Cray's first-ever Isthmian League Premier Division goal
But there comes a time when you can't keep a good team down and manager Ian 'Jenko' Jenkins' squad of 2008-09 was destined for higher plains. Finishing second behind Kingstonian in Division One South, Cray had home advantage over first Worthing and then the Met in the promotion play-offs. They secured the play-off final spot by easing out the seaside team 1-0 before dispatching the coppers by the same scoreline a few days later. I couldn't make it to the midweek game against Worthing but, I booked my place on the touchline for the final.
It was a neatly crafted free kick from just outside the 18-yard box midway through the second-half that finally undid the resilient Met Police defence, scored by former Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers player Simon Osborn. Cray Wanderers had achieved the impossible and had booked their passage to rub shoulders with the Isthmian League elite the following season.
Primed and ready for action, the Wands had to travel the relatively short distance through the Dartford Tunnel to play Aveley on the first day of the new 2009-10 season. It was quite a thrill knowing that Cray were going to compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Had you told me back in the 1970s that, within 30 years, Cray Wanderers would be playing at such a level I would have called you mad to your face. But life has a way of playing trump cards when you least expect it.
I set off from the south Kent coast in plenty of time to reach Aveley for the start of the game. However (and there is always a however where Cray Wanderers are concerned), a bit of a pile-up along the stretch of the M25 between the Swanley turn-off and the tunnel itself, meant that I was stuck in the mother of all traffic jams as the clock in my car ticked towards 3pm. I had come to realise that, when I saw the build-up of vehicles, I wasn't going to make it to Aveley in time for the kick-off. I was stuck in that jam for around the best part of an hour.
I eventually arrived at the ground about twenty or twenty five minutes after kick-off. Having parked my car in the only available spot in the street outside, I ran in with my money in my hand for admission and a programme, which I eventually handed over to the turnstile man who had wandered off to watch a bit of the game. A number of Wands supporters were already there and I had just arrived in time to see Aveley go into the lead. Up until then the day had been turning a bit sour. But at least it wasn't raining on that nice warm August afternoon.
We had to wait until the second half for Cray to step up a gear. Constant pressure on the Aveley goal, though, saw the home side heading efforts off their own goal line and the goalie doing well to thwart a couple of shots destined for the top corner of the net. And then we had the breakthrough. Cray were awarded a penalty-kick about halfway through the second half and up stepped Colin Luckett as we held our breath. A goal at that time could spur the Wanderers on to grab a winner. The ball was placed as the crowd went silent. Luckett trotted up to the ball and struck it left-footed past the goalkeeper. Cray had scored their first ever Isthmian League Premier Division goal and were on course to grabbing their first Isthmian Premier League point.
There is an adage in football that goes "if you can't win a game, make sure you don't lose it" and, although Cray continued to push for a winner, no more goals came. They hadn't won but nor had they lost — and, after one game at the higher level, they were unbeaten!
Trevor Mulligan