Report: Cray Wanderers 2-0 Stones

This was the first time that the Stones have been beaten in six warm up matches.

With 12 minutes played, Maidstone were awarded a corner on the left. John Gilbert swung a delivery towards the near post and the arriving Leo Hamblin saw his flicked effort go just over the bar.

Not long after this, the Stones went close again. Dajon Golding saw the opportunity to shoot from just outside the box and the ball skimmed the top of the net.

Riley Court burst into surging run which took him all the way into the box. The angle was tight and Harry Seaden did well to parry the ball.

Then on 41 minutes, Cray took the lead. Frankie Raymond found Ashley Nzala who showed good strength to beat two Maidstone defenders and although Nathan Harkness saved his first shot, Nzala finished the rebound.

The Wanderers should have scored again shortly after this. The Stones got caught out by a long ball forward and Harness did well to deny Nzala. And two minutes into stoppage time, Harness pulled off a save from point blank range from Alex Hernandez.

Unsurprisingly the second half was disrupted by both sides making a number of substitutions with Maidstone bringing both Sam Corne and George Fowler on. Three minutes into the second half, substitute Jesse Nwabueze found Dajon Golding who lifted the ball not far wide of the right post when well placed.

Cray then went close again. Raymond ran down the left and drove the ball across the face of goal and wide of the right post.

The home side did add a second on 73 minutes. A long ball forwards came to substitute Lateef Adaja and he cut inside before dispatching a low finish past Harness.

For the Stones, Fowler passed to Nwabueze who did well to create room for a shot. He drove the ball at the near post only for Seaden to push it away from goal.

The final goalmouth action of the game saw Cray nearly add a third. Lexus Beeden did well on two occasions to get the ball away from the line. The first saw him deny Nzala and then he blocked Nods Bobomurodov’s effort before Josh Williams fired the rebound over.

Cray Wanderers: Ashley Nzala 41, Lateef Adaja 73

Maidstone United: –

Cray Wanderers starting 11: 1. Harry Seaden, 2. Prosper Keto, 3. Frankie Morgan, 5. Remi Sutton, 6. Tom Bonner, 7. Ashley Nzala, 8. Frankie Raymond, 9. Alex Hernandez, 11. Josh Williams, 15. Luke Allen, 16. George Brooke. Subs: 4. Tom Jackson, 10. Nods Bobomurodov, 11. Josh Williams, 12 Quade Taylor, 13. George Clarke, 17. AdrianO-Gyamera, 18. Lateef Adaja, 19. Player A, 20. Victor Damyanov, Michael Iheidi, Bobby Parkes.

Maidstone United: 1. Nathan Harness, 2. David Sesay (18. Sam Oguntayo 45), 3. Leo Hamblin (5. George Fowler 60), 4. Lexus Beeden, 6. TJ Bramble (Trialist 82), 7. Jephte Tanga (Trialist 72), 10. John Gilbert (14. Josh Redfern 60), 15. David Agbontohoma, 17. Riley Court (8. Sam Corne 45), 20. Deon Moore (16. Jesse Nwabueze 45), Dajon Golding (Trialist 72). Sub not used: 13. Lenny Holden.