PITCHING-IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE SOUTH EAST DIVISION
CRAY VALLEY (PM) 2 BECKENHAM TOWN 3 - 14th Feb 2023 - ATT 144
Goals: CV - Adeyemo 11, Ibrahiym 37 (pen)
BT - Waldron 22, Brand 43, Theophanous 87

The Millers fell to their fourth defeat in five league games despite dominating large chunks of the game as defensive misdemeanours cost them dear.

Cray started brightly and had a goal ruled out early on. Vinnie Medhurst a late replacement for Barney Williams who turned an ankle in the warm up made a strong run from inside hs own half, cut inside and his shot from 20 yards was spilled by keeper Damian Niemczycki on the six yard line, Dan Bennett was on hand to tuck the ball home only for the assistant to flag for offside. However it didn't take long for Cray to take the lead, Ade Adeyemo burst through and after his initial shot had been saved he fired home the rebound low past Niemczycki in the 11th minute.

The Becks went close with Chris Lewington in the Cray goal saving well from Nick Curran , however questions were asked when on 22 minutes a Archie Johnson corner kick went over the head of Medhurst at the near post and Lewington whilst preventing it from going straight in appeared to drop/deflect the ball into the path of Danny Waldren for a simple tap in.

The game was coming to life now and Bennett struck a 25 yard free kick off the outside of the post. Cray re took the lead in the 37th minute when the dangerous Adeyemo latching on to a lovely through ball from Julien Anau was adjudged to have been brought down by the keeper. Hassan Ibrahiym calmly despatched the resulting penalty kick. Again the lead was short lived when two minutes before the interval Anau lost possession in the middle of the park, conceding a free kick as he tried to atone. From the kick the defence could only head the ball directly into the path of Harvey Brand to finish from a couple of yards out to level the scores.

The second half saw Denzel Gayle go close early on with a couple of opportunities, firstly a low drive to the near post forced Niemczycki to make a save and later he had a shot flash over the bar from the edge of the box. Thereafter there weren’t too many clear cut chances either end, although Cray enjoyed the bulk of possession.

The defining moment of the game though came three minutes from time. Mitchell Nelson after taking a sideways pass from Cemil Tumkaya was caught dawdling in his own penalty area by Louie Theophanous who intercepted the ball and slotted home the chance into the bottom corner to seal a big three points for the visitors.

Millers Man of the Match: Ade Adeyemo

MILLERS: Lewington, Medhurst, Oshilaja, Tumkaya, Gayle ©, Black, Nelson, Bennett D (Coombes 82), Ibrahiym, Anau, Adeyemo
Substitutes Not Used: Majekodunmi, Williams, Bennet J, Samuels
Cautions: Nelson

BECKS: Niemczycki, Brand, Johnson, Curran, Wanogho, Carter, Healy, Waldren, Theophanous, Goodwin, (Nyhus 77), Brissett (Bllomfield 17)
Substitutions Not Used: Griffin, Cox, Cray
Cautions: Waldren, Niemczycki, Curran, Wanogho

Referee – Fabio Roque
Assistants – Jordan Dixon-Walker and Alphie Ibrahim

Match Photos: James Kingman Photography
https://www.crayvalleypmfc.com/photos/millers-v-beckenham-town-14223-photos-james-kingman-photography-1050450.html
Main Pic: Dan Bennett thinks he has opening the scoring but is adjudged offside and his effort is ruled out.

Other Match Reports:
Stephen McCartney - Kentish Football - including manager comments
CRAY VALLEY (Paper Mills) 2-3 Beckenham Town -
You can't paper over the cracks, we feel that we've shot ourselves in the foot tonight because the goals we've conceded were too soft, says Cray Valley boss Tommy Osborne:
https://kentishfootball.co.uk/news/craybeck140223

Charlie Bradford for the Non League Chronicles
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0242iAKMgwXktgtdTGSrkNsAveWvyAd2efpuCZqJFrjUQrt2mdWsdvqqArYzKzZEcxl&id=100057537545357&eav=AfYk-5Ugol5WhizrpooIOwr7ns5QYKIxVfsEECJZdCHJgSmMsIS_OydnpA52rrePcYQ&paipv=0

Groundhopping a video by Mark Davison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQvkIWGnuM