Bedford Town 0-0 Cray Wanderers - I'm super proud of them, the chairman is, they've done something today, albeit we're not progressing as winners but we are in the hat for the FA Cup First Round, says Cray Wanderers boss Tim O'Shea

Bedford Town 0 – 0 Cray Wanderers
Location	The Eyrie, Meadow Lane, Cardington, Bedford, MK44 3LW
Kickoff	17/10/2026 15:00

BEDFORD TOWN  0-0  CRAY WANDERERS
The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round
Saturday 17 October 2026
Stephen McCartney reports from The Eyrie

CRAY WANDERERS manager Tim O’Shea says he was feeling super proud of his players after earning their place in Monday’s FA Cup First Round Draw for the first time in the club’s 166-year history but insisted the referee made a big mistake to controversially disallow his side a late winning goal.

Harry Smart’s Bedford Town went into this Fourth Qualifying Round tie sitting in eleventh-place in the sixth-tier Enterprise National League North, having picked up 16 points (five wins, one draw and five defeats) from their 11 games.

The Eagles have beaten King’s Lynn Town (2-1 at home) and Wingate & Finchley (3-1 away after a 2-2 draw here) to reach this stage, as they bid to reach The FA Cup First Round for the 15^th time and the first time since 2001.

The Wands, meanwhile, who were playing in the Fourth Qualifying Round for only the fourth time, having lost to Mark Stimson’s then Conference leaders Grays Athletic (2-0 in 2005), Canvey Island (3-2 in 2020) and Tonbridge Angels (1-0 in 2024), are also a part-time outfit and arrived at The Eyrie on Meadow Lane in 15th-place in the eighth-tier Isthmian League Premier Division.

O’Shea’s side have picked up 12 points (three wins, three draws and three defeats) and have beaten Lewes (1-0 at home after a 2-2 draw at The Dripping Pan), Maidstone United (2-0 away after a 1-1 draw) and Chippenham Town (3-0) to reach this stage and joined Oxford City and Chester to be the only sides that have kept clean sheets against Bedford Town this season.

The Wands bring Bedford Town back to Flamingo Park on Tuesday night knowing they should have won this game.  Only referee Zachary Cunningham can explain why he ruled out a perfect goal scored by Cray Wanderers striker Ade Yusuff inside the final seven minutes.

“Do you know what, I think, with that goal that was disallowed, I think no one would’ve begrudged us winning that today,” said O’Shea.

“I thought to every single one of them, they put in one hell of a shift.  I think we carried a threat. I think possibly our final ball, our final detail was probably the bit that was lacking but other than that we’ve more than matched them, a side that are in a League above.

“They’re a good side, they’re a good side. They’re allowed to be a good side.  They are a good side. They’ve got some magnificent individuals. Castiglione, the skipper, very, very good. George Moncur, he’s played League football. The boy (Eno Nto), who had to go off, he’s got pace to burn and the two boys in the middle of the pitch have got legs and they’re decent on the ball, so we had to be at our very best.”

The start of this final qualifying round was an open end-to-end affair, played on an artificial pitch and watched by a crowd of 1,283 fans at The Eyrie.

The only threatening players for Bedford Town were winger Joshua Castiglione, 29, and attacking midfielder George Moncur, 33, as Cray Wanderers’ contracted central centre-half Robert Strachan, 25, enhanced his reputation with a man-of-the-match performance.

O’Shea, who plucked him out from ninth-tier side Erith & Belvedere where he was highly-thought off by their chairman Paul Springett, said: “Rob was unlucky with an injury at an early age. He was highly thought off at Millwall. He was in the England set up as well at youth level and it was just the injuries that sort of maybe held him back.

“But he’s enjoying his football, he’s enjoying life at Cray, which is great and he’s just a lovely boy even to work with on and off the pitch but that saying, you’ve got Crossley (Lema) the other side of him and Frankie Morgan, those three have been magnificent all season.”

Bedford Town’s Laurie Walker was the busier of the two goalkeepers and had to get down at his near-post on a couple of occasions to cut out low crosses, from Frankie Raymond and right-wing-back Olajuwon Ogunwamide.

The impressive Castiglione floated in a free-kick from the right – after Cray Wanderers’ left-sided centre-half Frankie Morgan sent pacey right-winger Eno Noto into the advertising boards with a strong challenge – and the ball came out to central midfielder David Hicks, who hooked his right-footed volley sailing over the crossbar (13:34).

Cray Wanderers were to be denied the lead, courtesy of Walker’s strong right-hand, with 18:05 on the clock.

A composed Strachan slid the ball along the artificial turf to a deep Soul Kader, who had the door shut firmly by Bedford’s holding midfielder T’Sharne Gallimore within the channel, so Kader was forced away from the penalty area, before squaring the ball along the 18-yard line for holding midfielder Sammie McLeod to crack a first-time right-footed drive straight down the keeper’s throat, palming the ball away.

O’Shea said: “There was some good football today, some link-up play, some decent stuff and the final ball, if that might’ve been better, we may have had a few more clearer opportunities but Sammie’s got that in his locker, arriving on the edge of the box, great legs and good play.”

There was alarm (28:04) for Cray Wanderers when Lewis Frankin’s ball over the top released striker Louie Kudiabor down the right – looking miles offside but the flag stayed down.  The ball was cut back to former Ebbsfleet man Moncur, who swept his right-footed shot towards the bottom near corner. 

Cambridge United loanee goalkeeper Jasper Briggs dived to his left to make contact with the ball, which rolled and shaved the base of the near-post and assistant referee Connor MacKay called it offside, finally.

McLeod showed plenty of desire to win the ball off Gallimore in a Bedford half-of-the-pitch dual before the always dropping deep, attacking midfielder, Alex Hernandez cracked a first time dipping drive towards the roof of the net from 30-yards, which was caught by Walker at head height while standing in the centre of his goal.

“I think both keepers were quite sound today, weren’t they?” added O’Shea.

Cray Wanderers – who dominated the corner count by six-to-three – was relieved to see Castiglione’s left-footed drive from 25-yards sail high and wide after Ryan Doherty’s corner was rolled to Castigilone, who played the ball back to left-back Doherty and his cross was cleared out to the Bedford skipper.

Bedford Town’s right-back Franklin cracked a speculative left-footed volley high and wide from outside the box after a long ball upfield was knocked into his path by Kudiabor.

Briggs was called into making his only save of the game (38:10) when Moncur cut into the penalty area from the right and his dancing feet saw him create a solo chance for himself but the 19-year-old goalkeeper dived to his left to hold, to prevent the ball nestling inside the bottom right-hand (near) corner.

“He’s got some dancing feet there. He can make defenders look silly and he’s got the quality to finish at the end of it, so yes, I was pleased the way they kind of handled their three major dangerous men,” added O’Shea.

Hernandez delivered a high hanging, looping corner from the left towards the back post where McLeod’s towering header from a tight angle was palmed away by Walker’s strong left-hand (40:27).

Bedford’s left-back Joe Payne latched onto a loose ball but his rasping left-footed drive from 30-yards was always going to sail over from the moment that the ball left his unmarked left-boot.

Both sides will be hoping for better finishing when they face each other again in midweek, as Cray Wanderers missed the last opening of the first half.

Raymond’s first time deck pass fed striker Ade Yusuff who held the ball up and laid the ball to Kader and the ball was worked to Hernandez and his right-footed drive from 25-yards suffered similar fate.

“Half-time was just the fact that believe in it, believe in yourself.  We’ve played against the wind, a strong wind first half. It was going down one way, so we lost the toss and I thought they were going to throw, obviously come at us and we dug in and we defended well,” said O’Shea.

“I just said to them ‘now let’s take the game to them’.  I felt we did, certainly in the first half of the second half. We were pretty much almost camped in their sort of half of the pitch as such.”

The start of the second half was played at a slow tempo.

Morgan’s deck pass out of defence released Kader down the left and he cut inside and his 25-yard right-footed drive was also rising over the crossbar (2:15).

Cray Wanderers’ holding midfielder Frankie Raymond floated the ball into the penalty area, the ball was knocked across goal by Hernandez's head and bounced across the face of goal towards the back post where Kader flicked his header wide from a tight angle where perhaps hooking it in with his foot was the better option.

Cray Wanderers produced a good move (18:21) when Raymond played the ball out to Kader on the left who fed left-wing-back Lateef Adaja, who fed Yusuff in space inside the penalty area but the 32-year-old lacked quality and his first-time attempted curler went over the crossbar.

“That was the one that was rolled into him left side. I think he tried to sort of curl it into the far post. Unfortunately, it was high, wide and handsome,” admitted O’Shea.

Both Ogunwamide and Adaja failed to live up to expectations for the Wands and it is hoped they will terrorise the Bedford full-backs at Flamingo Park.

