Cray Wanderers 0
Folkestone Invicta 0
Cray Wanderers moved back into the Isthmian Premier Division playoffs following an entertaining 0-0 draw with Folkestone Invicta on Wednesday night.
Despite sitting lower in the table Folkestone dominated the first half having the lionshare of chances.
Ira Jackson and Ian Draycott both went close in the opening half hour with pop shots. Then after 34 minutes the Seasiders were denied an opening goal by the woodwork. Draycott pinged a quick free kick across the pitch to Jackson. The former Grimsby Town man managed to slide a cross towards the near post that was met by Ibrahim Olutade with the ball coming back off the upright.
Ten minutes later Invicta forced Shaun Rowley into his first noteworthy save. Olutade and Scott Heard played a neat one-two with the latter sliding the former in behind. However Rowley got out quickly to close down Olutade, narrowing the angle and blocking the 24 year old's attempt to ensure the two sides would go in level at the break.
Two minutes into the second half and it was Cray's turn to hit the crossbar. Top scorer Danny Bassett cut inside from the right hand side and lashed an effort towards goal that beat Patrick Ohman, but that came back off the bar.
Shortly after this the hosts were gifted an opportunity to take the lead which they somehow squandered. Ohman came a long way off his line for a loose ball and the Swede scuffed his clearance giving the ball straight to Cray's Tom Derry. Derry then squared the ball across to Yahaya Bamba who had a simple tap-in, yet the winger got his finish horribly wrong and he blazed an attempt high and wide of the target.
Just past the hour mark the crossbar was rattled for a third time with Folkestone being the side frustrated on this occasion. Robbie Dolan laid off a free kick to Heard and the 30 year old's delivery curled goalwards looping over Rowley but coming back off the upright.
Cray would go close to winning the game twice before the match's end with Gillingham loanee Bailey Akehurst going close on both occasions from free kicks. The teenager's first set piece from a tight angle had to be beaten away by Ohman and Akehurst's second hit the foot of the post.
A draw for Cray means the Wands are now three games unbeaten at Hayes Lane as they keep their 10th clean sheet of the campaign. However a 0-0 scoreline meant this was the first time that Neil Smith's side have failed to score at home since November.
A 0-0 draw, the first time Folkestone have failed to score since December 3rd, means the Seasiders have picked up just one win in their last six games. However on the plus side Invicta's run of six games without a clean sheet has now come to an end.
ATT: 229
Cray Wanderers: Rowley, Tanga, Wood (Skeffington 81'), Jones, Bassett (Clunis 90'), Derry (Golding 64'), Cook, Akehurst, Carter, Ijaha, Bamba
Folkestone Invicta: Ohman, Rob. Dolan, Collins, Gayle, Davies, Rogers, Heard, Ron. Dolan (Vincent 74'), Olutade, Draycott, Jackson
By Nathan Williams
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