Cray Wanderers, one of England's oldest football clubs formed in 1860, have finally reached the FA Cup first round after 78 attempts. The London-based club secured their historic milestone by defeating Bedford Town 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw in extra time during the fourth qualifying round. Ade Yusuff scored the equalizer in the 101st minute, and goalkeeper JJ Briggs made two crucial saves in the shootout.
The achievement marks a major milestone for the club, which sits in the seventh tier of English football. Captain Frankie Raymond described the moment as 'a massive achievement' for everyone at the club. The journey to the first round required seven matches and 660 minutes of football, including three replays.
As a reward, Cray Wanderers will host League One's Stockport County in a live BBC Two broadcast on Sunday, November 8. Despite the daunting task, striker Yusuff, who has scored in all four qualifying rounds, remains hopeful of continuing his cup goalscoring run.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing