Cray Wanderers 0-3 Brackley Town - We didn't get what we deserved, admits proud Francis

CRAY WANDERERS 0-3 BRACKLEY TOWN
FA Carlsberg Trophy Third Qualifying Round
Saturday 22^nd November 2008
Stephen McCartney reports from Hayes Lane

CRAY WANDERERS assistant manager Joe Francis felt his side shouldn’t have lost to Brackley Town by three clear goals at a bitterly cold Hayes Lane today.

After a forgettable first half, goals from Ben Mackey, Tom Winters and a Dean Cracknell penalty, sealed the British Gas Business Premier League side a flattering 3-0 victory.

The Northamptonshire side had their goalkeeper Richard Knight to thank as he thwarted a Cray Wanderers side that went into the game on the back of two impressive away wins in the past seven days, winning 8-1 at Corinthian-Casuals, followed by a 3-1 win at Whyteleafe in midweek.

The Wands, second in the Ryman League Division One South table, were without the cup-tied Leigh Bremner, as the striker has played for Carshalton Athletic in this competition; central defender Steve Aris (holiday); midfielder Jamie Kempster (suspension) and 12-goal Scott Kinch pulled his hamstring at training on Thursday night.

Visiting goalkeeper Richard Knight pulled off his first fine save of the match after eleven minutes, tipping over Danny Chapman’s bullet header from six-yards after Dean Morris’ in-swinging corner from the left.

The first controversial moment arrived ten minutes later when Aaron Day swept the ball forward from his right-back position and sent striker Tommy Whitnell through on goal.

The assistant referee on the stand side flagged after the striker was bundled over by central defender Josh Green on the edge of the penalty area, but Essex referee Mr John Magill waved play on.

Brackley Town’s first attempt on goal, however, arrived after 28 minutes when a right-footed half volley from their captain, Scott Hadland, looped across goal, dropping wide of the far post.

Then, a fine passing Brackley move resulted in Mackey rolling the ball across the face of goal towards Danny Spencer at the far post, who rolled his shot just past the foot of the near post from eight-yards.

For Cray, Tyrone Sterling’s right-footed lob from 25-yards dropped agonisingly over the top of the far post after the former Thamesmead Town winger raced down the left.

As a poor first half came to an end, Tony Dolby’s free-kick was floated in from the left and this was met by another Chapman header, but the holding midfielder directed his header across goal and past the far post from ten-yards out.

The most exciting moment of the first half, however, actually came during the half-time interval. Brackley’s chairwoman attempted to make the draw for the home club’s first 100 Club Draw, but realised that there were no balls in the yellow box.

Sterling should have broken the stalemate inside the first five minutes of the second half. Pouncing onto a poor back-pass from full-back Wayne Bloosom, the frustrating winger rounded the goalkeeper but from an acute angle, his left-footed shot crashed back down off the crossbar and to safety.

With Cray goalkeeper Glen Knight off his line, Brackley defender Richard Pearson’s lob from the half-way line sailed over the goalkeeper’s head, dropping just over the right-hand post.

Mackey then turned on the edge of the Wands’ penalty area, drilling a left-footed shot just wide.

Brackley's goalkeeper then made his second fine save to prevent Dolby with 59 minutes on the clock.

A perfect pass from talented left-back Colin Luckett sent Sterling on his way down the left and he floated in a cross towards the unmarked Dolby, who leapt to power his header towards goal from eight-yards, which was tipped over by the goalkeeper.

That proved to be the turning point as Brackley broke the deadlock just two minutes later, from their first shot on target.

Cracknell’s ball forward was flicked on by Spencer and Glen Knight was slow coming off his line and enabled Mackey to slot the ball into an empty goal from inside the penalty box.

This goal sparked the visitors into life and Cracknell’s cross was met by Mackey, whose left-footed volley from the edge of the penalty box dropped just over the bar.

