Cray Wanderers difficult run continued as Brightlingsea Regent inflicted a sixth straight defeat despite being down to ten men from the 8th minut. The Essex side showed resolve to score two well taken through Ken Feyi in each half and despite late Cray pressure held on to win and make it three wins out of four visits to Cray Wanderers.

Both sides were searching for an end to their losing runs as Regent had lost their last four games and the match got off to quick start and Cray had the first shooting opportunity when down the left Adam Coombes cross found Andy Drury down the right who cut inside and fired wide of the right post.  Then from a corner down the right, Drury’s ball towards the far post was headed over by Ejiro Okosieme.

In the 8th minute came the first big moment of the game when down the right Billy Wales went for the ball in a challenge and caught Anthony Cook with a stamp and was promptly shown the red card by referee Michael Smith.

Despite the setback for the visitors it was Brightlingsea who went in front in the 11th minute when Freddy Barton’s back pass caught Okosieme flat footed and was latched onto by Ken Feyi who broke into the area as Jack Turner advanced and rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into the net.

Cray came close when the ball came to Quaine Bartley whose ball across from the right was inviting but Adam Coombes just couldn’t get a touch to divert the ball goalwards.  Brightlingsea almost scored a second when Max Booth’s cross found Harry McDonald who shot wide of the right post.

 In the 26th minute Cray forged their best chance when a fine ball from Jamie Yila put Coombes  through down the left but his shot was well blocked by keeper Charlie Turner.

With five minutes left in the half for Brightlingsea, Eren Kinali tested Jack Turner with a stinging shot down the right, then a minute later from a free kic k 20 yards out, Coombes shot was pushed around the post well by Charlie Turner.

The last action of the half came virtually at the end from another free kick this time to the right and Coombes dipping shot went fractionally past the left post.

On 56 minutes out of nothing it was 2-0 to Brightlingsea when a ball was played out from the back down the right to Feyi who took on Freddie Cray and into the box and tucked home a composed finish under Turner and into the net.

 Brightlingea almost scored a third when from a corner down the right the ball was flicked goalwards by Miles Mitchell-Nelson and came out to Lewis Byrne-Hewitt who fired wide of the left post.  

Cray won a lot of corners second half and from one down the left, Jamie Yila’s cross was headed over at the far post by Okosieme.  Then Yila picked the ball up in midfield and strode towards goal but his shot which was on target just lacked the sufficient power to trouble Charlie Turner unduly. 

From another corner from Yila the ball came to Archie Burnett whose shot was blocked and then there was a lively appearance off the bench from Fjord Rogers who hit a crisp strike from outside the area which forced Turner to make a great save pushing the ball past the left post.  Into the final minutes, Cray still pushed for a goal and Freddie Cray’s ball into the box was headed towards goal by Coombes but was cleared off the line and then Yila set up Rogers whose shot was deflected off target and behind. 

The final thrust from Cray came when first Burnett set up Coombes who curled over down the left and then from a free kick, Cook’s cross was met by the head of Rogers and well pushed out by Turner and the ball was cleared.

However, Brightlingsea showed resolve to win the game and Cray now lie 18th in the Isthmian Premier league table and looked to arrest the losing run at home to Wingate  & Finchley on Wednesday night. 

Team: Jack Turner, Kasim Aidoo, Freddie Cray, Ejiro Okosieme, Freddy Barton, Charlie Allen (Archie Burnett, 55), Andy Drury (Fjord Rogers, 76), Anthony Cook, Jamie Yila, Quaine Bartley (Jack Hanson, 65), Adam Coombes: Subs: Harvey Brand, Danny Kedwell

Att: 191