PITCHING-IN ISTHMIAN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
CRAY VALLEY (PM) 4 WINGATE & FINCHLEY 1 - 13 DEC 2025 - ATT 204
Goals: CV - Liburd 20, Shomotun 49, Tumkaya 88, Moore 90
W&F - Jambang 93

Match Report by Steve Chapman

Plenty Moore as Rampant Millers give Wingate the Blues

The Millers extended their impressive run of form with a commanding victory over a lackluste Wingate & Finchley side, who failed to register a shot on target until their stoppage time goal.

The hosts pressured the Blues from the kick off and nearly took the lead in the eighth minute when Cem Tumkaya’s looping header struck the crossbar. The home fans didn’t have to wait too long before in-form striker Rowan Liburd netted his third goal in four matches on 20 minutes. Liburd latched onto a perfectly weighted pass from Liam Moore and clinically dispatched a first-time strike beyond advancing goalkeeper Charlie Grainger.

Holding a narrow lead at the break, Cray doubled their advantage just three minutes into the second half. After exchanging passes with Clem Asiedu, Fumni Shomotun cut inside from the left and unleashed an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area. Grainger produced fine saves to deny Asiedu and the lively Shomotun, but could do little to prevent two late goals. Tumkaya powered home a header from Moore’s corner in the 90th minute, before Moore bundled in from close range following substitute Ibby Akbani's run and low cross moments later.

Wingate salvaged a late consolation when substitute Ayyuba Jambag converted after Shaun Pearl-Rowley parried a free kick, denying Cray a clean sheet in an otherwise dominant display.

NLP MAN OF THE MATCH – Liam Moore (Cray Valley)

SPONSOR MAN OF THE MATCH - Fumnaya Shomotun (Cray Valley)

Millers: Peart-Rowley, Lema, Tumkaya, Bowry, Asiedu (Gayle 75), Shomotun, Beere (c) (Vigor 76), Cumberbatch (Waldren 67), Moore, Ajakaiye (Barrington 90), Liburd (Akanbi 83)
Cautions: Cumberbatch, Gayle

Blues: Grainger, Horsley-McKay, Cracknell (c) (Stallard 56), Watt (McGettigan 57), Chidi, Cornish, Garrett-Douglas (Jambang 56), Akinola, Cue (Hernandez 63), Keller (Shann 73), Townsend-West
Caution Horsley-McKay

Referee: John-Patrick Kane
Assistants: Patrick O'Reilly and Bogdan Caraghin

Guest Match Report from Cray Valley (PM) supporter Prston Willott
The Preston Perspective
"Millers Hit the Blues for 4 !!"
Cray Valley PM 4 -1 Wingate & Finchley

A dominant display in front of home support provided festive cheer and 3 points alongside the delicious fayre of home-made Mince Pies for all to enjoy
The Resurgent Millers were out of the blocks quickly and asking questions of the visitors defence, and the first breakthrough came on 20 minutes as a delightful through ball sprayed forward by Liam Moore released Rowan Liburd who having beaten the offside trap raced into the box , teased the 'keeper off his line in a similar fashion to his equaliser versus Dartford recently and converted neatly from a tight angle
The Millers were in truth unlucky only to go in at the break one to the good, as there'd been 2 golden crosses into the box from Dan Ajakaiye only for us not to quite get the rub of the green and the Wingate & Finchley defence were riding their luck. On another occasion it was the crossbar that denied the men in Green
Yours truly missed the second goal as he was still polishing off half-time sustenance , but the playback showed a cracking run from the left wing and strike from Fumi Shomotun and the Millers were now in a commanding position
There were confident shouts for a penalty as the visiting 'keeper felled one of our players in the box but in truth the ball had already been played and I felt the ref got that one right, although his subsequent booking of Denzel Gayle for a firm but fair tackle where he'd clearly won the ball seemed grossly unfair, and several later decisions did leave member of the Green Army supporters vocal in their disapproval.
Not that this deterred the players, they continued to dominate the play, and the application was rewarded with a little Turkish delight as Cem Tumkeya got his head to connect with a corner from the right and that surely killed the game as a contest. However the boys weren't done, and as the clock showed 90 minutes, a brilliant run and cross in from the left from Ibby Akanbi allowed the impressive Liam Moore to slide in and beat both a defender and the 'keeper at the near post for 4 - 0 to really add some gloss to the scoreline
There was enough added time for the visitors to pull a goal back, but it was a mere consolation and nothing more as the Millers made it 3 wins on the trot to set us up with some confidence for the midweek trip down to the league leaders Folkestone Invicta.
ISMWT

Match Photos: Romana at Inspire Socials
https://www.pitchero.com/admin/club/76256/site-content/photos/view?album_id=1161325