Wands, Rams and Blues face replays after an entertaining Cup Sunday

Two form sides met at Hayes Lane, and they delivered something of a thriller- although most of the thrills arrived in the last half an hour! Cray Wanderers had scored ten goals in their previous two matches, including a five goal haul against Pitching In Isthmian Premier leaders Chatham Town. By a strange quirk of fate, visitors Ramsgate had also defeated the Chats by exactly the same scoreline in the FA Cup, so on that basis alone we expected this one to be close, and indeed the sides were level for fifty nine minutes before, suddenly, the hosts took control. Just before the hour mark Yahaya Bamba opened the scoring from close range, and ten minutes later it looked to be game over as Wands doubled their lead, Nyren Clunis with his third of the season, each of those arriving in his last three matches.

Into the last five minutes and the two goal advantage was still held, but at that point a favourite from past glory days came back to haunt Cray, the closing stages becoming the Joe Taylor show. Joe won the Golden Boot with Cray, before departing for Lewes in the summer of 2021. He scored against his former club that season, and did it again last season whilst once more picking up a golden boot, so they had experience from both ends of the spectrum of just how deadly he could be, and it was no surprise that when he was fouled for a penalty with four minutes left he got up and expertly converted it. And then, in the very last minute, a corner from Alfie Paxman once more found Taylor, criminally unmarked, to head home and earn his side a replay.

They’ll meet again on the Kent coast on Wednesday- and by the way, that’s ten goals for Taylor in only seven appearances this season. Perhaps we’d better start on the engraving for this season’s golden boot?

In North London, Wingate & Finchley hoped to bounce back from defeat to Hornchurch last weekend, as Farnborough headed to North London. The Blues were five unbeaten before the Urchins came to call, whilst their National League South visitors had been very good at home this season, but hadn’t yet managed a win on the road. On this occasion neither side could manage a goal, but the hosting Blues did pick up an unfortunate red card, Will Seager getting a second yellow five minutes from time. The two sides will meet again on Wednesday.

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