Late Wands snatch a point

It isn’t often we get to watch football on a Friday night- and to have three matches to pick from was indeed a rare treat. So, which major road to get stuck on? There was the choice of the M25, the M11 or the M2, and the first two won, so after a battle with the Dartford Tunnel we arrived at Bishop’s Stortford’s R&D Advisors UK Stadium to watch the Blues take on Cray Wanderers.
By the way, the other options were Margate and Ashford Town. Both lovely in their way, and we’ll undoubtedly get to them both before May, traffic willing!

The last time the Wands travelled to face the Blues, there was jeopardy in the air. Stortford needed three points to guarantee home advantage in the Play Off’s- all the way to the final, should they reach it, and we were sure they would (we were very wrong)- whilst Cray were desperately close to relegation, with Leatherhead breathing down their necks. The air tonight was far clearer, filled only with the smell of fried onions- by the way, the food was superb- and both sides were relatively content with their starts to the season and with nothing really to worry about.

The home side still bore a passing resemblance to that which was here on 23rd April. The squad for the narrow Stortford defeat against Lewes last weekend saw eight of the names from that three-one win feature; perhaps proof positive that if something works you don’t change it that much. The Wands side for their victory over Canvey Island, however, had but one survivor- Anthony Cook. Given their narrow escape, manager Neil Smith had obviously come to the conclusion that it didn’t work and had to be changed, and it seemed difficult to argue. This years Wands promised, on paper at least, to give the Blues- who won both matches between the sides last season- much more to worry about.

The away fans were the first to grace the stadium with their presence. As they filed through the turnstile, bought raffle tickets and enquired about programmes, a Lauda Air jet came into land at Stansted Airport, not too far behind the left hand terrace. It seemed to wobble slightly in the air, perhaps moved forcibly by the sheer volume of the music coming from the speakers attached to the floodlight stanchions at each corner of the ground. From a human perspective, too long close to those and your ears would bleed- they were, if you like, louder than Lauda. If you’re one of those fans who moan that you can never hear the announcements, come to Stortford. Or, if you like, stay at home- you’ll still hear them!

The visitors got us underway, whilst a large number of home fans appeared as if from nowhere- seriously, one minute the terrace behind Shaun Rowley in the Cray goal was empty, the next it was full. The visitors may be the Wands, but there’s some strange magic going on around here! Either that or the Blues have a bar with a very large capacity and a large number of exit doors.

The early pressure came from Cray, who looked very composed at both ends of the field. Michael Ademiluyi, operating down the right wing, was quick to catch the eye- indeed, he was quick on every level- and he was causing the most consternation in the home defence. The first shot, in the eleventh minute, was unsurprisingly for the visitors- a Nyren Clunis effort saved- but that spurred the hosts into action, and suddenly we were end to end, which woke up the home fans for the first time. They were well and truly awake on fifteen minutes; a lovely passing move seeing the ball end up at the feet of Frankie Merrifield. A pause, a look, and the ball curled around the despairing dive of Rowley to nestle in the corner of the net. One-nil- perhaps slightly against the balance of play, but a beautiful finish, unsurprising from a player who scored twenty one goals last season, some real corkers amongst them. Two minutes later and it was almost two- an effort from Oliver Peters beating Rowley but crashing back off the bar. The confidence that a goal gives you was coursing through the home team, and the visitors looked rattled.

The frantic pace dropped a little as we reached the midway point of the half, but there was still much to admire about the play from both sides; particularly the hosts, for whom Jack Thomas in the centre of midfield was having a fine game. Cray began to make inroads, and a cross to the back post was just too high for Tom Derry to head goalwards, but they weren’t really troubling Jack Giddens, and their lack of penetration was perhaps illustrated when Sam Skeffington had a shot which went out for a throw in.

“Good effort,” shouted his bench. The Wands number four knew otherwise. That said, the next effort at the other end, from Peters, could have downed a low flying aircraft, so it wasn’t just Cray that were struggling to find their range. More home pressure, a scramble in the box, and Jonathan Giles was the next to miss the target- this time, rather more narrowly.

It was then the visitors turn to have a purple patch. “Come on you Wands,” sang their fans, as a Clunis effort was deflected for a corner. That came to naught, but another corner soon followed, which…also came to naught. When called upon, the home defence was standing strong- and the Blues were quick to turn defence into attack, too. We ended the half with more Cray pressure; a fantastic run from Sam Wood earning a corner, a shot from Skeffington clearing the bar as he beat the ground in frustration, and then a wild defensive clearance ending the half. The hosts remained ahead, and on the balance of play just about deserved their lead.

