Cray Wanderers 1-1 Folkestone Invicta - I do think we'll get stronger as the season goes on, I honestly believe that - but our aim is always promotion, says Folkestone Invicta boss Jay Saunders

Cray Wanderers 1 – 1 Folkestone Invicta
Location	Flamingo Park, Sidcup-by-pass, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6HL
Kickoff	12/08/2025 19:45

CRAY WANDERERS  1-1  FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Isthmian League Premier Division
Tuesday 12 August 2025
Stephen McCartney reports from Flamingo Park

PROMOTION-CHASING Folkestone Invicta manager Jay Saunders insists his side will get better after starting their new Isthmian League Premier Division campaign with two away draws.

A crowd of 444 watched a decent eighth-tier Kent derby on a sultry night in Chislehurst with Cray Wanderers going toe-to-toe with a side aiming for promotion come the end of the season.

The Wands took the lead early in the second half through 26-year-old Uzbekistan attacking midfielder Nodirbek Bobomurodov but Folkestone Invicta claimed a deserved point through debutant attacker Kweku Lucan, 26, who came off the bench to poach the equaliser off centre-half Joel-Michael Oderniran following a set-piece.

“I wasn’t too pleased, to be honest, with the performance tonight. I felt that we never really got going,” admitted Saunders, 46, who has won two, drawn two and lost two of his six games in charge since taking the helm at Cheriton Road.

“We battled hard and showed good character but we created our own problems. The goal they scored is a mistake by us, a good break by them but a couple happened before that.

“I just, I don’t know. I thought it was a game both teams huffed and puffed and battled but we’ve had a lot of set-pieces but neither keeper, if you really look at it has had bundles of saves to make, so both teams huffed and puffed but I don’t know, Tosh (Tim O’Shea) might’ve seen it different.

“I thought a point was probably about right. As I say, it’s all opinions.”

The former Maidstone United, Margate and Tonbridge Angels boss added: “Overall, you take a point away from home but when we went in at 0-0 at half-time, I thought second half we came out and actually started better and we were in control and then we gave a silly goal away, so we’ve let in two goals now in two games (a 1-1 draw at Chichester City at the weekend) and they’re both from mistakes, so that’s something that we need to look at because we probably could’ve had two clean sheets.

“I’m not saying we deserved one but there is that opportunity. Look, Cray are a good side. It’s always a tough place to come here and they’ve got players who can cause you problems.”

Cray Wanderers manager Tim O’Shea added: “I thought it was a good game. I thought for everybody coming along, it was quite a few sort of chances and albeit some of them half-chances but I supposed I’m mixed really. It’s a bit mixed.

“I thought if you look across the whole game, we probably had the more chances but at the end of the day, it’s two good sides really going toe-to-toe and I think you look back, it’s probably a fair result.

“Listen, I’m happy to keep the momentum going. I think the boys in that changing room feel a little bit disappointed but as I say it was a good level of performance. I think decent enough.

“I think Folkestone are going to be one of the sides that are going to be up there so if you’re looking at the benchmark, albeit that they’re away from home, we’ve stood toe-to-toe.”

Cray Wanderers started the game on the front foot with left-winger Ashley Nzala causing a threat during the first-half to Folkestone Invicta’s right-wing-back Donell Thomas and Liam Smith, who was deployed on the right of a three-man defence.

Central midfielder Luke Allen pinged a diagonal ball from inside his own half to release Nzala, who cut into the box and twisted-and-turned Smith before drilling his low cross, which bounced off Odeniran inside the six-yard box and goalkeeper Ted Collins gobbled up the ball inside the opening five minutes.

“Ash is one of those players that always seems to get himself into some decent positions,” said O’Shea, who has won four, drawn two and lost three of his nine games since replacing Crawley bound Neil Smith at the helm at Flamingo Park.

“He’s had a very good goalscoring pre-season. As long as he keeps getting in there, like he had done I think over the last two games, he’ll get his goals, no problem.”

Saunders added: “I don’t think we got to grips with him first half.

