Cray discussing terms with striker Beveney

STRIKER Shawn Beveney will be a Cray Wanderers player this season, if he can agree terms with the Ryman League Division One South promotion hopefuls, writes Stephen McCartney.

That is what Paul Blade, the club’s director of football, told www.kentishfootball.co.uk following yesterday’s Kent Senior Cup Final, which they lost 4-0 to full-time Blue Square Premier side Ebbsfleet United.

The quick and strong front man, played for the Wands rivals Dulwich Hamlet and Kingstonian last season and Blade, the former Thamesmead Town manager during their Kent League days, revealed that a couple of clubs are chasing the former Guyana international.

“He’s a good player,” said Blade. “We’re still sort of negotiating with him at the minute.

“It’s difficult, obviously with a player like Shawn attracts a lot of attention. He’s got a lot of club’s looking at him but he likes the way we play.

“We’ve played against him and he’s played against us. He likes the way the club’s running, he likes the players but at the end of the day its just trying to sort out the finances and hopefully securing his signature, but it’s difficult.”

When speaking after the club’s opening pre-season friendly - a 4-2 win at Kent League Holmesdale - manager Ian Jenkins admitted money’s tight as the club bid to return back home to a site at Sandy Lane, just off the A20.

“Our budget’s really, nearly all spent,” Jenkins revealed on 10^th July. “If I can get more money, then I will try and sign these players, but it’s going to be hard, hopefully I can get them.”

Cray Wanderers have two more pre-season friendlies to play before they kick-off their league campaign with a visit from Godalming Town on 16^th August.

A trip to Needham Market (2^nd August) is followed by a trip to Ryman Premier League side Margate (Sunday, 10^th August) before the action gets underway for real.

And Blade said: “Our main aim in two weeks time is our first League game, that’s our main objective.
So what goes on in between, we’re just gearing for that.

“We’ve got two more friendlies, so hopefully we’ll have a few more bodies back so there’s a couple of games that they’ve got to get involved in straight away (to gain match) fitness.

“Hopefully we’ll have a few available, more of the injured players back for selection for the next game.”

Visit Cray Wanderers’ website: www.craywands.co.uk