Bedford Town increased their intensity as soon as central striker Manny Duku entered the pitch in the 64^th minute – and it was a case of Cray Wanderers continuing their resilient performance at the back.

“They did (increase their intensity), they did and he (Duku) was causing us a few problems with that first contact,” explained O’Shea.

“I think towards the end they pretty much went to a 4-2-4. They properly went for it. They’re at home and they’re going to go for it, so they put bodies up there and we had adjust ourselves. We had to withdraw Sammie back into a back four and try to match them up, so it was a good game, it was a good game.”

One noticeable thing was Bedford’s attackers failed to press Cray Wanderers’ defence and Walker was called into action (37:49) to deny the Wands’ captain.

McLeod now playing in defence – hit a long ball upfield – to an unmarked Raymond, who cracked a left-footed volley towards the far corner from 35-yards, which forced Walker to dive to his left to tip around for a corner.

“Another good save, he was down to his left. He’s hit it sweet hasn’t he? Frankie and he’s done well to get down because he’s quite a big man  but he’s very agile as well,” added O’Shea.

Cray Wanderers scored the winning goal with 38 minutes and 38 seconds on the clock.

Well, everybody inside the stadium knew it was the winning goal and only referee Zachary Cunningham disagreed and controversially disallowed it.

Law 10, via The Football Association website, states, “A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no offence has been committed by the team scoring the goal.”

This was not a free-kick to Bedford Town – it was open play – which made the official’s decision even more baffling and controversial.

Bedford Town goalkeeper Walker was on the edge of his penalty area and Cray Wanderers striker Yusuff had his back to goal, walking away from the penalty area, just outside the D.

Walker bounced the ball before hitting a right-footed volley, which struck Yusuff’s back and looped over the keeper’s head and rolled towards the goal-line.  Walker strangely did not attempt to prevent the ball rolling into his empty goal.

There was no evident offence from Yusuff but Mr Cunningham denied Cray Wanderers Football Club a deserved maiden place in The FA Cup First Round today.

“Which I’m still baffled because, if he’s volleyed it, right, so that ball’s bounced, from the hands, from the hands to the ground, so the ball’s in play. Yes?

“Ade’s got his back to goal. He’s got his back to goal. It’s hit him smack on the back, gone over and gone in the goal.

“Everybody, even their bench, everybody was thinking ‘oh my god, that’s it, it’s a goal.” Baring the referee. 

“I’ve got to see him (after the post-match interview) because I think he kind of knew he half made a boob, so it is what it is. They’re only human, so everyone makes a mistake don’t they?

“It’s a big mistake. Had we scored that, as I said to you, I don’t think anyone would’ve begrudged us the win but then we win the game don’t we.  We’re defending well and we go on and win it one-nil!”

Walker, after playing his get-out-of-jail-card, then lined up a three-man wall for Raymond’s left-footed free-kick from 30-yards, which sailed over the crossbar, as the holding midfielder aimed for the top corner.

To add insult to injury, Bedford Town should have snatched the winning goal with 44:53 on the clock, when the home side got in behind for the very first time.

Franklin’s defensive splitting pass released substitute right-winger Tarik Gidaree into the channel and as Strachan came across, the ball was cut back towards Duku, who swept his shot towards goal – but Lema cut across his own penalty area to the left-hand side to prevent a second injustice happening.

“Cross has put his body on the line. It was great play, a nice cut back. That’s what they probably did do better than us, I think, when they did, they created that opportunity whereas we maybe rushed things, there wasn’t quite enough quality on the ball," said O'Shea.

“We pulled one back in the first half, no one was running onto it. It’s little bits like that but Cross has been immense so has Rob, so has Frankie Morgan but everyone to a man there.

“I’m pleased for him (goalkeeper, Briggs).  What he does, when it gets a little bit bum twitching time towards the end and stuff like that and they’re getting free-kicks in and around our box, you’ve got the confidence that JJ will come and take a bit of pressure off. If it’s there to be claimed, he will come and do it. He’s a decent addition to the squad.

“They gave us everything, they (my whole team) gave us everything, which they do. We know we were short last Saturday (during our 2-1 home defeat to) Lewes. I think that’s the very first time since the turn of the season that we looked leggy, we looked flat and it was probably an ideal game to come back into to try to get back to what we have been doing well.

“I’m proud of them. I’m super proud of them. The chairman (Gary Hillman) is. They’ve done something today, albeit, we’re not progressing as winners but we are in the hat.”

