker, Walid Matata, drilled a 25-yard free kick across goalkeeper Steve Northwood towards the bottom right hand corner just three minutes later.

Jenkins handed Welsh striker Andy Martin his debut after losing six-goal striker, Leigh Bremner, 23, to their rivals Dulwich Hamlet.

Bremner, formerly of Gillingham and Herne Bay, is expected to make his Hamlet debut in tomorrow’s top-four showdown at Champion Hill, which kick’s off at 2pm.

But the only plus points from today’s game at Hayes Lane was striker Jamie Wood’s pre-match presentation after scoring his 100^th goal for the club at Tooting & Mitcham United seven days ago.

“I think any manager, being honest, two-nil down at half-time, and the game gets abandoned are going to be happy,” Jenkins told www.kentishfootball.co.uk after their 45 minutes of woe.

“I don’t care what anyone says, I’m quite pleased to be honest with you.

“In the last couple of weeks, we’ve played in conditions like this and we’ve come unstuck. So I think the players don’t like playing in these conditions.

“The pitch was perfect before the game. It just didn’t stop raining from the kick-off, right up until half-time.

“It got worse during the half-time interval so it had to go ahead.”

Fifteenth placed Cray Wanderers, however, are seven points clear of the drop zone, but if you look at it in a more positive way, Jenkins men are only nine points adrift of a play-off berth.

But although Jenkins would rather have the points in the bag and sitting in a more healthier league position, his side do have games in hand over all but one (Maidstone United) of the sides that are above them in the table.

“It doesn’t really do us justice, the position,” Jenkins admitted. “But we’ve got games in hand but we are stuttering at the moment (as) we haven’t put a good run together.

“I’ve had a lot of injuries but every manager makes excuses about them but it has took a big toll in our season, but the players are coming back now so hopefully we can go on a bit of a run.”

But he did admit that his side played their get out of jail card against an impressive Ashford Town side.

“Get out of jail? Big time mate, big time.” he replied. “We didn’t really play well first half. It’s the same last week against Tooting.

“I thought we were out battled, out fought and they used the conditions better than we did.”

Jenkins, however, demands a vast improvement in performance on Tuesday when his side travels to Ryman Premier League outfit Boreham Wood, currently fifth in the table, in the replayed Westview Cup quarter-final tie.

“We played them a couple of weeks ago, played 45 minutes, done well against them,” recalled Jenkins.

He predicted: “I think it will be an open game because there’s no pressure on cup games is there?

“At the end of the day we’re not expected to win that and maybe their not too interested in it but I’ll be going there to win the game.”

Reflecting on their first 18 league outings, Jenkins admitted his side should be doing better.

He said: “Underachieving at the minute to be honest with you. “We should be higher than what we are.

“I’ve told the players that (and) it’s up to them now to take it onto the second half of the season. It starts again. It’s a new little season starting.

“We’re still in touch, which is unbelievable. To stay in touch it just shows you the strength of the league really that everyone is beating everyone and it shows today’s with Ashford down at the bottom being two-nil up at half-time.”

Jenkins, however, feels John Cumberbatch will steer his side clear of the drop zone.

He said: “I was impressed with Ashford when we played them away from home and beat we beat them 1-0.

“A strong side, they’ve got some players who know how to pass it. Obviously a couple of goals were a bit weak from our point of view defensively but every team we’ve played against have been decent, so it’s going to be a hard league to win or even to be promoted from.”

But can Cray Wanderers emulate their landlords Bromley two years ago by pulling together consistent results during the second half of the season to secure a play-off berth?

“Realistically, if you can go on a run you never know what’s going to happen,” replied Jenkins.

“We all know what happened to Bromley the other year. They were out of it this time of year, a lot of points behind the top sides and they went on a run and got promoted through the play-off’s.

“We’ve got games in hand on the top teams so you don’t know. You have to beat these sides (so) if you beat them then you’re picking up double points really, aren’t you?”