“I tried something different today. I stuck Donell (Thomas) out wide and brought Ade (Yusuff) in and went with a sort of almost a three-up-front, if you like with Jake (Hutchinson).

“Did it work?  If I’m being honest, it probably didn’t.  With Ben Mason being out, we haven’t got a natural right-wing-back and Ronnie Dolan was struggling, so we have to change things but I thought first half actually he caused us some problems and he’s a good player.”

Folkestone Invicta were not clicking into gear as Cray Wanderers continued to control proceedings, although Folkestone’s left-wing-back Montel McKenzie bombed forward and Jake Hutchinson and Joshua Strouts often dropped deep to link up.

Folkestone Invicta were a threat from set-pieces and Jack Jebb whipped in a great delivery from the right towards the edge of the box where Kevin Lokko came up from the back to tower his header towards the top right-hand corner, only for goalkeeper Harry Seaden to pluck the ball out of the air with both of his outstretched arms.

Folkestone Invicta then started to wrestle back control of the game and 31-year-old striker Yusuff was guilty of a glaring miss in the 25^th minute.

McKenzie cut inside Cray Wanderers’ right-back Prosper Keto down the left and put over a cross which sailed over centre-half pair Tom Bonner and Remi Sutton and Yusuff skied his left-footed half-volley high over the crossbar from four-yards.

“I think Ade’s kicking himself. Look, in all fairness to him, he’s been on his honeymoon. He’s hardly played in the last few weeks, so it’s a big call bringing him back in but I thought he battled and done well.  If you give Ade that chance, nine times out of 10, he probably scores,” said Saunders.

O’Shea added: “Ade’s a handful. We know all about Ade and so does our two centre-halves and I think even tonight they know all about it.

“He’s a proven goalscorer in this league, as well as the league above (National League South), so yes he’ll probably be disappointed with himself that he maybe didn’t tuck that one away.”

Cray Wanderers’ winger Joshua Williams charged down the right and delivered a deep cross towards the back post where Nzala steered his header past the near-post from the corner of the six-yard box, as Smith and Thomas failed to cut out the cross.

The Wands were a threat on the counter-attack and they really should have broken the deadlock in the 36^th minute.

Allen played the ball into Dickson, who from inside the home side’s half released Williams down the left and the winger cut into the box but lacked composure, dragging his left-footed shot across keeper Collins and past the far post from 10-yards.

O’Shea said: “That’s what I’m saying, there were a few of them wasn’t there? There was just a few very similar situations. It was either wrong execution, wrong choice of pass but listen, the boys gave us everything tonight, so I’m more than happy with that level of performance.”

Saunders added: “To be fair, on the break they were quite dangerous and that proved with their goal.  They’ve got pace on the break and if you don’t defend properly and deal with things, then that will cause you problems.”

Thomas clipped a long ball forward, Yusuff latched onto the ball and knocked the ball into the penalty area and his drilled right-footed angled drive was saved low to his right by Harry Seaden in the Wands goal in the 39^th minute.

But this first half performance from Invicta didn’t have them looking like world-beaters this season and Saunders needed words at the interval to rally his troops into putting in a vastly improved performance after the break.

O’Shea said:  “Just pretty much keep doing what we were doing. They’ve got some good players in their midfield area with Jebb and Rance, so we had to keep to terms with that.  Montel was trying to get forward down one side.

“At half-time I just said to the boys ‘listen, this is decent. This is decent enough.’  We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and said just be a little bit more clinical in front of goal.”

Saunders added: “Demanded a bit more.  As I say, I don’t really think we got going first half. I demanded a bit more. I felt we needed to make the ball stick a little bit better up front.  Our quality on the ball needed to be a bit better into the front men.

“I thought for the first part of the second half we did that. I thought we came out and improved but when you’re on top in those spells, you need to take advantage and we couldn’t get that goal.”

Both sides created a chance each inside the opening 85 seconds of the second half.

Nazala – who didn’t offer the same threat like he did during the first half – fed Bobomurodov, who lacked composure inside the box and his weak left-footed shot was held comfortably by Collins low to his left.

O’Shea said: “Nods is a talented player. He just needs to believe in himself a little bit more. He's very talented, he’s exciting. He creates some really good positions for himself and chances for himself but that will come. It’s a new team. It’s a new environment for him. It’s a new level because he played down with Three Bridges (in Isthmian League South East) last year. He’ll be alright Nods.”

Invicta swiftly went up the other end and Yusuff’s low left-footed shot from 20-yards was comfortably saved by Seaden down on his knees.

“It wasn’t a clean enough strike but it’s an opportunity.  Like I  say, I felt we got a response from them after half-time, which is what you want to ask for as a manager,” added Saunders.

McKenzie drilled a left-footed cross in from the left towards the back post which was met by Hutchinson’s downward header, which was comfortably saved by the Cray Wanderers goalkeeper.

Cray Wanderers took the lead with nine minutes and 38 seconds on the clock on the counter-attack.

Dickson broke down the middle and Williams waited patiently as he tried to keep himself onside on the right.

Dickson slipped the ball through the heart instead and played Bobomurodov through on goal instead and the former Three Bridges man received a lucky break, as his left-footed chip from 22-yards took a lucky deflection and looped up before trickling inside the bottom left-hand corner.

“I’m pleased to see it go in, I must admit, in that particular time. I thought we were deserving of a goal,” said O’Shea.

“But once that’s gone in, listen, they changed their shape didn’t they to try to get something out of the game, so fair play to Jay and his coaching staff of Tom (Parkinson) and Lloyd (Blackman), they executed and at the end of the day they got themselves a point, so fair play to them.”

Saunders said: “It’s a poor, poor goal from us, from our point of view.  They’re from our corners and we’ve had a hell of a lot of corners tonight. You might tell me how many corners (nine).

“They broke a couple before that and Mikey (Berry) and Montell and Ted (Collins) has got to deal with it. He hasn’t and the lad nips in and then we’re trying to recover and it gets a lucky deflection but that’s our own doing.

“It’s poor from us. To be an attacking corner and then conceding, it’s poor. It is frustrating because we conceded from a long throw on Saturday, that probably was a foul on the goalkeeper.

“I’m looking, going ok, not saying Cray didn’t deserve their goal for their effort they put in but we shouldn’t be conceding goals like that!”

Invicta swiftly went up the other end and Hutchinson’s right-footed drive from 18-yards was saved comfortably and low down by Seaden (11:19).

Folkestone then enjoyed a spell of control and playing on the front foot and Strouts’ lay-off saw Thomas cut the ball back for substitute Lucan on a plate but the former Dover Athletic man swept his shot across the keeper and past the far post.

Saunders said of Lucan, “He’s not met any of the boys, so we signed him this afternoon.  We got him through (before today’s signing deadline). We’ve been trying to get him for a couple of months. He’s been at Maidstone, he was at Dover last year. He wanted to try higher, sort of got it done today and he’s someone I think can add something different to us.

“I can play him wide, central, he’s quick and direct and it’s something I feel we need to add, so really delighted to get him.  He scored his goal so that’s good as well but look it’s difficult when you come in, you know no players, it’s always tough.”

Jebb floated Invicta’s fifth corner in from the right towards the back post and Smith headed down and goalkeeper Seaden gathered the ball as the ball looked destined to bounce past the foot of the near-post as the second half headed towards the half-way point.

Folkestone Invicta kept knocking on the door and they deservedly restored parity following their seventh of nine corners, timed at 27 minutes and 21 seconds on the clock.

Jebb floated in a right-footed right-wing corner, the ball skimmed off the head of Frankie Raymond at the near-post and sailed towards the back post.

Odeniran stuck out his left-leg to poke the ball towards goal and poacher Lucan flicked the ball over the line and into the bottom left-hand corner for a debut goal after coming off the bench for Strouts.

“I don’t think our deliveries were on point tonight. Jebby’s normally on the money. I thought tonight we weren’t quite right, our runs weren’t right, we were just off it,” admitted Saunders.

