Home»All Photographs»Dartford FC 2017-18»Cray Wanderers v Dartford, Kent Senior Cup

20 September 2017. Cray Wanderers win 4:2 in the Reliance Kent Senior Cup match at Hayes Lane, Bromley. Cray Wanderers took on 11 times winners of the competition Dartford at Hayes Lane. Cray got through the 1st Round with a stylish 3-0 win at Thamesmead Town on 23rd August. This was Cray’s first win in Kent’s senior competition for six seasons.

Cray Wanderers was formed in 1860. It came about when migrant workers, building the Cray Valley railway viaduct, teamed up with villagers from St. Mary Cray for a ‘lunchtime kick about’. Little did these early footballing pioneers realise that what started out as a bit of fun would still be going strong over 150 years later.

The Wanderers side featured a number of younger players and those looking for more game time took the game to the National South league leaders and the star of the show undoubtedly was Ralique Lawrence. In a first half which flew by there was so much happening, Cray took the lead in the sixth minute with Lawrence stealing in to head home from Aaron Rhule’s cross. Dartford levelled with a thunderous strike from almost 30 yards from Toby Ajala in the 36th minute before Cray restored the lead when Michael Power scored from the penalty spot after Lawrence was brought down in the area four minutes before the break. That lead lasted barely a minute as Warren Mfula burst through to make it 2-2 at the interval. Cray though came out of the traps second half very quickly and scored twice by the 54th minute both scored by Lawrence, first guiding the ball home from Karl Dent’s cross from a free kick and then finishing well from another Rhule assist. What Cray needed was the comfort of a two goal lead and they duly did so with another well worked goal in the 54th minute. Ben Mundele found the tireless Lawrence out on the right of the area and the ball came off a Dartford defender to Rhule who unselfishly held the ball up before finding Lawrence who turned past a defender before showing great composure rolled the ball into the net from ten yards.