Ashford Town 0 v 1 Cray Wanderers

Ryman League Division One South

FOLLOWING on from their two-goal victory on Saturday the Wands travelled to perennial relegation contenders Ashford, hoping to make it two wins out of two, writes Trevor Mulligan.

Cray have benefitted well from the meetings with the mid-Kent club in recent seasons and this game was to be no exception.

For their part, Ashford looked like a team who belied their lowly league positions of the past two campaigns.

But for all their attempted intimidation and gamesmanship they still couldn't find a way past a Wanderers' defence which was expertly manned, among others, by the Al-James Hannigan and Mark Willy.

From the first whistle Cray stormed into attack and the Wood brothers showed they were prepared to get stuck in with their own splinter movement going in on the hosts' goal.

Gary Abbott's reputation appeared to precede him as after the Ashford defenders made the near-costly mistake of leaving him unmarked in the 13th minute, he was perpetually a marked target for some burly and cumbersome Ashford defending thereafter.

But it was Abbott who played a part in tipping the odds in Cray's favour in the 17th minute.

A Ross Lover free-kick from the left was floated across to the experienced striker.

His downward header fell to the incoming Jamie Kempster but unfortunately his shot was blocked by a defender's outstretched leg.

The ball nevertheless ran kindly for former Welling man Matt Lee to turn in past the groping Simon Overland.

Cray stopper Steve Northwood only had one save to make - perfectly executed in the first period - which seemed to indicate Ashford's lack of bite against a Wanderers team who have noticeably worked on its defensive strategy since last season.

MATCH FACTS CRAY WANDERERS: Northwood, Lee, Morris, Hannigan, Willy, Hall (Luckett, 80), Lover (Young, 75), Kempster, Abbott, L. Wood (Baker, 76), J. Wood.

SUBS NOT USED: Woolf, Taylor.

ATT: 190.