East Grinstead Town completed a league double over Cray Wanderers as the Wands disappointing league form continued making it seven games without a win for Tony Russell’s side. 

Cray began the game the more threatening side with Jay Leader in particular posing problems for the home side.  Firstly a left wing corner from Karl Dent was flicked by Leader towards the near post but was cleared away by Drew Cooney and then another flick on by Leader fell to Brandon Scott but his effort was blocked.  This was followed by a Jey Siva floated free kick leading to a header from Leader straight at keeper Chris Haigh and a Brandon Scott effort which went wide.

In the 20th minute and totally unexpectedly, East Grinstead had the chance to take the lead.  The ball was worked down the right to Alex Gaggin who put a ball across to Travis Gregory who was adjudged to have been brought down inside the area by Paul Lorraine. Dan Hogan stepped up and coolly slotted the ball past Nick Blue to give the Wasps the lead.

The Wands were caught again with another sucker punch eleven minutes before half time when a move down the left saw Hogan somehow squeeze a ball through to Marcus Elliott who had a clear sight of goal and crashed a fine shot into the net for his 23rd goal of the season.

Cray looked to get back into it before half time and began to carve out openings.  Firstly, straight after the second goal, Ben Mundele found himself inside the area and his shot from six yards came off the foot of Haigh and the ball was cleared.   Then from a throw in the ball was flicked on by Leader to Dent who turned a shot wide of the left post as did Scott shortly after.  The best chance of the half for Cray came four minutes before half time when Siva’s right wing corner to the far post was met by the head of Leader which came back off the angle of post and crossbar and Nathan Fox following up was unlucky to see his header from five yards go over the bar.

A minute later, Cray had a let off when again Hogan found Elliott down the left who as Blue advanced from goal took the ball round him but from a rather tight angle saw his goalbound effort cleared off the line by a combination of Lorraine and Fox to leave the home side with a 2-0 lead at the break.

Cray started the second half brightly with Scott taking advantage of hesitancy at the back to work his way down the right and put over a fine cross to the far post where Medley couldn’t divert his header on goal.  Then Dent tested Haigh with a shot from twenty yards and from a corner, Siva’s cross was pushed away by Haigh under pressure out to Leader who fired over the bar..

East Grinstead were perhaps being a lot more clinical in their finishing and in the 58th minute scored a third goal when from a quick break Tom Cadman found Gregory who ran on and placed a shot wide of Blue to make it 3-0.

Medley then hit the post for Cray before they did pull a goal back in the 65th minute when Mundele was brought down by Cadman for a penalty.  Medley stepped up to confidently score from the spot.

The Wand’s hopes though of one of their legendary comebacks this season were dashed three minutes later when Cray never really cleared their lines following a corner.  The right wing cross was only partially cleared and the loose ball was despatched emphatically by Gregory down the left to make it 4-1.

Cray did have the last word on the day when two minutes into stoppage time, Medley was upended by McIntyre for the third penalty award of the afternoon.  Again, Medley despatched the penalty well although Haigh was close to getting his hand to the shot.

The defeat for Cray drops them down one place to twelfth in the table one place behind next Saturday’s opponents South Park both on 57 points.

Cray:   Nick Blue, Nathan Fox, Jey Siva (Timi Osidobu, 75), Jay Leader (Capt.), Paul Lorraine, Zak Henry, Sean Roberts, Karl Dent (Dane Luchford, 58), Luke Medley, Ben Mundele, Brandon Scott (Anthony Adesite, 58): Subs: Sean Law, Jai McKinlay   

Attendance:   109