Following on from the FA Trophy victory at Aylesbury Herne Bay welcome table-toppers Cray Wanderers to Winch’s Field. Cray were not in the draw for the First Qualifying Round on Monday as they were knocked out at Canvey Island last Saturday.

The first origins of Cray Wanderers are linked to the construction of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway line during 1858 to 1860. During their leisure time, migrant workers kicked a ball around, and that is how the club originated in the St Mary Cray village. The pitch at Star Lane is now a cemetery, and is located beneath the nine-arch railway viaduct that spans the Cray Valley. The industrial belt of the River Cray, especially the paper mills, provided much of the club's support up till the 1950s. 1936 saw the loss of the Fordcroft ground in Cray Avenue, their home since 1898 and Cray were forced to drop from the Kent League into a lower level of football. 1951/52 heralded a new era, and an upturn in the club's fortunes and they joined the London League and then spent time in the Aetolian League, the Metropolitan League and the London Spartan League before returning to the Kent League in 1978/79 where they were champions in 1980/81.

They had to wait until 2002/03 to gain their next championship and a season later they retained their title and gained promotion to Isthmian Division One and on league re-organisation moved to the Isthmian South for 2006/07. In 2008/09 they finished second in the Isthmian South and beat Metropolitan Police in the final of the play-offs to move up to the Isthmian Premier where they lasted five campaigns. Relegation for 2014/15 saw them placed in the Isthmian North until 2016/17 when they transferred to the Isthmian South after finishing 4th in the North and losing in the play-off semi-finals. Last campaign Cray finished 3rd in the table, ten points off the automatic promotion places, and lost 5-2 to Walton Casuals in the play-off semi-finals. They ground share at Hayes Lane, Bromley, but still hope that the green light will be given for a new multi-purpose football stadium and community hub at Flamingo Park in Sidcup.

Encounters between the two sides go back to 1959/60 and we met over five seasons in the Aetolian League with Bay winning 3, drawing 2 and losing 5. 17 goals were scored and 21 conceded. Early matches with Cray were often feisty affairs with sendings-off and crowd trouble. Herne Bay transferred to the Kent League in 1974/75 with Cray joining them in 1978/79. Cray also had the best of these clashes with Bay wining only 17 of the 52 games, drawing 14 and losing 21, scoring 78 times and conceding 88.

Last September Bay visited Cray and a Michael Power hat-trick (including two penalties) put the home side three goals up with Jake Embery scoring a last-minute consolation. Revenge was exacted in January with last Saturday’s FA Trophy scorers Ben Gorham and Jake Embery securing the points in a 2-1 win at Winch’s Field.

This time out Cray have been quick off the blocks winning eight and drawing one of their nine league games and sit in first place, six points clear of Phoenix Sports, who have played a game more. They have scored 26 and conceded eight. Twenty points behind, Herne Bay are at the other end of the table but have two games in hand on the league leaders. Cray will lose their unbeaten record at some point – why not on Saturday?

The return match at Bromley’s Hayes Lane is scheduled for Saturday 2nd February 2019.