Dolby then turned on the edge of Brackley’s penalty box but his left-footed shot lacked power and Richard Knight managed to pluck the ball out of the air, preventing the ball to sail into the far corner.

Mackey had a goal ruled out for offside before Brackley added two flattering late goals.

Mackey laid the ball off to unmarked winger Winters, whose first time left-footed drive gave the Cray goalkeeper no chance with nine minutes left.

Cray Wanderers boss Ian Jenkins, who named himself as a substitute, was then sent from the technical area before Brackley added a flatter third, with a dubious penalty with 85 minutes gone.

Cray skipper, central defender, Mark Willy was adjudged to have nudged Brackley substitute Chris Harker inside the box and Cracknell stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot, his right-footed penalty nestling into the bottom right-hand corner.

Although disappointed with his side’s Trophy exit, Francis, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk  afterwards, was pleased with his side’s display against higher league opposition.

“There’s key moments in games and we didn’t really get them, but I thought we gave a really good account of ourselves,” he said.

“We were missing two or three key players and we’ve got three or four reserve team players that have come in and they’ve given their all today and when you’re playing a team a little bit higher than you, they tend to be a little more clinical in front of goal and that’s what happened today.”

Brackley were off colour for the first hour as the Kent side were the better side, but Francis admitted Mackey’s opener took “the wind out of their sails.”

He said: “Sometimes you think is it really going to happen for us today? Prior to that, Tyrone’s gone around the keeper, done everything right and correct apart from the final shot, which hit’s the bar and goes back to the keeper.

“I thought they (Brackley) grew in strength, they played well with their front two and we’re quite direct and the front two gave us problems in the second half of the second half.

“We’re disappointed but I thought everybody played well today. We fought our battles well and we played some really good football especially to have the courage to pass the ball at the back, which is what we do really well, it’s part of the Cray philosophy really and I don’t think we got our rewards today.

“People look at that result and say Brackley 3-0. It looks like a dominant scoreline but there was nothing in that game.”

Former Tonbridge Angels and Hastings United player-manager, Dolby, also speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk felt the Kent side should have had better luck.

“I thought we done enough in the game today to get something out of it, but unfortunately key decisions didn’t go our way and we got done on the break in the end,” said the versatile 34-year-old star.

“I think it was a funny game. I thought we dominated early on and we could have turned that into goals. It didn’t quite happen. Nil-nil at half-time I thought we came out stronger in the second half. Tyrone went round the keeper and hit the woodwork and then I got up a little too early on a header that the keeper tipped over.

“Then unfortunately they’ve scored a goal on a breakaway and it sort of changed the complexion of the game.

“I don’t think we got key decisions. The linesman, in the first half, didn’t give a foul and it was a blatant foul (on Tommy Whitnell) and the ref just waved it away for some reason and the guy (Josh Green) would have been sent off under the laws of the game and we would have had a chance with the free-kick andd who would have known?”

Cray Wanderers: Glen Knight, Aaron Day, Colin Luckett (Jamie Wood 76), Danny Chapman, Mark Willy, Dean Morris, Scott Manzi, Jamal McCann, Tony Dolby (Michael Munday 87), Tommy Whitnell, Tyrone Sterling.
Subs: Joe Francis, Matt Lee, Ian Jenkins.

Booked: Tony Dolby 72

Sent off: Ian Jenkins 83 (Manager)

Brackley Town: Richard Knight, Tony Fontenella, Craig Farley, Richard Pearson, Josh Green (Chris Harker 40), Wayne Blossom, Dean Cracknell, Scott Hadland, Danny Spencer (Elliott Sandy 86), Ben Mackey (Jamie Kearns 86), Tom Winters.
Subs: Warren Garcia, Tom Willshere.

Goals: Ben Mackey 61, Tom Winters 81, Dean Cracknell 85 (pen)

Booked: Wayne Blossom 43

Attendance: 112
Referee: Mr John Magill (Colchester, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Maurice Cook (Braintree, Essex) & Mr Jim Pope (Braintree, Essex)