Kentish Football 
Tooting & Mitcham United 0-3 Cray Wanderers - It's great we're still going for it, says Ian Jenkins
Terrific goals from his strike force of Leigh Bremner and Laurent Hamici was topped off last on when veteran Tony Dolby was on hand to bundle the ball over the line after Hamici’s late penalty had been blocked.
Naturally enough, Jenkins was a happy man when he spoke after the match. He said, "Lovely day – nice conditions to watch the game and a good performance on the pitch. I thought we played really well – we handled the conditions really well; I thought our fitness was realty really good given the conditions – well happy with that!
"To be fair to Tooting they did water the pitch before the game but it didn’t really look like it did it? It was similar to where we train at the minute if I’m honest with you. A dodgy old bit of grass where we have to play two touch or half touch and that bodes well for this time of the season. We do try and get it down and play a bit of football."
And that they most definitely did despite sweltering conditions and the visitors could have been in front in the opening seconds.
Jack Clark brilliant ball in from the left was met with a glancing header that flashed narrowly wide.
Tooting responded and Luke Wanadio was only denied by Cray keeper Dave Kings long left arm as the striker seemed to have got through, before Michael Noone headed over unopposed from six yards out.
With both Jenkins and his assistant Joe Francis pacing round the technical area bare footed, you somehow knew that if Cray got in front they could go on and record a big win.
The game was moving at a frantic rate and on 15 minutes Bremner will have been disappointed that he couldn’t lift the ball over Jamie Butler in the home goal after Kings huge clearance released the striker – he could only shoot straight at the keeper who did to be fair produced a fine save.
Finally the goal was broken with a move straight off the Cray grassy training camp! Mark Willy flicked on Clark’s quality right wing corner and Bremner got the slightest glance to send the ball into the net for his thirteenth goal of the season.
Cray then went looking for a second before the break, but Butler denied Bremner before Aaron Day saw a header flash across the face of goal before the keeper produced a stunning one handed save to deny Willy at the back post.
The second half began with the home side on top, and first Hasim Deen sent a flying hearer over, before substitute Sol Pinnock saw his one on one effort thwarted by a fine stand up save from King.
How the home side were to rue those misses as Cray doubled their lead just past the hour, as Hamici netted his 26th goal of the season.
Clark played a stunning ball down the line and Hamici was away; dropping his shoulder to dummy the defender before blasting home from the edge of the box – a goal that had Jenkins purring afterwards.
"The goal from Lol was just like he's been scoring all season long and what he’s doing now is linking well with Brems and that’s where the goal came from today."
Jenkins went on, "The last six seven games he’s looked like a complete centre forward for us for us as he's bringing other into the game which is brilliant for us. Clarky the young lad who’s got a great left foot on him and Phillo (Danny Phillips) does what he does – wherever you are on the pitch he not afraid to get on it anywhere, and given the conditions he just kept running and running. Full credit to him, but it was a good all round performance today as even Kingy’s come back to his old club and made a couple of really good saves."
True words from the boss as despite the sweltering heat, Phillips running, harrying, tacking and super passing really was a joy to behold and could easily be used to show to youngster exactly how a midfielder should play.
Tooting now faced a mountain and it was no surprise that Cray now upped the tempo as they went for the third goal that would kill the game off.
Hamici so nearly had number 27 for the season after somehow bursting through three defenders, but his shot was somehow deflected over by a stray boot, whilst Clark grazed the base of a post from 25 yards after a free kick routine didn’t quiet work the way that Jenkins and Francis would have wanted it to.
Clark was then denied by a fabulous save from Butler as the keeper clawed away a free kick from underneath his bar – the keeper was looking directly into the sun as Clark curled the free kick towards the top corner.
The youngster was outstanding all afternoon playing down the left, and Jenkins admitted that he’s potentially found another gem.
"Jack went to Dartford to play in a Trophy game to do Tony (Burman) a favour as he hadn’t played in it for us, but he’s happy here.
"He knew Joe from his Charlton days, and he’s happy here. I think he’ll stick around as I hope that most of them will. All we try and do is to enjoy ourselves once we’re here. Once they cross the white lines they know that they’ve got to work hard and put in the performances.
"I suppose I’m a bit more laid back as a manager than most I suppose but there are things that I’ll leave to Joe but with me it’s all about motivation. I’ve played under a few managers and I think that bits of them have rubbed off on me and that’s why I do things!"
The game was rubber stamped six minutes from time, when the ever-running Chris Saunders was felled in the box.
Just as Hamici prepared to take the kick, veteran Dolby whispered something to the young striker, who the promptly saw his penalty well blocked by Butler, who was unlucky to see the only man in the six yard box was… Dolby, who rolled the ball into the empty net!
Now I wonder exactly what was said between the two?
Cray almost finished off in style as in stoppage time both Dolby and fellow substitute Carl Gibbs had shots cleared off of the line before King preserved his clean sheet with a fine low block to deny Pinnock a last gasp consolation.
And so Cray have two games left in their 150th season and they’re still just about in the play-off hunt – a fact that wasn’t lost on Jenkins. "Its great that we’re still going in the play-off hunt being so far down the League," he said. "Lets keep it going til Monday (when Cray host Margate) and let’s see what happens.
"Looking at results today it looks like we’ll still be in with a chance come Monday so lets get a result and see what happens.
"It’s good to see Chris (Kinnear) back too – hopefully they can get a result against Lowestoft tomorrow and do us a massive favour so that he can tell me all about it on Monday, but its great to have him back!"
Tooting & Mitcham United: Jamie Butler, Matt Drace, Jamie Byatt (Aaron Goode 35), Taylor Thomas, Hasim Deen, Michael Noone, Billy Crook, Reece Hall (Sol Pinnock 78), Tyrone Sealey, Terry Dixon, Luke Wanadio.
Subs: Jordan Wilson, Marlon Wallen
Booked: Terry Dixon 78
Cray Wanderers: Dave King, Allan McLeod (Tyrone Sterling 47), Ale Bentley, Chris Saunders, Mark Willy, John Guest (Tony Dolby 73), Leigh Bremner (Carl Gibbs 81), Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, Jack Clark.
Subs: Steve Lazano, Scott Chalmers Stevens
Goals: Leigh Bremner 30, Laurent Hamici 62, Tony Dolby 84
Attendance: 324
Referee: Mr Alex Neil (North Cheam, Surrey)
Assistants: Mr Tim Hatt (Redhill, Surrey) & Mr Peter Crichlow (Carshalton, Surrey)
Red Dragon I.T. Ltd