Heath Lose out to Playoff chasing Cray
Photos by Ray Turner
The Heath entertained playoff chasing Cray Valley PM hoping for an upturn in fortunes, but would be up against it playing against a side that had 13 points from their previous five games, peaking at just the right time in the season.
The visitors were enjoying the majority of possession without creating any real clear cut chances, but they deservedly took the lead in the 27th minute through Adam Coombes free kick, which squeezed underneath the dive of Billy Collings.
Minutes later the Blue’s best opportunity of the half came when a Conrad Honore shot from the edge of the box was tipped onto the top of the crossbar from Lewington in the Cray goal. Cray wasted a couple of opportunities to double their advantage with an outstretched Hassan Ibrahiym’s effort somehow missing an open goal.
The Heath looked reenergised at the start of the second half, just four minutes into it a Laing pass found Dickson, Dickson clipping the ball into Santos on the edge of the area. Santos laid it off to Laing and the number 11’s powerful left footed effort could only be pushed into the top corner from Lewington.
The Heath were holding their own and maybe even looked like they could nick all three points, but Cray Valley retook the lead through Sonny Black in the 76th minute. Black finding Gayle on the right, bursting down the flank before squaring it back, and Black’s fierce effort went in off the post.
5 minutes later and the game was over, Adeyemo with some neat work on the left. Whilst Ben Holden kept him from advancing down the by-line, Adeyemo worked it back and found Black on the edge of the area, with his right footed curling strike evading Collings in the Heath goal.
Certainly one of the better sides that the Blues have played this season, and it gets no easier for the Heath with their next game away at table topping Ramsgate.
HHTFC: 1.) Billy Collings, 2.) Ben Holden, 3.) Tom Cadman, 5.) George Brown, 6.) Dean Gunner, 8.) James Dickson (Mario Gjini 82), 9.) Michael Uwezu, 17.) Nic D’Arienzo, 11.) Alex Laing (Dobell 83), 15.) Brad Santos (Diallo 72), 16.) Conrad Honore 17.) Nic D’Arienzo,
Substitutions Not Used: 7.) Luca Valentine, 10.) Richard Pingling
Cautions: Brown
