Cray Wanderers 2 Stockport County 3 ( FA Cup- Round 1) Sunday 8 November 2026

 

 

County came, saw and very nearly did not conquer Isthmian Premier Leaguers Cray Wanderers at their Flamingo Park home today—the team from the seventh level of the pyramid coming out of their blocks at top speed ……taking a two goal lead that seemed at one point, with County reduced to 10 men by goalkeeper Luca Ashby- Hammond`s red card ,to be match winning.

It wasn`t, and County managed to regain their equilibrium in a second half that necessitated Jimmy Mac bringing all his experienced  men on  to repair damage done by  two splendid goals for Cray by Sammie McLeod and Alex Hernandez- the Hernandez effort a real show stopper!

But the show did not stop, and eventually County ground out the result that maybe those sitting comfortably at home watching on TV thought undeserved- but those of us who were there supporting County at this fine football ground, might just be found acknowledging  the effort that County dug deep to  produce  to win a game that their hosts were distinctly unwilling to let go.

In the end County prevailed ,but to Cray honours also for a 90 odd minute effort that kept us interested to the very last gasp!

 

 

 

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It was a cagy start- County on the front foot but unable to penetrate a solid home back line.

Not a great deal came from Cray in terms of attacking play, and then it kind of exploded in County`s faces- Ade Yusuff darting clear …in on goal …only Ashby- Hammond twixt him and glory- but the County keeper won this one!

Then, within a couple of minutes more mayhem in County`s half as Ola Ogunwamide surged by Wilson- Brown on our left flank before pinging the ball low and hard into the box where Sammie Mc Leod met the incoming pill with impressive resolve thumping a fine finish beyond anything Ashby- Hammond could produce to stop it twixt the sticks for County.

The game was 21 minutes old…..County were 0-1 down and the locals were justifiably jubilant!

And more threatened from Cray as the impressive John Ufuah joined the fray giving Wilson- Brown a hard time with a surging run that required a foul by the County man to halt the danger, and halted it had been as County`s opponents wasted the free kick.

On it went…on Ufuah went….his pacy run again forcing County to foul him to stop him, but again nothing came Cray`s way from the free kick that followed.

County were struggling to put coherent responses together – Fiorini and O`Connell fully occupied keeping Yusuff out just beyond the half hour.

I found myself wondering just when the attacking would abate from Cray- maybe after the break, but…meanwhile….there was pressure…and more pressure – Dacres- Cogley clearing the ball off the line.

I thought that was the end of it …it wasn`t…I had missed what had just happened whilst staring at my notes.

I am indebted to sundry Southern and Midlands Hatters for filling the gaps- immediately prior to the goal line clearance, Ashby- Hammond had vacated his goal dashing out to block John Ufuah`s view of goal – the 2 colliding – arguably a free kick to Wands…a yellow to Ashby- Hammond, not a red but that`s what Referee Lewis Sandoe went for reducing County to 10 men and pushing them closer to the FA Cup exit door.

It also meant Ollie Whatmuff coming on and the constantly unlucky Che Gardner going the other way.

There was a free kick to defend as well- just outside the box at a bit of an angle but worth a go, and boy did Alex Hernandex `have a go`- leathering a shot of withering ferocity into the net before Whatmuff could move!

A terrific goal, and Cray now led 2-0 which they held onto without much difficulty through added time to the break.

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I waited for the `fight back` when the game re-started but contented myself by wincing as O`Connell hooked the ball clear from off the line.

County were under pressure again – Whatmuff dealing well with a corner- as Ufuah and Ogunwamide continued to give our  now Wilson- Brown less left flank a torrid time.

Wilson- Brown had been replaced by Pye / the under used Andresson by Diamond.

Then at last…a spark  from County as Wood was sent hurtling clear – he only had keeper JJ Briggs to beat…he did so….but then drifted wider and wider under the care of sundry yellow shirted defenders. The chance was gone!

Wands continued to look to provide more chances particularly Ufuah and Ogunwamide who had the locals roaring them on .