“I do think this turnaround, your first Saturday-Tuesday of the season is always tough for the players to get back on the swing of it and I thought we looked a bit like that tonight and even our set-pieces told.

“Look, it’s a good ball in and we’ve attacked it at the back stick and I think Joel got the nick on it but it was Kweku, so delighted for him (to score) on his debut.”

O’Shea added: “We didn’t win the first contact like we would’ve liked and then the ball’s travelled across the six-yard box and been poked home.  A little disappointed because you until that point we’ve handled their good set-pieces because Jebb’s got a decent delivery on him and they had a long throw and one thing and another.”

George Brooke almost scored the winning goal for Cray Wanderers, only 44 seconds after coming off the bench for Allen.

Brooke picked Smith’s pocket outside the Invicta box before cracking a right-footed drive screaming through the keeper’s fingertips before cracking the top of the far post from 10-yards (33:58).

“He does indeed,” added O’Shea. “He’s a talent is George. He’s still learning the game but he’s a good lad. He’s good in the changing room. He’s infectious around the place. His enthusiasm, he’s patient and he’s not frightened running behind to stretch people which is something we needed in the team.

“He was unlucky! I must admit I’d love that to hit the other side of the post and fell in but it is what it is.”

When asked what 40-year-old striker Dickson can bring to the team, O’Shea replied; “Just experience and goals hopefully. He’s had back-to-back championships, he’s won it with Hornchurch, he’s won it with Horsham.

“I know he’s at a tender age but what he will do, he brings that experience, he brings that liveness and that charisma to the changing room, which helps our other centre-forward Alex Herndendes, who was unfortunately suspended with his last club. He’s going to learn a lot off Chris and between the two of them, as a centre-half, I wouldn’t want to be playing against him.”

Saunders added: “I’m not sure (whether Ted tipped it on the post).  It’s poor from us. I think it might’ve come from another corner from us or a throw-in and they broke again and you’re looking going right, it’s poor, it’s poor!

“But look, we’ll keep improving. We’ll get better as a side. We have to remember if you look at the line-up there’s probably only two or three players from last year.  You look at the squad there’s probably only three in the match day squad today, so it’s a big turnaround. The boys are still learning, still learning what we want, what they need and they’ll keep improving.”

The Wands missed another chance to snatch the victory when Nzala’s deep cross found Williams at the back post and he lacked composure inside the box and his low weak shot was comfortably gobbled up by Collins down on his knees, after Odeniran opened the gate.

Folkestone Invicta are in thirteenth-place in the league table at this early stage.

Cheshunt, Dulwich Hamlet and newly-promoted side Burgess Hill Town on six points, followed by full-time side Chatham Town (4) and Cray Wanderers in fifth.

When asked whether Saunders is happy with two points on the board, he replied, “You always want more! Saturday, I was more disappointed with because I thought we deserved three points from that.  Today, a draw, I think was probably about right.  We’re not losing away from home and we’ve got away games coming, so two really tough games. Chichester away and Cray aware are two very good sides in this league, who I expect to be up there or three abouts.”

Saunders takes his side to Canvey Island on Saturday. Peter Taylor’s side opened with a 2-0 defeat here at Flamingo Park at the weekend before slumping to the foot of the table following their 4-1 home defeat to Cheshunt tonight.

“I know Peter really well. They’ll be really well-organised. I think they’re similar, got a lot of new players, so it’s something we’ve got to prepare for now. We’ve got to make sure we do enough but not too much with the players and recover.

“We’ve had a few unlucky injuries (with Dean Rance added to the treatment table tonight).

“We’ve lost Jeremy Santos to a bad hamstring injury. He’ll be out for a good few months.  Ben Mason’s got a foot injury and then Ollie Black, we found out today he’s done his ACL, so he’s going to be out for most of the season and that was just a training ground accident, so he just turned, so it’s a big blow.

“The squad’s probably a little bit stretched at the moment but we’ll get them back and we’ll keep getting stronger.”

Both manager’s asked what their aspirations are for the season ahead, with this being Cray Wanderers' second season at Flamingo Park.

