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Cray Wanderers vs Bognor Regis Town
FA Cup 1QR Replay – 7/9/22
Cray Wanderers 0
Bognor Regis Town 4
Olaniyan 27, Dembele 34, Odonkonyero 49, Chalaye 86
Cray Wanderers FA Cup interest for the 2022-23 season came to end as Bognor Regis Town proved too strong on the night to ease through to a 2nd Qualifying Round tie at home to Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday week.
After two 2-2 draws between the sides in the early weeks of the season, including a hard fought affair at Bognor Regis on Saturday, here Bognor showed their qualities throughout the game and even the most ardent, dyed in the wool Wands fan couldn’t dispute that the Rocks were the better side and took their chances very well.
After a fairly cagey start to the game, it opened up in the 27th minute with a fine individual goal from Isaac Olaniyan finding space to break into the box. Seven minutes later it was two nil to Bognor when Nick Dembele was on hand to score from six yards from Josh McCormick’s right wing cross.
Any chance of a Wands second half revival were snuffed out within five minutes when Nathan Odoknonyero scored his fourth goal against Cray this season with a superb curling strike and just before the hour Mitch Chapman was sent off following two quick cautions for a foul and dissent. The game was long over but there was still time for Bognor substitute Tom Chalaye to score four minutes form time from a Brad Lethbridge cross.
There were a couple of changes for Cray from Saturday with Sam Skeffington and Michael Ademiluyi coming in for Billy Crook and Tom Derry. For Bognor there was one change to the starting lineup with Josh McCormick in for Harvey Whyte.
With the sides very familiar to one another this season, the early exchanges were rather cagey with Bognor having an early effort from Nathan Odonkonyero blocked inside the area while at the other end down the left, Gary Lockyer’s ball in fizzed across and no-one could get on the end of it.
For Cray, down the right Lockyer saw a shot charged down in the area and at the other end Dembele saw a shot blocked.
Bognor though just seemed to have the edge and Cray perhaps at time a little passive and Odonkonyero fired over the top for Bognor. Then just after the 20 minute mark, Bognor threatened again when the excellent Sam St De Croix 25 yards out hit a well struck shot over the bar.
In the 27th minute Bognor went ahead Calvin Davies and Craig Robson moved the ball forward and Odonkonyero played a pass in midfield to Isaac Olaniyan who ran with the ball and just inside the area and hit a shot with some aplomb wide of Shaun Rowley and into the net.
Cray almost levelled in the 32nd minute with their best opportunity of the game when from a free kick down the right, Anthony Cook’s ball into the area was headed wide of the left post by Jalen Jones.
Two minutes later, Bognor had a degree of comfort with a second goal again well worked down the right and Josh McCormick had time to cut into the area and square the ball across where Dembele was in the right place to turn the ball into the net.
Bognor now had their tails up and Dembele saw his ball across put behind by Jones for a corner and at the break had a two goal cushion.
HT: 0-2
Cray looked to get off to a quicker start to the second half and won an early corner and from the left, Cook’s ball to the far post was glanced off target by Lockyer.
Cray needed to stay in the game and build momentum but five minutes after the break the game was as good as down when Odonkonyero who has been a thorn in Cray’s side over the three games curled a cracking shot into the bottom right corner for a similar goal to the one he scored in the league match between the sides.
Bognor were now in total control of the game and Davies shot over the bar but any chance Cray may have had in making the last half hour exciting was dashed in the 59th minute when Mitch Chapman who had just been booked and was due to be substituted received a second yellow for foul and abusive language.
Odonkonyero saw a shot saved by Rowley and St De Croix set up substitute Charlie Bell who down the right of the area looked to take the ball round Rowley but finally shot wide.
Apart from one or two corners and crosses into the box which were cleared away there wasn’t too much to concern keeper Toby Steward aside from a run down the left into the area from Michael Ademiluyi but was able to claim the ball before the winger could shoot.
With four minutes to go Bognor scored a fourth when two substitutes Brad Lethbridge and Tom Chalaye combined with Lethbridge down the right, just a minute after coming down cut to the byline and played the ball to the far post where Chalaye had time to pick his spot and score clinically.
As the game went into injury time, Davies saw an effort blocked by Sinn’kaye Christie but Robbie Blake’s team had coasted through the second half and gave an impressive display in what could have been a tight cup tie but in the end won with a great deal of comfort. There were no hard luck stories for Cray and in the end were well beaten and Bognor will provide tough opposition to Hampton & Richmond Borough on 17th September.
The games keep coming and the Wands return to league action on Saturday with a trip to Corinthian Casuals and will be determined to continue a decent league run and get back on track and back to winning ways.
Cray Wanderers: Shaun Rowley, Alex Bentley, Jalen Jones, Sinn’kaye Christie, Sam Wood, Mitch Chapman, Sam Skeffington, Anthony Cook (Ben Krauhaus, 50), Michael Ademiluyi, Dan Bassett (Billy Crook, 61), Gary Locker (Tom Derry, 53): Subs: Harold Joseph, Jacob Munting, Jargal Enkh, Kieron Bennett:
Sent Off: Chapman 59 (2 cautions)
Bognor Regis Town: Toby Steward, Josh McCormick, Joe Rabbetts, Calvin Davies, Tom Bragg, Craig Robson, Sam De St Croix (Bradley Lethbridge, 85), Isaac Olaniyan, Nathan Odonkonyero (Tom Chalaye, 78), Nick Dembele, Alfie Bridgman (Charlie Bell, H/T): Subs: Danny Howick, Myles Bowman
Booked: Davies, Roson
Referee: Gerry Heron
Assistants: Christopher Caskey, Abdul Olol
Att: 145
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