Cray Wanderers v Hamlet (Isthmian League) Saturday 25 November 2023

[Pink Panther]

In case anyone isn't aware, Cray still groundshare with Bromley. Their new ground on the Sidcup Bypass is finally underway, with floodlights erected this week and the 3G pitch already laid, and they should be playing there from the beginning of next season. This is our first league meeting since December 2013. Club information and directions from the Cray website:

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www.cray-wanderers.com

Bromley South Station is around 1 mile from the ground. Buses 119, 146 and 314 pass the ground, although the nearest stops are a few hundred yards either side. The first two routes also run from Bromley North Station, if anyone is arriving there.

There's an hourly non-stop train service from Denmark Hill to Bromley South at 52 past the hour (13 minutes journey time), as well as a half hourly stopping service at 28 & 58 past the hour (24 minutes journey time) also calling at Peckham Rye and Nunhead. There are no trains on the London Bridge to Tulse Hill line via East Dulwich and no Overground service via Denmark Hill (replacement bus service on both routes) which is a nuisance if, like me, you were hoping to get a connection to Peckham Rye.

There's also a half hourly service from Victoria to Bromley South calling at Brixton, Herne Hill and West Dulwich.

 

[johnny clash]

In case anyone isn't aware, Cray still groundshare with Bromley. Their new ground on the Sidcup Bypass is finally underway, with floodlights erected this week and the 3G pitch already laid, and they should be playing there from the beginning of next season. This is our first league meeting since December 2013. Club information and directions from the Cray website:

Facebook T-Shirt

Unisex Facebook T-shirt, Small

www.cray-wanderers.com

Bromley South Station is around 1 mile from the ground. Buses 119, 146 and 314 pass the ground, although the nearest stops are a few hundred yards either side. The first two routes also run from Bromley North Station, if anyone is arriving there.

There's an hourly non-stop train service from Denmark Hill to Bromley South at 52 past the hour (13 minutes journey time), as well as a half hourly stopping service at 28 & 58 past the hour (24 minutes journey time) also calling at Peckham Rye and Nunhead. There are no trains on the London Bridge to Tulse Hill line via East Dulwich and no Overground service via Denmark Hill (replacement bus service on both routes) which is a nuisance if, like me, you were hoping to get a connection to Peckham Rye.

There's also a half hourly service from Victoria to Bromley South calling at Brixton, Herne Hill, West Dulwich, and Penge East.

ftfy

 

[lwrs79]

Return of the old boys… no doubt they’ll be no reserved goal celebration’s if they score. No doubt in my mind Porter will have a worldy

 

[the pink one]

I take it Danny Mills must be injured

 

[Pink Panther]

Today's team. Clifton returns for Mills in the XI, with Braham-Barrett and Shonibare returning on the bench.

 

[Cat Daisy]

0-0 at half time. Bromley (and therefore Cray) seem to have based their bland matchday experience on an airport. Meh!

 

[the pink one]

1-0 Wanadio (pen)

 

[the pink one]

1-1

 

[the pink one]

2 points dropped yet again

 

[Sir Nikolai]

Underwhelming in almost every respect. Teams, officials. Ground. Facilities.

 

[Pink Panther]

Yet another drawn game in which we scored first but dropped 2 points. In fairness their equaliser was a worldy that flew into the top corner from 25 yards when there appeared to be little danger, and I felt our defence generally looked pretty secure throughout.

We almost took an early lead when Jeffrey launched an outrageous shot from at least 35 yards that nearly caught their keeper cold, but he regained his balance just in time to knock it over bar at full stretch. That was as exciting as the first half got for Hamlet, as Cray enjoyed the balance of play without really threatening to score.

A laughably clumsy challenge on Wanadio enabled the same player to convert a penalty early in the second half. We looked good for the next 25 minutes or so and really should have put further distance between ourselves and our hosts. A venomous 25 yard shot from Binnom-Williams ricocheted down from the underside of the bar, with follow up attempts from Clifton and Scott blocked in the goalmouth. Then came that equaliser out of nowhere with just over 10 minutes to go. Either side might have snatched a winner after that.

Sadly Hamlet legend Nyren Clunis, one of 5 ex-Hamlet players in the Cray XI, was stretchered off with what looked like a knee injury after falling awkwardly.

This is probably the last time we'll visit Hayes Lane for an Isthmian League fixture. It's Bromley's ground, and credit to them for preparing it for a potential promotion to the Football League, but it's rather overqualified this level. A eason's best attendance for Cray of 404 included around half from Dulwich A grotesquely large and bright video screen in one corner displaying advertisements all through the game was incredibly irritating.

