Millers manoeuvre past Moatsiders

There have been many column inches written about Cray Valley PM this season. Their run to the First Round of the FA Cup, their draw at the Valley- and indeed the first half of last weeks replay, with Kyrell Lisbie’s dad unable to watch as his son took a penalty- created the kind of stories which underpin the romance of the competition. And yet, whilst their efforts this season have put the club firmly into the limelight, their aim at the start of the season certainly wasn’t to win the FA Cup, nor the FA Trophy, but to finally achieve the Pitching In Isthmian South East promotion they’ve been striving for since their elevation to our ranks at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

So this evening we were once more meandering along Middle Park Avenue towards the Artic Stadium, as the Millers got back to doing what was actually important. Merstham were the visitors.

That’s not to say that cup success wasn’t important. Financially, it’s undoubtedly been wonderful for the club, and hopefully whilst the limelight may have moved on some of the new fans attracted to along to watch might just stay. But when the teams walked out shortly before 7.45 PM, it was a battle between a side in ninth and a side in fourteenth. That’s not normally the clash of anyone’s wildest dreams.

Of course, the position of the hosts in the table didn’t tell the whole story, so here’s a fact for you. We’re approaching the end of November, and the Millers still have thirty two of their thirty eight league matches to play. A third of the season has come and gone, and whilst poor weather has left many of our clubs a little behind, tonight’s hosts have played just under sixteen percent of their matches. If their physio is waking up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, you wouldn’t be surprised, would you?

The achievements of boss Steve McKimm and his squad will become the stuff of legend around the club- indeed, across the league- in years to come, but the worry must be that fixture congestion might just get in the way of the promotion dream. So far, they’d managed just six league matches. They were unbeaten- the only unbeaten side in the Division- but three of the top five had played twice that number. Even our leaders, Ramsgate, distracted by their own cup exploits, have managed ten games. The Millers are thirteen points off the pace, with four games in hand. Given the Rams form, they might just have to win those games in hand to compete. Were they strong enough? Was the squad large enough to cope? Would there be a cup- and trophy- hangover? So many questions. Perhaps we were about to start getting some answers.

It’s only two weeks since we covered tonight’s opponents, Merstham, as they fell to defeat to Ramsgate. They showed promise that night, and the loss probably said more about the strength of the Rams squad than it highlighted any deficiencies amongst the Moatsiders. New boss Jamie Decruz has done a fine job since his arrival, taking a side which looked in danger of a third successive relegation battle and giving them confidence and belief. Wins over Beckenham Town, Sheppey United and Phoenix Sports have followed, and a draw at promotion chasing Sevenoaks Town at the weekend underlined the belief now coursing through the side that they can be a match for anyone. That Ramsgate defeat aside, only Ashford United have taken three points from the Moatsiders under their new boss, and they needed to come from behind and score two late goals to do it. There has been something of a swagger about the team of late, and it must be a delight for the supporters, who have long deserved a team to get excited about.

Would they be a match for the Millers? We were about to find out- and they had defensive reinforcements, Shyam Taank coming in on loan from Bromley, following a recent loan spell at South Park Reigate.

The hosts, in their usual green and black, got us underway. The visitors were in their change strip of white shirts and blue shorts.

The opening stages were, it must be said, rather scrappy- if uncompromising. There was little finesse, passes going astray, long hoofed and hurried clearances and no real chances- a shot wide for the hosts and some Merstham pressure which came to naught. And then, on ten minutes, whilst some local residents began letting off fireworks just behind the ground, the first threat from the Millers, a curling shot cleared, and soon afterwards an effort from Matthew Vigor that went wide. Merstham were very much equal partners in endeavour, set up to contain and then break quickly, and it was no surprise when they went ahead on the quarter hour. Lorenzo Lewis - superb in recent weeks and quick out of the blocks tonight- robbed a defender in the box, delivered a delightful cross, and the finish from Korrey Henry was superb.

Cray Valley PM 0 Merstham 1, Korrey Henry, 15 minutes

The hosts were level five minutes later. Their first corner, hit towards the front post, and Thomas Chambers had far too much space and made the most of it.

Cray Valley PM 1 Merstham 1, Thomas Chambers, 20 minutes

The Millers continued to press, without testing keeper Zack Basey. Their bench, which had spent the entire match so far trying to organise their defence, suddenly quietened, proof- perhaps- that the game plan was finally being followed. Lisbie began to show his ability- and his speed- twice running at the Moatsiders defence and creating danger, on the second occasion sending a shot curling wide of the far post.

