Keith Rowland’s Blues make the Bank Holiday Monday trip to Flamingo Park to take on Cray Wanderers, with both sides entering the clash in strong early-season form.

Form Guide

Brentwood come into the fixture on the back of three straight victories, collecting 10 points from their opening four Isthmian Premier games. Cray Wanderers boast the same return, making this a battle between two of the league’s in-form sides.

The Blues

Town secured another impressive win on Saturday, overcoming Burgess Hill Town 2-1. After falling behind to Chris Whelpdale’s 14th-minute opener, Brentwood once again showed resilience to turn the game around.

• Matt Cripps powered home a header from a corner in the 25th minute to level the score.
• Kymani Thomas produced a stunning long-range strike just after the break to put the Blues ahead.
• Town had the chance to extend their lead when Jesse Olukolu was fouled in the box, but Danny Ogunleye’s penalty was saved.

Despite that setback, Rowland’s men saw the game out with grit and determination, continuing their excellent start to life back at Step 3.

 

The Wanderers

Cray Wanderers secured a respectable mid-table finish last season, recovering well after a difficult start that had seen them battling near the bottom. A strong upturn in form ensured they pulled well clear of danger and comfortably retained their Step 3 status.

A managerial change saw Tim O’Shea arrive over the summer, and he has guided his side to three wins and a draw from their first four games.

On Saturday, Cray picked up a hard-fought 1-0 win away at Billericay Town, thanks to a strike from Chris Dickson, who also netted on the opening day against Canvey Island.

One man the Blues defence will need to be wary of is Nods Bobomurodov, who has already scored twice this season and carries a constant threat in attack.

 

Final Word

With both clubs sitting level on points and brimming with confidence, Monday’s clash promises to be one of the standout fixtures of the early season. Brentwood will be eager to extend their winning run, but Cray Wanderers’ quality and experience make this a stern test.

Kick-off at Flamingo Park is 3:00pm.

Words by Matthew Trevelyan