O’Shea said: “Stay in the League! 100% that is it. Let other people talk about us because we’re not ready yet. I think the club will admit that. The club aren’t ready to go up yet, so we need to just play a decent brand of football, hopefully get a few more supporters down here, get the momentum off the pitch as well and when we’re ready, then our aspirations can then mirror image the way the club is at the moment, so defiantly stay in the league.”

When asked how many players he has in his squad, O’Shea revealed he will be running with similar numbers as Neil Smith had last season.

“Alex Hernandes, he’s served two (match suspension) now, he’s got another three to serve. What’s been pleasing, we did have a couple of niggly pre-season.  The likes of Tom Bonner and Luke Allen, but they’ve come through both games.

“Being a small squad, we do need bods out there the whole time. We can ill afford too….

“Sixteen, that ain’t going any bigger, so it’s 16. Listen, I’ve got a good changing room in there, so I’d rather have 16 good players than rather have 20 for the sake of having 20, so it is what it is. We’re alright in that changing room.

"You look at it across pre-season as well, I know results don't really mean anything, but we have momentum and we've seen to carry that momentum in (the League).  The boys in that changing room are slightly disappointed that we're not coming away with the three points but that shows you we're not in a bad place."

The Wands host their third home game on the bounce when pointless Wingate & Finchley visit here on Saturday, having lost 2-1 at Billericay Town at the weekend and lost by a single goal to Dulwich Hamlet tonight.

O’Shea said: “Always a tough game against Wingate, always. We always have close fight with them, very, very good game. A very, very talented side. They’ve got some really, really good players in there.

“It’s a tough League. It’s a tough League and anyone on their given day can serve up some decent results, so we need to be on our game.

“We never looked at Canvey as an easy fixture. We never looked at this one as an easy fixture tonight and we’ll be doing exactly the same on Thursday in preparation for Wingate.”

For Folkestone Invicta, Saunders wants to be challenging promotion – and has been given the type of budget to challenge.  The club under-performed last season and had to settle for a sixteenth-placed finish, one place higher than Cray Wanderers.

Saunders added: “To be up and around it, that’s what we’re in football for and we’ll keep trying.  I do think we’ll get stronger as the season goes on.  I honestly believe that but that’s the plan, to be up and around it and there’s things to improve on.

“I don’t think we’ve been at our best yet in those two games and we’re still coming away with two points – but our aim as a management team is always promotion and that’s to win the league, brilliant. If not, we’ll aim for play-offs, that’s always the goal.

“I think the chairman and everyone understands it is a rebuild, hence why I signed the (four-year) contract I have and the length that I have because he knows we’ve got to build something.

“We don’t want to be in a position at the end of the season where we’re signing 16-17 players again. We want to only be signing two, three or four at the end of the season. That’s the only way you get success, so it’s a building thing.

“He’s as ambitious as we are. He’s determined to win like we are and we’re all trying to pull in the same way and if you do, you’ve got a chance.”

Cray Wanderers: Harry Seaden, Prosper Keto, Frankie Del Morgan, Frankie Raymond, Remi Sutton, Tom Bonner, Ashley Nzala, Luke Allen, Chris Dickson, Nodirbek Bobomurodov, Joshua Williams.
Subs: Tom Jackson, Adrian Owiredu-Gyamera

Goal: Nodirbek Bobomurodov 55

Folkestone Invicta: Ted Collins, Donell Thomas, Montel McKenzie, Kevin Lokko, Joel-Michael Odeniran, Liam Smith, Dean Rance (Mikey Berry 14), Jack Jebb (Bradley Walledge 86), Jake Hutchinson, Ade Yusuff (Ronnie Dolan 84), Joshua Strouts (Kweku Lucan 62)
Subs: William Ademiluyi

Goal: Kweku Lucan 73

Booked: Jack Jebb 42, Montel McKenzie 54, Mikey Berry 80

Attendance: 444
Referee: Mr Adam Steele
Assistants: Mr Andreas Anastasiou & Mr Ricardo Reynolds