Merstham should have been in front once more on thirty seven minutes. A free kick into the box, Billy Oram lost his marker, and anywhere but directly at keeper Max Ovenden and it was two-one. Unfortunately for the visitors, directly at Ovenden was all he could manage. The keeper grabbed the ball, and wore the expression of a man who couldn’t believe his luck.

Merstham quickly paid for that missed opportunity. In the seconds before half time, and after some fine approach play from the hosts, a blocked effort fell kindly for Vigor just inside the box. His shot looked slightly scuffed, but there was enough on it to find the net.

Cray Valley PM 2 Merstham 1, Matthew Vigor, 45 minutes

There was still time for a Freddie Parker header to hit the advertising boards behind the goal, and for a shot to go just past the post. It was just as well for the visitors that the referee added on no more than the two minutes he’d signalled, as for the first time in the match they were in danger of being overrun. We reached the break, Cray Valley ahead, but Merstham still firmly in the contest.

Half time: Cray Valley PM 2 Merstham 1

The second half had hardly begun when Parker injured himself making a challenge, and had to be replaced by Marcel Barrington. The visitors also took the chance to ring the changes, Oram off for Charlie Greenwood, although whether that was an injury or tactical wasn’t immediately obvious.

The early pressure all came from the hosts, and there was plenty of it, but the first ten minutes of the half failed to see Basey tested. And yet, it was soon three-one nonetheless. The Millers were awarded a free kick a few yards in from the corner flag. Vigor fired in a cross. The ball flew across the box, and nobody got near it- including the Moatsiders keeper. It nestled in the far corner of the net, and Vigor celebrated, as dumbfounded as delighted.

Cray Valley 3 Merstham 1, Matthew Vigor, 57 minutes

Another Merstham change saw Will Kendall on for Samir Bajja, and it was the visitors turn to apply some pressure. Two free kicks were fired into the Millers box, but both led to dangerous breaks for the hosts, attacks which came to an end with a poor final ball. A Cray corner saw a header cleared off the line on sixty four minutes, and a follow up corner had an identical outcome on sixty five. Merstham took off Ben Senior and put on Josh Millo as they looked to stem the green tide.

Into the last twenty minutes and it was time for Michael Ademiluyi to enter the fray for the hosts, the hard working Denzel Gayle making way. Almost immediately Ademiluyi was trying to hold up the ball at the edge of the box, went down under pressure, and the Millers bench yelled for a foul, the referee having a rather different opinion- and rightly so.

In the seventy seventh minute Barrington created his own chance on the edge of the box, his shot hard but wide. Another goal would effectively end the contest, but it wasn’t coming. Vigor stood over another wide free kick, but given the outcome the last time he did that, perhaps this would be the moment? It didn’t beat the first man, was cleared long, and there was Henry, barnstorming through the middle- only for Ademiluyi to appear as if from the number nine’s shadow and nick the ball away.

Henry tried a shot from a full thirty five yards, as much in hope as expectation, but it was two yards high and the same distance wide, and we entered the last five minutes. At the other end, the ball fell to Julian Anau on the edge of the box, but his effort was so high it left the ground and almost the postcode. Another effort from Vigor was most definitely on target, however, and a fine block was required to stop the hat trick.

We moved into added time and the visitors once more got the chance to put the ball into the box, and once again it was immediately cleared as the host broke forward. This time they took advantage. Ademiluyi had been a livewire since his introduction, and perhaps deserved a goal for his efforts, but he didn’t quite get one, the consensus being that Barrington got the final touch.

Cray Valley PM 4 Merstham 1, Marcel Barrington, 90th minute

The referee indicated six added minutes. They were all played in the visitors half, as the Millers, game won, looked to improve their goal difference. They had further chances, but in the end, had to be happy with what they had- and they had every reason to be happy.

Final score: Cray Valley PM 4 Merstham 1

The Moatsiders will undoubtedly feel a little hard done by. Had they gone two-one up eight minutes before half time- and they should have gone two-one up- then perhaps, just perhaps, we might have had a different outcome. Once the Millers got their noses in front, however, the outcome never looked in doubt.

This certainly wasn’t Cray Valley’s best performance of the campaign. There were moments in the first half when they looked disjointed, perhaps fatigued- somewhat understandably. That said, once they were ahead their domination was almost total. Some better decision making in the final third, and they perhaps might have had the match wrapped up sooner- and once they got going in the closing stages they delivered with verve and vigour.

This result moves them up to eighth, ten points behind the leaders with three games in hand.

So, which is better, Cray Valley or Ramsgate? There’s only one way to find out. Head to the Artic Stadium on Saturday, as they fight it out!