Fifteen minutes passed, the players changed ends, the supporters changed ends, and off we went again. As with the first half, the first pressure was with the visitors, and the first chance- Derry unable to get any power behind a header which Giddens was able to hold without much trouble. Immediately at the other end Giles expertly worked himself a shooting chance just inside the box, and Rowley was able to block it, before his defence scrambled it clear. In the melee, an injury, and Darren Foxley had to be helped off the pitch, to be replaced by Terrell Egbri. Applause filled both ends of the stadium as the stricken player hobbled to a seat.

Wands made a double change. Sinn'kaye Christie and Anthony Cook entered the fray, and they also had an attacking free kick, which was headed out for a corner. Ademiluyi and Harold Joseph were the players departing. The visitors continued to apply pressure, and the home fans grew restless, until their side regained the initiative- Egbri forcing Rowley to tip away what looked more like a cross than a shot but wasn’t far away from the top corner.

Another home change, this one surprising. Jonny Giles- who had been one of the hosts most effective players- left the field, Chris Harris replacing him. Almost immediately a free kick played by Rowley from a wide position only found a blue shirt on the half way line, and Harris was played through with the keeper scurrying back, but he couldn’t make the chance count. You’d perhaps think that if he’d been on the pitch more than thirty seconds the Stortford number nine might have done a little better, but that might be slightly unfair. Only slightly, mind.

He was almost through again just a minute later, and this time showed a deft touch, but was unable to get a shot off. At this the attendance was announced as three hundred and ninety nine- it looked more.

Cray had another corner. It was cleared, but the first time ball back into the box was met by Jalen Jones, who was only able to head wide. The home fans in the main stand groaned, anxiously, as ahead of them Foxley headed for the tunnel, on crutches. Another Wands shot, another corner, and a shot by Danny Bassett, under pressure, which ended up on the roof of the terrace. We had reached the midway point of the half, and we still had just the one goal to show for all the endeavour. Harris tried to change that; another probing Blues attack, another shot- from the edge of the box- deflected narrowly wide. Another change, Billy Crook entering the fray for Cray. Thomas was then replaced for the Blues, to a deserved round of applause, Matthew Johnson introduced.

The equaliser, when it came, was expertly finished by Mitch Chapman, the ball falling to him in the box, unmarked. He put it away well, but it must be said he’d had far too much time to pick a spot, unchallenged. It was perhaps the first time this evening that a Cray forward had found themselves unattended by a defender in the box, and the outcome was predictable. At the other end, though, Harris was through, the stadium held its breath- and the shot was pulled devastatingly wide. We entered the last ten minutes, whilst the main stand groaned, loudly.

The ball moved frantically from end to end, both sides searching for a winner. Bassett saw a shot curl narrowly wide- it looked to have taken a deflection, but a goal kick was given. A Stortford corner was cleared, and Crook gave away a free kick trying to ensure the danger ended- and was booked, perhaps unluckily. The free kick cleared the box and went wide, whilst both managers- Alias Smith and Smith- vented their anguish on the touchline. A long stoppage as Jones was treated for cramp annoyed the home faithful- and then there were five, with, you suspected, at least five more to be added on.
When the board went up, it was exactly five.
We’d just entered stoppage time when the visitors threatened to win the match. The ball fell to Bassett, and his shot, slightly scuffed, forced Giddens into a scrambling save to his right. The corner, when it arrived, was headed just over by Cook, and Wands kept up their pressure, before the ball went up the other end and the hosts tried to get the winner. A long, long throw into the box was headed behind for a corner, and we moved into the last thirty seconds. Could they? Nearly, a defensive header skimming the top of the bar and another corner awarded. This time? No. Safely into the arms of Rowley.

And that was that. A draw was probably a fair result, and the football had been continually entertaining.

So, what had we learned. Well, it’s perhaps too early to be making predictions, but here are two. This Cray side are far too good to be troubling the wrong end of the table this season.

And those who predicted the Blues to be amongst the frontrunners look to be on the money.

Follow the Pitching In Isthmian League on Instagram. Head here or search for theisthmianleague on your app. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.