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

Blimey, there's some harsh critics on here. I thought we played pretty well. This was always gonna be a funny fixture with so many ex-DHFC players playing for Cray and a large % of them having at least a contempt for us as a club. Not quite a derby, but a game that they were always going to be very up for.

Thanks to the spectacular incompetence of Southern Rail I can't really get to home games any more so this was the first time I'd seen us since the shower of shit we served up against Hastings. Fair play to Hakan because we've improved greatly since then. I thought we played decent football at times today: our wingers had their full backs on toast and our game plan seemed to centre on well-exectued diagonal balls out to the wings. I certainly didn't think we looked kick and rush. Scott and Krasniqi far outclassed Ijaha and Raymond, too. To be honest, I didn't even realise Ijaha was on the pitch until halfway through the second half.

Think we lack a cutting edge up front. Clifton was quiet and I thought Ayuk overplayed a couple of decent chances, but perhaps Mills, Pingling and this new lad from Maidstone will help there once they've properly returned from their various injuries and fitness issues. Not convinced Constable is the answer, either. I'd prefer Preston.

Great atmosphere behind the goal and the Rabble were very noisy. Holland took a lot of stick (although not sure why more so than Raymond) but was still their best player by a country mile, IMO. It's a shame how it all ended with him because he's an excellent centre half and a good organiser at the back. Defeinitely playing below his level.

Nice to see everyone come over at the end, too. Can feel something starting to build and 7 games unbeaten is no mean feat. If Hakan can shift a couple more out and put a bit more juice in the frontline, we might really have a good shout for the play offs.

 

[LinesmanIan]

My first game of the season. My opinion, Look like we can score but look flaky at the back. Not much of a goal threat with Clifton but the wingers looked lovely. Constable looked a liability, coming out 3 times to clear a ball only to give it straight to a Cray player - just put it in the stand. One decent shot in the first half was about all I can remember. Second half more chances and the off the crossbar rebound needed to be finished. Their goal was a belter. I thought we looked better than many reviews I’ve seen to date recognising we are on a decent run at present
The ‘new’ set up at Bromley is horrific, the club house soulless. Complete absence of non league football experience - where was the Bovril hut. Honestly not sure when I’ll be back. Good to see some old friends

 

[the pink one]

 

[editor]

Max Pics!

Dulwich Hamlet come away with a point at Cray Wanderers, Sat 25th Nov 2023

Dulwich Hamlet’s failure to hold on to a win cost them dearly yesterday, with the pink and blues only coming away with a point at Cray Wanderers. Max was there to capture the action, but beca…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[Pink Panther]

Blimey, there's some harsh critics on here. I thought we played pretty well. This was always gonna be a funny fixture with so many ex-DHFC players playing for Cray and a large % of them having at least a contempt for us as a club. Not quite a derby, but a game that they were always going to be very up for.

Thanks to the spectacular incompetence of Southern Rail I can't really get to home games any more so this was the first time I'd seen us since the shower of shit we served up against Hastings. Fair play to Hakan because we've improved greatly since then. I thought we played decent football at times today: our wingers had their full backs on toast and our game plan seemed to centre on well-exectued diagonal balls out to the wings. I certainly didn't think we looked kick and rush. Scott and Krasniqi far outclassed Ijaha and Raymond, too. To be honest, I didn't even realise Ijaha was on the pitch until halfway through the second half.

Think we lack a cutting edge up front. Clifton was quiet and I thought Ayuk overplayed a couple of decent chances, but perhaps Mills, Pingling and this new lad from Maidstone will help there once they've properly returned from their various injuries and fitness issues. Not convinced Constable is the answer, either. I'd prefer Preston.

Great atmosphere behind the goal and the Rabble were very noisy. Holland took a lot of stick (although not sure why more so than Raymond) but was still their best player by a country mile, IMO. It's a shame how it all ended with him because he's an excellent centre half and a good organiser at the back. Defeinitely playing below his level.

Nice to see everyone come over at the end, too. Can feel something starting to build and 7 games unbeaten is no mean feat. If Hakan can shift a couple more out and put a bit more juice in the frontline, we might really have a good shout for the play offs.

That was only Constable's second game since pre-season. He seems very confident and decisive in coming off his line, but that leaves him at risk of looking foolish if he gets it wrong. Finding the right keeper for your team doesn't necessarily mean finding the keeper with the best technical attributes. Was Preston Edwards better than Phil Wilson? Possibly, but he was unquestionably better suited to our strategy of building from the back and using the keeper to receive and make passes. When Guardiola first joined Manchester City he immediately dropped Joe Hart and replaced him with a clown whose name I've forgotten, who was soon discarded himself because he was so erratic, but it was clearly all about finding a keeper who could pass the ball better.

Hak has worked with Constable before. He was tempted by Ruddy but has now decided that he's simply not the right fit for us, and having had a look at Lakin for several games seems to have come to a similar conclusion, which isn't quite the same as not being good enough.

