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Bishop’s Stortford 3-1 Cray Wanderers Match Report

Bishop’s Stortford 3-1 Cray Wanderers Match Report 23/4/22

Bishop’s Stortford secured second place and Play-Off home advantage in the Pitching In Isthmian League Premier Division with a 3-1 win at home to Cray Wanderers on Saturday. The Blues were already on the driving seat to finish as runners-up to Worthing, knowing avoiding defeat would have been enough, or Hornchurch would have needed a six goal swing to leapfrog Stortford. It means that the Blues have home advantage in the Play-Off Semi-Final on Wednesday 27 April against Cheshunt, and the Final on Bank Holiday Monday against Enfield Town or Hornchurch, should Stortford get there. Despite the defeat, Merstham and East Thurrock United also lost, saving the Wands from relegation.

Ryan Henshaw’s header from Jonny Giles’ right wing free kick looped onto the roof of the net from the far post, and Darren Foxley forced Nathan Boamah into a smart low save to parry a powerful effort on his weaker foot cutting in off the left wing. Richie Danquah took too long in possession and was intercepted by Ollie Peters from behind, who took the ball wide but Boamah saved his low shot. Chris Dickson turned and volleyed from the edge of the box, but it went wide of the goal. From a deep free kic, Dickson again was on the end of it, but he couldn’t keep his side-footed volley on target. Jonny Giles opened the scoring, picking up the ball outside the box following a miscued clearance, he took a touch to his left and rifled it low into the bottom right corner. Henshaw’s header appeared to strike the top of the arm of a Cray defender, but referee Craig Barnett signalled he thought it came off a shoulder. Jamie Yila equalised for the Wands with a downwards header from a corner off the left, making a run to the near post and nodding home from six yards. On the counter-attack, Ryan Charles – deputising as a striker with a number of Blues players out injured – flicked the ball around the corner to Peters who ran down the left wing, but his cross for Giles was too high and he couldn’t keep the shot on target. Foxley cut the ball back from the goal-line to Ben Marlow on the edge of the box, but his left footed shot went wide, and Peters’ curling effort also lacked direction. Into first half injury time and the Blues edged ahead again, Giles cross from the right was headed home by Foxley, with a superb backwards flick from 12 yards over the defender and the diving Boamah. That was the Blues’ 100th goal in all competitions this season.

HT 2-1

Marlow’s strike early in the second half was high and wide from long range, before an inch perfect throw from Jack Giddens after a corner fell to Giles on the right wing, he skipped past two defenders, cut in and fired a rocket into the top left corner from 30 yards. Henshaw headed away Sam Wood’s corner from the right before substitute James Baker headed narrowly wide from a deep free kick by Archie Edwards.

FT 3-1

The Blues host Hertfordshire rivals Cheshunt in the Play-Off Semi-Final on Wednesday 27 April, and if Stortford win, the R & D Advisors UK Stadium will also host the Play-Off Final on Bank Holiday Monday 2 May.

TEAMS

Blues XI

1 Jack Giddens

3 Archie Edwards

4 Archie Jones

5 Sam Robbins

6 Ryan Henshaw (c) (Yellow card 75’)

7 Jonny Giles (Goal 21′ 50′) (Banton 62′)

8 Ben Marlow (Allum 67′)

14 Darren Foxley (Goal 45+1′)

15 Ryan Charles (Baker 68′)

16 Ollie Peters

19 Billy Cracknell

Subs

9 Chris Harris

11 Charlie Allum

12 Jack Thomas

18 Jason Banton

20 James Baker

Cray Wanderers XI

1 Nathan Boamah

3 Kasim Aidoo (Albon 65′)

5 Ethan Kaiser

6 Richie Danquah (Williams 65′)

7 Sam Wood

9 Chris Dickson

10 Anthony Cook (c)

14 Jedd Smith (Reid 66′)

15 Jamie Yila (Goal 32′)

16 Saul Kader

18 Tom Hanfrey

Subs

8 Luca Albon

11 Kyel Reid

12 Joe Smith

17 Denzil Williams (Yellow card 90+3′)

19 Narcis-Florin Filipe