Bostik South East champions, Cray Wanderers completed a clean sheet double with a win at Three Bridges.

Manager Tony Russell made four changes to the team that beat Ashford United to claim the title and the incoming players included long term injured Barney Williams and debutant Charles Etumnu.

On a hot day, Cray were a little slow out of the blocks and Ibby Akanbi fired just wide for Three Bridges. Lee Hall then drew Nick Blue out of his goal but when it came to Akanbi, he didn’t have a clear sight and headed wide.

Williams had the visitor’s first goal attempt with a shot destined for the top corner but James Shaw made an outstanding save.

Mitchell Nelson’s ‘eye of a needle’ through ball sent Archie Johnson away but his well struck drive was kept out by Shaw’s shins.

Nelson thought that he’d put Cray ahead with a firm header from Freddie Parker’s free kick but he had strayed into an offside position and it was disallowed.

Jordan Clarke found Parker but his shot was deflected wide however it wasn’t all one way traffic and Williams made a brilliant intervention to keep out Dean Gunner

Parker fired over from twenty yards and had another opportunity at the end of a good move but he again fired over.

Connor French had a sniff for the hosts but couldn’t get any power in his shot and Blue saved easily.

Three minutes before the break, Cray went ahead. Another long Nelson through ball was flicked on brilliantly by Johnson and Parker burst through to score via the far post.

Early in the second period, Parker again came close. He played a one-two with Williams but shot just over.

At the other end Andrew Sesay went on a good run down the wing and his excellent cross hit Brannon O’Neill and looped over.

Etumnu, looking to mark his first appearance with a goal shot just wide but it didn’t take long for Cray to add a second. Williams collected a pin-point pass by Blue before finding Clarke. He picked out Joe Taylor and the Cray hit-man made no mistake.

Akanbi came close to halving the arrears when his shot came back off the near post before Johnson again caused problems for the Three Bridges defence when cutting in and bringing a good save out of Shaw.

Clarke hit a low drive that went just wide with Shaw a spectator before Akanbi sent Sesay away but Blue was out quickly to block.

As the game entered the closing stages Blue had to save a free kick from John Lansdale before finishing with a double save. First he beat out an arrow free kick from O’Neill then he got up quickly to save Hall’s follow up.

Cray Wanderers: Blue, Williams, Carlse, Phipp (Mundele 84), Nelson, Etumnu, Roberts, Parker (Pritchard 76), Taylor, Clarke, Johnson. Subs not used: Federico, Dadson, Dent.