I didn't really notice people giving Holland stick, although he clearly reacted to something said by a group along the side during the second half. Ijaha mainly seemed to be sitting deep to mark Ayuk, at least until they fell behind, and I thought he generally did that quite well.

My first game of the season. My opinion, Look like we can score but look flaky at the back. Not much of a goal threat with Clifton but the wingers looked lovely. Constable looked a liability, coming out 3 times to clear a ball only to give it straight to a Cray player - just put it in the stand. One decent shot in the first half was about all I can remember. Second half more chances and the off the crossbar rebound needed to be finished. Their goal was a belter. I thought we looked better than many reviews I’ve seen to date recognising we are on a decent run at present
The ‘new’ set up at Bromley is horrific, the club house soulless. Complete absence of non league football experience - where was the Bovril hut. Honestly not sure when I’ll be back. Good to see some old friends

When I looked at the table last week we had the worst goals against column in the division despite (just) being in the top half, but only Hornchurch and Enfield had scored more. Both those statistics have changed, with a lot of teams playing in midweek and a lot of goals scored, but we seem to be more or less where we were this time last year after 2 or 3 months under Paul Barnes. The football is watchable but we never look particularly secure unless we're at least two goals ahead. I'm a bit baffled by this, as the first thing Hak did when he arrived last March was to make us harder to score against. Admittedly that was done by sacrificing a degree of attacking intent, with people like Powell and Crichlow being used sparingly as impact substitutes, wheres now we've really got four forwards ahead of Scott and Krasniqi in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The balance between the #9 and #10 isn't quite right for me. We either need a swifter spearhead, or a more powerful player in the hole who can get beyond the centre forward into the box.

I suppose the clubhouse is functional for the size of crowds Bromley get. In fact it was quite full before the game even with yesterday's attendance. It appears to be open to the general public from the outside, which I didn't realise when I went in just to have a look after paying to enter the ground at the other end, then an official wanted to check my ticket as I went back outside. No one had asked to see it on the way in and I couldn't find it at first, it was only one of those tiny raffle ticket sized admission tickets that you normally never have to show to anyone and might easily drop into the nearest bin. As far as I was concerned I was already inside the ground and hadn't left it. Last time we played Cray there was a nice bar upstairs behind the main stand, and the large flat roofed bar that's been in place for about 20 years is still inside the main turnstiles. Presumably those are also open for Bromley games.

 

[lwrs79]

Blimey, there's some harsh critics on here. I thought we played pretty well. This was always gonna be a funny fixture with so many ex-DHFC players playing for Cray and a large % of them having at least a contempt for us as a club. Not quite a derby, but a game that they were always going to be very up for.

Thanks to the spectacular incompetence of Southern Rail I can't really get to home games any more so this was the first time I'd seen us since the shower of shit we served up against Hastings. Fair play to Hakan because we've improved greatly since then. I thought we played decent football at times today: our wingers had their full backs on toast and our game plan seemed to centre on well-exectued diagonal balls out to the wings. I certainly didn't think we looked kick and rush. Scott and Krasniqi far outclassed Ijaha and Raymond, too. To be honest, I didn't even realise Ijaha was on the pitch until halfway through the second half.

Think we lack a cutting edge up front. Clifton was quiet and I thought Ayuk overplayed a couple of decent chances, but perhaps Mills, Pingling and this new lad from Maidstone will help there once they've properly returned from their various injuries and fitness issues. Not convinced Constable is the answer, either. I'd prefer Preston.

Great atmosphere behind the goal and the Rabble were very noisy. Holland took a lot of stick (although not sure why more so than Raymond) but was still their best player by a country mile, IMO. It's a shame how it all ended with him because he's an excellent centre half and a good organiser at the back. Defeinitely playing below his level.

Nice to see everyone come over at the end, too. Can feel something starting to build and 7 games unbeaten is no mean feat. If Hakan can shift a couple more out and put a bit more juice in the frontline, we might really have a good shout for the play offs.

Totally concur with this.

I thought it was a very controlled performance, we won most of our battles around the pitch, won more 2nd balls and we were great in transition 2nd half.

The only issue for me is someone running the cb’s a bit more. Clifton and mills are a physical handful, but it’s the style most cb’s in this league enjoy. A striker who’s physical but can also run in behind with AJ and Luke would be a great option. Appreciate this was probably Romain and maybe Pingling if fit and they’re hard to find but I just don’t see goals coming from Clif or Mills.

Overall I was really pleased with the performance, they look settled, more confident and now seem to trust each other. The snipping has gone and there is a collectiveness about them.

Results will come if they keep this up.

 

[the pink one]

I take it Danny Mills must be injured