When asked whether he was feeling frustrated, knowing that Bedford Town could’ve, should’ve been beaten here today, O’Shea replied, “Yes, it is, it is (frustrating) but like I’ve just said to the boys in there, as kinda disappointed as you are, I think they’re quite aggrieved by the goal not being allowed. I said we just need to do the same effort, same again. We done it against Maidstone, didn’t we. We had the draw and then on the Tuesday we’ve got to do it all again.

“But I just said to them, at the end of the day, you’ve actually achieved something the club has never done – we’re in the draw, we’re in that draw, the First Round Proper, irrespective of that, no one can take that away from you. You’re in the draw on the Monday, which is the first time in the club’s history.”

When asked about Tuesday night’s winner-takes-all clash at Flamingo Park, O’Shea replied, “Well, we’re going to enjoy Monday first because we’re in the hat, so we’ll enjoy that moment and it will be nice to, obviously but listen I’m sure they’re saying the same.

“It will be lovely to get a big club or a League One club or Two club and I’m sure that’s what they’ll be looking at as well but we’ll enjoy that first and then Tuesday we’ve just got to go and do it all again.

“We’ve had a look at one another, I suppose, they’ve now seen us, so whether they’ll do anything different, I don’t know, but we’ll be having a go again Steve, no two ways about it.

“But we’re in the hat, whatever that ball number (69) is for Cray Wanderers will be going in the hat on Monday so they should be proud. I think they’re proud.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you also to the away supporters that ‘Cray Massive’. They came in their numbers and they’re voices could be heard. They were immense today and I think they’re going home happy, at least. They’ve got nothing but positives about the way the boys went about playing.

“But I think they’re a little bit disappointed hat we didn’t win it as well – that the goal that was disallowed!”

When asked whether he is expecting more from Bedford Town on Tuesday night, O’Shea replied, “Not really. I think they’re a good side. I think they’re a good side. They’ve got too many good individuals in their armoury. You’ve got George Moncur, who’s played League football. He’s got quality.

“It’s a hell of an effort to keep players like that quiet. The boy up top Castiglione, they’re quality footballers and they’ve played at higher levels so they have got that bit of quality and we’ve worked ever so hard to keep them reasonably quiet.”

O’Shea asks the ‘Cray Massive’ to help make it a night to remember at Flamingo Park.

“Just please bring yourselves along, bring friends along, bring family along, bring as many as you can along and see if we can get it across  the line, together and try officially make history, although we’re in the hat, so give the boys a little bit of credit anyway, let them enjoy (this result).”

“Gary (Hillman) just super proud. He really is, he’s chuffed. He eats, sleeps and drinks the club  - he is Mr Cray, so for him as well to see that club in the hat for the First Round for the first time in their esteem history, I think he’s going to be a proud man.”

O’Shea reported just one injury knock from this game.

“Crossley’s got a swollen hand in there (dressing room), which I’m hoping is just swollen, maybe. I think he’ll probably going for an x-ray, I think, either tonight or tomorrow but I’m hoping he’s going to be ok but other than that there will be some tired legs in there but I’m sure they’ll have tired legs as well.”

Bedford Town: Laurie Walker, Lewis Franklin, Joe Payne, T’Sharne Gallimore, Ryan Doherty, Alfie Thornett, Joshua Castiglione, David Hicks, Louie Kudiabor (Manny Duku 64), George Moncur (Reece Evans 85), Eno Nto (Tarik Gidaree 21).
Subs: Sonnie Davis, Finlay Wilkinson, Aaron Flahavan, Ben Weyman.

Booked: T’Sharne Gallimore 17, Gareth Davies 56 (goalkeeper coach), Joshua Castiglione 77, David Hicks 86

Cray Wanderers: Jasper Briggs, Olajuwon Ogunwamide, Lateef Adaja, Robert Strachan, Crossley Lema, Frankie Morgan, Sammie McLeod, Frankie Raymond, Ade Yusuff, Soul Kader (Jakob Lowe 79), Alex Hernandez.
Subs: Kian Eyers, Alfie Payne, Seidou Sanogo, Tobi Tinubu, Archie Morley, Billy Wall

Booked: Lateef Adaja 68, Frankie Raymond 76, Alex Hernandez 86, Crossley Lema 90

Attendance: 1,283
Referee: Mr Zachary Cunningham
Assistants: Mr Connor Mackay & Mr Thomas Hood
Fourth Official: Mr Adam Jackson

Match Duration:
First Half: 48:02
Second Half: 47:03