We have to be at our best to get results, says Cray Wanderers boss Ian Jenkins

CRAY WANDERERS manager Ian Jenkins says he will be gutted if his beloved club suffer their first relegation next week.



Jenkins’ side welcome fourteenth-placed Hampton & Richmond Borough to Hayes Lane tomorrow, looking to win only their third home league game of the season.

Their last two games are described as must-win six-pointers when they welcome second-from-bottom Lewes to Hayes Lane on Tuesday night, before ending their campaign with a trip to eighteenth-placed Wingate & Finchley on 27 April.

Jenkins, 45, described the last week of the season “a massive week,” but remains positive that they can claw themselves out of trouble.

He said: “The games have been massive since Christmas to be honest with you, since we’ve been on a bad run.

“Saturday is the most important. If we can get a good result and win the game, it might even take care of things.

“The other teams around us have got difficult games to play.  Hastings have  three away games in their last four.  We’ve got to play Lewes and Wingate & Finchley, so to say it’s in our hands, yes.

“We’ve got key players missing, which is not going to help us. Players like Mark Willy and Chris Saunders’ out injured, so we have to be at our best to get results.”

Cray Wanderers have only won two home league games this season and they must replicate that form in their last two games at Hayes Lane to help beat the drop.

But calm Jenkins doesn’t mind taking it to their last game of the season.

“We ain’t got to because we can win away from home, can’t we?” replied Jenkins. 

“We’re at Wingate & Finchley and if we need to (take it to the last game of the season) I’ll have to.  That’s football for you.

“If we win Saturday it takes a lot of pressure off everyone at the club, but we’ll see how we get on.

“I’ve never been involved with anything like this so it’s all new to me, so I just want to carry on playing like we have been playing and get the players relaxed if we can, which they are most of the time.”

Jenkins has challenged his players to perform to their maximum because he doesn’t want to suffer his first ever relegation in his 20 years at the club.

“We’re still involved, which is good, we’re not down so I’ll take the positives out of that,” he said.

“I’ve got a good set of players wrapped around me.  I’m quite happy with the players that I’ve got.  I’m not happy where we are in the league.  I’ve had worst moments when we’ve been knocked out of cups and lost play-off finals.  They’re the worst moments because they’re one-off games but it’s in our hands. Let’s go with it.”

Jenkins insists he will not change the way he plays.

He said: “We ask for 100% from the players every week and they normally always give us all that.  Just go out there and enjoy yourselves, like we have been most of the years that I’ve been involved, playing football the way it should be played, that’s all I ask of them.  Try to relax and knock it around as much as you can.”

Cray Wanderers’ home game against Lewes next Tuesday could be described as arguably the biggest game in the club’s history.

“It will be at the moment,” admitted Jenkins.  “If we get a result on Saturday that becomes different because they could lose couldn’t they and other teams could lose around us and we’re safe sort of thing. It is a big game.  The players will realise that when it comes along.”

When asked whether he is thinking about relegation, Jenkins replied: “No! You asked me that the other week!  I never think about that! I look at the table and see where we are and what’s happening – but I can’t.  I can’t do that. I’d be gutted if it ever happened.”

Jenkins calls upon the club’s supporters to get to their last three games in their droves and give his side the support they need to get safely over the finishing line.

Jenkins praised the club’s small fan-base and said: “I think they’ve been fantastic.  They’ve been really, really good. 

“We had a fans’ forum not so long ago and I think that’s helped the club.  Everyone knows where we stand now with (chairman) Gary Hillman financially and where I am as a manager and what I have to do as a manager to keep the players at the club and things like that.

“They get behind us, they always do. That’s what supporters’ are all about. You’re going to get bad times but you’ve got to get behind us. We’re a small club and we’ve come a long, long way and I want to stay in the division.”

Jenkins deserves a slice of luck – and the points needed to survive – because he will be pounding the streets of London on Sunday to run in the marathon to raise funds for Breast Cancer Campaign.

“I can’t wait to be honest with you.  Thanks to all the people that have sponsored me so far. They can still sponsor me right up until the end of June.  If people ain’t sponsored me then please get behind me because it’s a really good cause.”

When asked how much he has raised so far – and the time target that he has set himself, Jenkins replied: “Nearly £1,400 on line and off line probably another thousand pounds.  I’ll be there at the ground tomorrow with my forms and my buckets for the players so hopefully I can fill them up.

“I done 4 hours 12 minutes last year so I want to go under four hours. Training has been going well.  The weekend’s going to be quite hot on Sunday so it’s going to be tough to run in, but it would be great to get under four hours.”

Please donate generously at www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/IanJENKOJenkins  

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.pitchero.com/clubs/craywands

Cray Wanderers  v  Hampton & Richmond Borough
Ryman Premier League
Saturday 20^th April 2013
Kick Off 3:00pm
At Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent BR2 9EF