Cray Wanderers made it three straight wins away from home with perhaps their most impressive performance of the season as a Luke Medley hat-trick gave Cray a 4-1 win at South Park.

In the first ever league meeting between the sides Cray soaked up early pressure from the home side to lead 2-0 at the break with two well take goals from Medley.  South Park pulled a goal back in the 68th minute but two minutes Cray restored their two goal advantage with a Sol Taiwo penalty.  Medley completed his classy hat-trick eight minutes from time and helped Cray move up to eighth in the league table, four points behind Greenwich Borough in the playoff positions.

South Park had won their last seven league games and started confidently but the nearest they came to scoring came when Ben King volleyed over.  

Despite the Sparks pressure it was Cray who went in front on the half hour.  Following a throw in down the right, the ball came to Medley who ran on and from just inside the penalty area fired in a shot which took a slight deflection off Asa Rixon-Nicholls which wrong footed keeper Callum Thomas and curled into the net for his fourth goal in just five games for Cray. 

Cray were looking deadly going forward and in the 37th minute went two up with another fine piece of finishing from Medley when Leigh Bremner's pass split the defence and Medley ran on and as the keeper came well off his line, took the ball round him and stroked the ball into the net.

Before half time, Bremner saw a shot pushed behind by Thomas as Cray continued to look menacing going forward.

The second half saw a sustained period of pressure from South Park but came up against a determined Cray defence with Nick Blue calm and assured in goal and was well protected.  However, South Park pulled a goal back in the 68th minute when captain, Kieran Lavery was played through and drove home from eight yards to set up a dramatic finish.

Two minutes later  though Cray were awarded a penalty when Medley was adjudged to have been fouled by Chris Smith and the referee pointed to the spot.  Sol Taiwo slotted home the penalty with great assurance to give Cray breathing space.

The scoring was completed eight minutes from time with Medley completing his hat-trick when he picked up a pass from Bremner down the left who ran on into the area, turned past a defender and placed rather than blasted a sweet shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

The Wands saw out the remainder of the game and Tony Russell’s men look in fine fettle ahead of some big games still to come this season including on Saturday when Cray entertain seventh placed Lewes at Hayes Lane.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Ben Mundele, Grant Basey (Brandon Scott, 57), Jay Leader, Jai McKinlay, Lea Dawson, Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Sol Taiwo, HT), Leigh Bremner, Luke Medley, Jey Siva:  Subs:  Dane Luchford, Timi Osidobu, Paul Lorraine

Att:  92