Just 1 goal might make the difference today , but County were not able to penetrate the home defences yet- it was perhaps apt that Kyle Wootton was now summoned from the bench to give the mix a stir!

Meanwhile Ethan Pye was definitely stirring the mix- getting to the by-line and just missing out one moment- then having his pocket picked by Yusuff who looked like scoring until he ran out of ideas in the box and didn`t!

Into the last 20 minutes we went…the score was till 2-0 to Wands , and they had a free kick in almost precisely the same spot that Hernandez had turned his magic on from earlier. I winced as the kick came over, then winced no more as Whatmuff gathered the ball to his chest  like a mother would a long lost child!

The pressure from County began to increase ,if gradually at first, and with no immediate positive result- the home defenders being asked some real questions at last – Frankie Morgan doing well when faced with Jack Diamond in full flight.

It went on in the same vain- County in possession but Cray still 2 goals to the  good- all was done wasn`t it !?

Well no…..as I looked up to see Dacres- Cogley reached Wootton with a cross from the right- County`s number 19 nodding the ball home with the minimum of fuss.

County were now just 1-2 down – an altogether different ball game with County`s fresh legs and wealth of experience now pitted against a tiring home side !

Dacres- Cogley was in the van again for County shortly after on the overlap down the right – his cross this time kept from Woots by a clutch of yellow shirted defenders.

And Cray were not done- going so close almost immediately !

Then, with time running out , County struck again- Diamond lifting a neat ball inside to Mandron to head home!

It was 2-2 and there was not long left of normal time.

Cray, with Ufuah to the fore did everything they could to avoid extra -time, but to no avail- that`s what we got!

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The pressure from County was relentless in extra -time as relentless as was Cray`s defending, but maybe Cray will be rueing the moment , at 2-2 in the first half of extra time when Taylor ran the ball clear from a County siege situation – laying the ball off before running up the park waiting for the return pass- with County exposed. The pass never came , the chance was gone!

And it was not long before County took advantage taking the lead as Fiorini kept his cool to put a penalty away midst a small FA Cup Panto in front of JJ`s goal.

3-2 it was and it must have hurt Cray badly after they had played so well for so long.

Game over then ???

Sorry…no….Crasy still wanted to take the game to County Mc Leod – high and wide with a free kick…..Sanogo in on goal but unable to force the ball home smack in front.

County now had a back 5 of Mingi/ Ilana / Pye/ O`Connell/ Edun- and Whatmuff in goal of course and he was in action next stopping Kader from getting the ball in a scoring position.

Still Cray rallied , helped by a dubious free kick in a decent scoring position – thery did not score -the mother of melees almost bringing the proceedings to a halt.

But it stayed 3-2 to County- despite a shot from McLeod fizzing just wide of the woodwork.

Cray were still battling at the end…..winning a corner……..lifting highball after high ball into the box from wide ….a fizzing whiz bang from someone in yellow flying inches wide…..Jack Diamond doing extremely well for County preventing Adaja from heading a cross home right at the death.

Eventually the whistle went for full time- County had won….Wanderers had done themselves and their supporters full justice!

County will not find their opponents in Round 2 any harder than Wanderers for sure!

See you there for that one then, whenever/ wherever it goes down.

Cray Wanderers line up :-

Briggs , Lema , Morgan , Strachan , Raymond  ( Sanogo80), Hernandez ( Payne 103), Yusuff ( Kader 86), Ogunwanide  ( Adaja 80), McLeod , Spencer-  ( Tinibu 83) , Ufuah( Hutchinson 103)

Unused subs : Johnson, Taylor.

Stockport County line up:-

 Ashby-Hammond, Dacres-Cogley (Mingi 91), O’Connell , Wilson-Brown (Pye 46), Edun, Wood, Fiorini, C. Gardner (Whatmuff 31), Andrésson (Diamond 46), Adigun (Wootton81); Mandron (Ilara, 106).

Unused Subs: Bailey, Astles, Huddleston.

Attendance: 2,372 (448 )

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