Kentish Football 
Wealdstone 0-1 Cray Wanderers - Magnificent Laurent Hamici will become a better player, says Francis
Monday 04th April 2011
WEALDSTONE 0-1 CRAY WANDERERS
Ryman Premier League
Monday 4th April 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Grosvenor Vale
CRAY WANDERERS’ assistant manager Joe Francis says his side must win all of their last remaining five league games if they are to stand a chance of grabbing a play-off berth at the end of the month.
A 3-1 home win over Hendon at the weekend was followed by a resilient single goal victory at Wealdstone tonight, a result that sees the Wands leapfrog over AFC Hornchurch into tenth place in the Ryman Premier League table - just four points adrift of fifth-placed Tonbridge Angels.
Francis, who emerged from the dressing room first, says his side must complete their league campaign with wins over Kingstonian, Bury Town, Tooting & Mitcham United, Margate and Harrow Borough, to give themselves a chance of finishing their 150th Anniversary in the play-off lottery.
“Listen, we said two games ago, we have to win seven out of seven, that’s what we said to the players and that’s our target,” said Francis, as Laurent Hamici’s 25th goal of the season inflicted Wealdstone’s third successive league defeat.
Wealdstone dominated proceedings for the first 20 minutes, without troubling visiting goalkeeper Dave King.
“We didn’t start too well, but we grew into the game, but we’ve got a little bit of belief back,” said Francis.
“We know that Gordon (Bartlett’s) sides are always good and after weathering he first sort of 15-20 minutes, because they started very lively, I thought we got better and better. We were more of a threat going forward and our midfield got a few second balls, especially second half. I thought that we could’ve picked them off and scored more.”
The hosts should have opened the scoring inside the opening six minutes, when Peter Dean’s pass released winger Nikki Ahamed, who cut inside from the right, rounded the advancing King, but his centre should have been converted by Kurtney Brooks, who chipped the ball over the crossbar, when it seemed easier to score.
Skilful Cray Wanderers’ midfielder, Danny Phillips, picked up the ball some thirty-yards from goal, only to send a left-footed shot sailing over, after Wealdstone lost possession.
Wealdstone went close in the fourteenth minute when Dean drove a shot across King, but the ball bounced wide of the far post. This was Wealdstone’s best spell of the game.
Cray Wanderers’ right-back, Allan McLeod, floated a corner towards the far post from the right-hand side, but John Guest could only direct his header across goal and wide of the far post at the half-way stage.
Another half-chance came their way within a minute when Ross Lover’s corner from the left was headed out at the near post and the ball fell to Phillips, who was lurking unmarked on the edge of the box, and his left-footed drive deflected over.
Wealdstone winger, Nikki Ahamed drilled a right-footed shot just past the foot of the right hand post, a miss they were soon to regret as Cray Wanderers notched their seventeenth league win of the season, with a piece of sheer quality from Frenchman Hamici inside first-half injury time.
Lover sprayed the ball to find Hamici down the left flank and Hamici cut inside and unleashed a stunning, powerful right-footed drive from just inside the corner of the penalty area, and the ball flew across keeper Jonathan North to find the far corner of the net.
Francis admitted that Hamici and Leigh Bremner have formed the perfect partnership. Bremner worked tirelessly as usual and Hamici adds the firepower.
He said: “That is Laurent’s strength, when he drifts out wide and cuts inside into the box he’s got an absolute lethal strike. If he does connect it’s only going in one place. It was a magnificent goal. A magnificent goal!
“Laurent’s learning that if he works hard and does all the other things a centre forward should do, good things happen.”
Francis added: “Of course we do (want to keep him here next season), because he’ll become a better player, but he can’t do it on his own and Leigh Bremner is a great foil for him because he runs the channels and he works so hard.
“You can see their playing together now, especially in the last two games. They’ve learnt that if one goes up for a header, the other goes on and there’s good link (up play) there and they’re looking to set each other up and that’s what I like.
“The work-rate from everybody tonight was fantastic!”
This goal rocked Wealdstone as the Kent visitors were by far the better side after the interval and created numerous chances to increase their lead.
Lover swung in a right-footed free-kick from just outside the corner of the penalty box and Mark Willy was left unmarked at the near post and the central defender powered his header over the crossbar.
Lover then exchanged a one-two with Hamici -who scored the only goal when the two sides met at Hayes Lane last November - and Lover was denied by North, who tipped the fierce right-footed drive over his crossbar after 51 minutes.
And from McLeod’s resulting corner, Willy’s downward header bounced off the pitch and looped over the crossbar.
Cray Wanderers looked comfortable during the second half and there was a flat atmosphere from the Wealdstone fans in what is normally a hostile ground to visit.
Hamici released his strike partner Leigh Bremner, who cut inside left-back Lee Chappell, but drilled a low left-footed shot just past the foot of the near post.
But despite Cray’s dominance, you always felt Wealdstone would create one chance and Francis praised King for preventing an equaliser in the final seven minutes.
Francis said: “Listen if you want to win games everybody has got to contribute and Dave’s had two good games and he’s decision making tonight was excellent.”
Wealdstone split open the Cray defence for the only time in the second half when Gavin Massey played in Dean through on goal, but King raced off his line to block the right-footed shot from penalty spot range.
Wealdstone keeper North was in action at both ends of the pitch towards the end of the game.
The keeper dived low to his right to prevent Phillips scoring with a header after he met Guest’s cross from the right and North almost grabbed a point with the last action of the game.
Brooks swung in a corner from the right, which King did well to push away under pressure, but the Wealdstone keeper nodded the ball back into King’s gloves.
Francis added: “All round the park, for 70 minutes of that game, we were the better side.
“It was a collective performance. I don’t like signalling out individuals. Just all round the park everyone contributed and when you can be a threat going forward and the team has belief in the two boys’ up front that they can keep the ball and they can work centre halves, they can shut down full-backs, it gives the whole team a lift.”
Tonight’s win will give Cray Wanderers confidence going into Saturday’s game away to Kingstonian and Francis said: “Players are buzzing in there and it opens up your week for you. Players will have to go back to work do their Monday to Friday and we’ll have a light training session on Thursday and keep if light because at this stage of the season players suffer from fatigue, knocks, strains and pulls and it sets up the week fantastic because it’s a long way home now.”\
Wealdstone: Jonathan North, James Hammond, Lee Chappell, Alan Massey, Alex Dyer (Eddie Adjei 46), Nikki Ahamed, Kurtney Brooks, Gavin Massey, Peter Dean, Callum Martin (Peter Martin 80).
Subs: James Duncan, Bar Hariely, Sean Thomas
Booked: Kurtney Brooks 38, Alex Dyer 41
Cray Wanderers: Dave King, Allan McLeod, Tyrone Sterling, Chris Saunders, Mark Willy, John Guest, Ross Lover (Alex Bentley 80), Aaron Day, Laurent Hamici, Danny Phillips, Leigh Bremner.
Subs: Carl Gibbs, Taser Hussain, Steve Lozano, Jack Clark
Goal: Laurent Hamici 45
Booked: Allan McLeod 24
Attendance: 351
Referee: Mr Gary Young (Flitton, Bedfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Paul Johnson (London SW20) & Mr Hilary Achegenui (London SW2)
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