Cray Wanderers 1-2 Metropolitan Police - Jenkins tells his players to let their hair down

The Wands boss saw his side slip down a couple of places to fourth in the Ryman League Division One South table tonight, thanks to a poor performance against a Metropolitan Police side that leapfrog them into second place.

And Jenkins, speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk afterwards, believes a night out with his players hours before Sunday’s home game against Chipstead, is what is needed to lift confidence.

“We’ve got to get the players up and going again,” he said. “We need to go out and have a boys’ night and get the players together. We haven’t had one for a long, long time.

“Saturday night, that’ll do me. If we go out Saturday night that won’t bother me one little bit.

“If I had a choice, I’d love to get the players out Saturday, but there’s a big game Sunday. I reckon sometimes it works, get the boys together Saturday, don’t go mad, maybe go and watch whatever game is on a Saturday evening, the early game, and then sit in a pub and have a drink together.

“It’s never affected me to be honest, drinking and playing. I never really took the micky, I used to have a few beers on the Friday, a lot of players do.

“We’re playing at a level where togetherness is a lot to do with performances on the pitch and at the moment we haven’t got that and that disappoints me.

“I’ve been here seventeen years and we’ve always had those nights out, even being in the Ryman League for five years, we’ve always had nights out like that, but we haven’t had many this year.

“We need to get together at the end of the day. You’re doing this for fun at the end of the day. It’s not a job, I know the players are getting a bit of money, but they’ve got to enjoy it.

“You can’t be enjoying it when you’re turning up for training and playing and not getting the results. It’s a results game so we’ve got to win games.”

Jenkins revealed injured pair, goalkeeper Glen Knight (ankle) and left-back Colin Luckett (groin), could be fit enough to play against Chipstead on Sunday afternoon (2pm).

And Cray Wanderers’ fragile confidence was dented further when Metropolitan Police broke the deadlock, through their first shot on target, inside the opening nine minutes.

Jon Henry-Haden’s swept diagonal pass wasn’t cut out by right-back Aarron Day and this enabled Jamie Byatt to race clear of the home side’s open defence to drive a left-footed shot across Jack Bradshaw and into the net.

The Police, who dominated the first half, almost doubled their lead just two minutes later when Craig Brown’s cross from the right was met by a thumping header by the unmarked Scott Forrester, which smacked against the left upright, leaving 18-year-old Bradshaw rooted to the spot.

Cray midfielder Jamie Wood warmed the gloves of visiting goalkeeper Mo Maan in the 19^th minute, unleashing a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which was saved at the second attempt.

But Metropolitan Police deservedly doubled their lead eight minutes later.

The impressive Forrester latched onto Dave Newman’s defensive splitting pass and with an angled right-footed shot, slotted the ball past the exposed Bradshaw.

But the Kent side squandered a couple of excellent chances to get themselves back into the game, despite playing poorly.

Jamie Wood’s left-footed free-kick, out on the right, 35-yards from goal, was met by the unmarked Scott Kinch, but his header from 12-yards brought a smart low save from Maan, diving to his right.

But Wood saw his 38^th minute penalty saved by the 22-year-old goalkeeper, after Byatt tripped Dean Standen, although the midfielder was going away from goal.

Wood stepped up and looked on in horror as his driven left-footed penalty was turned aside by Maan, diving low to his left.

This impressive Metropolitan Police side almost made it three after 50 minutes when Byatt rode Steve Aris’ sliding challenge before racing clear and his square pass found the unmarked Henry-Haden, whose right-footed drive from 18-yards was beaten out by Bradshaw.

The half-time introduction of striker Tommy Whitnell paid off for Jenkins as the striker scored his eleventh goal of the season, to give the home side hope on 59 minutes.

With plenty of bodies inside the Police box following a corner, Standen’s cross from the left wasn’t caught by Maan and this resulted in a goalmouth scramble and Whitnell was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

The home contingent in the poor crowd of 117 would have thought this was a sign for Cray to increase their tempo and go on and steal a point.

But Metropolitan Police were having none of that and almost scored when Henry-Haden blazed over with only Bradshaw to beat when the home side thought the striker was in an offside position when he turned following Steve Sargent’s low pass.

Cray should have levelled with nineteen minutes left when skipper Jamie Kempster finally broke down the right and his cross was met by Wood’s near post header, which was beaten out by Maan.

The Police, who travel to Ashford Town on Saturday, were dangerous on the breakaway and Bradshaw dived low to his left to prevent Byatt finding the far corner with a left-footed shot before the game fizzled out.

“I don’t think we played tonight to be honest with you,” admitted Jenkins. “We came up against a good Metropolitan Police side with some decent players in their side. We just couldn’t get to grips with it really.

“I just thought we were poor. (We gave away) two soft goals (in the) first half, two blatant mistakes. That was the end of the game really.

“We huffed and puffed, missed the pen obviously, if that goes in, maybe a different story, but we didn’t deserve to get much out of the game.

“Even at half-time we said the next goal maybe wins it. We went and got that goal, made a couple of substitutions, Tommy’s gone and got that goal, which was good and then we sort of huffed and puffed a little bit.

“They’ve hit us on the break a few times; we defended really well to be honest with you; the back four players really well.

“They could’ve really run out three or four (goals) easily, but we didn’t create anything after we did score. We didn’t really push on and get an equaliser.”

Jenkins, meanwhile, explained why he’s shown flop Shawn Beveney, 26, the door.

The Guyanese International captain arrived at Hayes Lane with rave reviews last August, but a knee medial ligament injury has curtailed his career at the club and as a result, Jenkins has decided to release the striker.

“Shawn was unfortunate, he got his injury earlier in the season and he’s come back and really not set the world alight,” said Jenkins.

“We had to move him on and obviously release a bit of money from the budget.”

Two goals from seventeen appearances was not a good return on a striker who interested the likes of Hereford United, Gillingham and Leeds United last year.

“How he came back (from his injury) was important,” explained Jenkins. “If he came back flying, yes, keep him on, because he could’ve been the player to carry us on to the end of the season.

“I’ve brought (midfielder) Dean Standen in, so I had to free a bit of money and Shawn was the player that had to go.”

Cray Wanderers: Jack Bradshaw, Aarron Day (Tommy Whitnell 45), Tyrone Sterling, Danny Chapman, Mark Willy, Steve Aris, Dean Standen (Tony Dolby 89), Jamie Kempster (Callum O‘Shea 86), Scott Kinch, Leigh Bremner, Jamie Wood.
Subs: Michael Munday, Dean Morris.

Goal: Tommy Whitnell 59

Booked: Scott Kinch 48

Metropolitan Police: Mo Maan, Scott Corbett, Michael Cobden, Steve Sutherland, Dave Newman, James Greenaway, Craig Brown, Jamie Byatt, Jon Hayden-Brown (Craig Carley 88), Scott Forrester, Steve Sargent (Vernon Francis 76).
Subs: Izedin Harusha, Steve Flynn, Will Packham.

Goals: Jamie Byatt 9, Scott Forrester 27

Booked: Scott Forrester 40, Scott Corbett 45, Craig Brown 71

Attendance: 117
Referee: Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Saul Kay (Sittingbourne) & Mr Keith Scudder (Gravesend)