More Saturday sunshine for the third weekend in a row although the sun disappeared by the time I was back in Kent and a chilly afternoon in store instead. A second trip to Hayes Lane for me in the space of seven weeks, the last a 2-0 win for Barnet in early August.
This time it Bromley’s tenant’s Cray Wanderers taking on a relegated  Cheshunt side not yet up with the pace of the Isthmian League Premier Division. Granted their hosts are yet to find top form, although the last league outing for the Wands resulted in their first win of the league season.
Cray should have been in front just a minute into the game, Nyren Clunis forcing Ambers keeper Joe Rose into tipping the ball over the bar in the game’s first attack on goal.
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The game settled down after that with both sides testing each other out but not a premium amount of chances being created. The visitors were the better in possession, the hosts forced into an early substitution as Will Wood was replaced by Jamie Mascoll.
And it was the substitute who opened the scoring just before the half hour mark, a good passing move saw Ellis Brown play in Mascoll who drilled the ball in the bottom right hand corner for the first goal of the game.
Two minutes later it should have been doubled, Gary Lockyer heading past the post much to the relief of the travelling support. The pace of the visitors breaking from midfield took a while for the Wands to get to grips with, unable to keep hold of the ball for long despite their one goal lead.
A superb save on the brink of half time by home keeper Shaun Rowley kept the hosts in front at half time, possibly just a fair reflection on the opening 45 minutes.
As expected the Ambers came out taking the game to the hosts but also cautious of the need to keep it tight and not concede again. Intense pressure on the Cray back line just after the hour mark saw the visitors gain their equaliser, Soloman Baugh cutting inside from the right and firing home past Rowley.
However, eight minutes later the Wands were back in front, a corner headed down in the box and George Porter was on hand to stab the ball past Rose to restore the home side’s lead.
The Wands came on strong again to try and put the game beyond their visitors but couldn’t find the net, and repelled the final minutes plus stoppage time of Ambers pressure to record back to back league wins and move outside of the bottom four.
A very lively game at times, the ball controlled better by the visitors and at times for the hosts like a hot potato in the first half. Cray certainly grew into the game better in the second half and possibly just shaded things to deserve the win.
Great as always to see Ally Maloney and Tim O’Shea before the game and a good catch up with Wands chairman Gary Hillman and of course the gaffer Neil Smith, always some great football chat with these two guys.
An added bonus, former Bees man Sam Skeffington was in the bar after the game, a guy I like as a player and finding where he’s at currently after release from Erith & Belvedere, hopefully he’s back in the game soon.
