Cray Wanderers moved 11 points clear at the top of the Isthmian South-East table and with their 15 game unbeaten start to the season intact despite being held at home by a strong Phoenix Sports side.

On a wet and blustery day chances were few and far between in the game as two good defences proved tough to crack but after a rare piece of indecision at the back by the Wands, Phoenix took the lead on 24 minutes when ex-Wands Alex Teniola nipped in to roll the visitors in front.  They kept the lead until two minutes after half time when Joe Taylor on his Cray Wanderers debut levelled tapping in from Junior Dadson’s cross.   

The game began in torrential rain and took a little while for the game to settle down.  Cray had the first real openings with Dadson shooting wide of the left post and Jerome Federico curling a shot over in the first quarter of an hour.  For Phoenix Sports who were eighth at the start of play their best early chance came to Kweku Ansah who shot wide of goal.

In the 24th minute Phoenix took the lead with a goal out of nothing when a ball over the top saw keeper Jordan Carey come out of his area and Mitchell Nelson’s header back was pounced on by Alex Teniola who coolly slotted the ball into the net from just outside the penalty area for his fourth league goal of the season.

Two minutes later Cray almost got back into it when Federico’s cross from the right found Taylor inside the area who cushioned a pass to Dadson whose effort was blocked by Ryan Andrews and the ball came out to Sean Roberts who fired just wide of the right post.

The Wands took just two minutes to go level with a well worked goal with the ball being played out to the left to Dadson whose first time cross to the near post was controlled and slotted home from six yards by Taylor.

On 63 minutes Cray were unlucky not to go ahead when good work down the right by Mundele saw the ball go through to Taylor who controlled the ball well and with the keeper down looked to squeeze the ball into the net but was cleared off the line by Danny Young.  For Phoenix, Teniola squeezed a shot just wide of the right post.

In the 83rd minute Phoenix were reduced to ten men when Young hauled back Dadson 25 yards from goal for a second bookable offence.

Cray looked to claim a winner with the man advantage and with four minutes to go almost grabbed the lead when Archie Johnson floated a ball into the area towards Taylor who met the ball firmly with his head and was parried away by Phillips but no-one could follow up inside the area.

In the last minute Cray almost won the match when after a patient passing move ended with Bradley Pritchard slotting a ball through to Dadson who just found a bit of space down the left of the area to crack a shot against the crossbar with the keeper beaten and the ball was cleared. Finally Ben Mundele shot wide in injury time but Cray couldn’t claim a winner and the match ended all square.

Cray are next in action on Saturday away to in-form Horsham in what will be another stiff test of the unbeaten record.       

Cray Wanderers: Jordan Carey, Ben Mundele, Barney Williams (Capt.), Jay Leader, Mitchell Nelson, Zak Henry (Archie Johnson, H/T), Sean Roberts, Bradley Pritchard, Joe Taylor, Junior Dadson, Jerome Federico (Freddie Parker, 73): Subs: Malik Solebo, Marcus Evans, Lee Lewis

Att: 162