Let's finish the season on a high, says Baker - EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to title chasing Dover Athletic, and Sittingbourne’s 3-1 win over a young Croydon Athletic team at Bourne Park, means the Wands have under-achieved in 13^th place in the Ryman League Division One South table.

Wands make their second trip to Molesey on Tuesday night, looking to do better than their last visit to the Herds Renault Stadium in February.

That game was abandoned with only fifteen minutes remaining due to a waterlogged pitch, with the Moles leading 2-0 at the time.

“Molesey was actually where I scored my first goal for the club last season,” recalled the 23-year-old.

“When the game got abandoned I was on the crutches, so it will also be good to go up to Molesey and try and hopefully be a threat.

“That’s where I scored my first goal and (we’ll) try and get a win there.”

Cray Wanderers end their campaign with a trip to Leatherhead on Saturday, before trying to keep Dulwich Hamlet in the division when they visit Hayes Lane on the final day of the season seven days later.

“Leatherhead’s been a bogey team for us this season,” said Baker. “And Dulwich, at the end of the season, let’s stop them from kind of going up.

“The games we’ve got to go is all about pride really We cannot go any higher (and) we can’t get relegated.

“All we can do is just keep playing and see how far we can go up the table and upset a few teams.”

Baker, however, is showing the hunger and determination that every reserve team player has that’s progressed through the ranks, and although he made his 57^th appearance for the first team on Saturday, he has faith in his under-fire management team of Ian Jenkins and Joe Francis.

“Jenko and Joe (are) the best managers that I’ve ever played with,” he said.

“I’m Cray and Cray throughout. Since I’ve been here all I’ve done is try and get into the team and now I’m actually getting a run of games, I’m starting to enjoy it and letting the opposition know that I’m a threat to them.

“When I first came to Cray, I came as a left-back playing for the reserves, and now I’ve tried to shine in the first team.

“The coach and Jenko have obviously seen that I’ve got potential up front.

“They’ve got confidence in me whilst I’ve been in the team, and I just hope their confidence keeps on growing in me.

“Since I’ve been up front, I’ve made defenders feel a lot more nervous.”

Baker, meanwhile, described himself as a front man who likes to win his aerial duals.

He said: “I’d like to say I’m a feisty character, my game is to distract a defender.

“My position is to win balls in the air (as) I believe I’m that threat in the air.

“If the ball comes in, I’m there to win it, and I’d like to say I’d like to think I’d win 90% of them.”

Despite being a “feisty character” on the pitch, he is definitely the opposite off it, as he was finishing a telephone call to his other half before speaking EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk  following Saturday’s derby defeat.

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

Molesey v Cray Wanderers
Ryman League Division One South
Tuesday 17^th April 2007
Kick Off 7:30pm
At The Herds Renault Stadium, 412 Walton Road, West Molesey, Surrey KT8 2JG