Grays Athletic 1 Eastbourne Borough 1
Sat, September 4, 2004. Kick off: 3:00 PM
BLUES GO BACK TO THE TOP BUT IT'S NO FUN IN THE SUN by Paul Smith-Allen
Grays went back to the top of the Nationwide South table despite toiling away in the sun to overcome a determined Borough team whose display belied their indifferent start to the season. In searing temperatures, more suited to Eastbourne’s beach then the Rec, Blues faded after a bright start that threatened to overrun the visitors.
 | Freddy Eastwood was on the spot to score Grays' goal |
With fans still taking their places (and looking for some shade!), Blues were awarded a penalty after only 90 seconds. Mitch Cole was brought down just inside the box and Freddie Eastwood duly converted the spot kick. ‘Sports’ were decidedly rattled, and crosses began to rain in from both flanks. Stuart Tuck produced an excellent tackle in the box to deny Eastwood a scoring opportunity, and Dean Brennan sent a twenty-yard free-kick curling narrowly wide of Lee Hook’s left-hand post.
Brennan, picking up Eastwood’s cross-field ball on 27 minutes, found space for yet another cross with several Grays players sprinting into the box. Leroy Griffiths, stretching to make contact, sent his header just over the angle of post and crossbar. Martin Carthy, rushing in just behind, was probably better placed to hit the target. Brennan broke through again three minutes later and tried a chip that Hook clung on to at full stretch.
Having survived almost an entire half-hour of pressure, with only one goal conceded, Borough sensed a growing unease in the Grays ranks, and slowly but surely began to find their feet and their form. Blues had struggled to deal with a number of long-throws into the box and this proved to be the source of Borough’s equaliser on 37 minutes. Harris’s throw from the right touchline was allowed to bounce in the box, and Matt Crabb, coming in from the left-hand side on the area, gleefully drove home the leveller from ten yards.
Their confidence now soaring, Sports had chances to go ahead before the break. On 39 minutes a long punt into the Blues penalty area saw keeper Carl Emberson beaten in the air by Scott Ramsey, the number 9’s header looping just over the bar, then from a carelessly conceded free-kick, Crabb floated over a cross from which Richard Brady sent a glancing header just wide.
The second period began with the visitors still on top and Blues looking weary and a little disorganised. The busy Brady sending a low shot just wide on the post after 49 minutes.
Grays were struggling to put anything together now and Manager Mark Stimson responded, much to the surprise on the home fans, by substituting crowd favourites Eastwood and Griffiths on the hour mark - John Nutter and Vill Powell coming on.
Tuck and Chapman were the pick of a well organised Borough defence with Mitch Cole at the heart of most of Blues endeavour. Eastbourne’s Brady was replaced by Danny Simmonds on 74 minutes but not before testing Emberson again with a low drive. For Blues, Dean Bradshaw replaced Joe Bruce at around the same time.
With the clock ticking down, both sides had a decent chance to grab victory. Cole, who worked tirelessly throughout the half, burst onto a through ball and managed to round keeper Lee Hook. Having steadied himself to ensure hitting the target, the forward was denied by a blocking header from Chapman who had raced back to cover. Before breath could be drawn, Sports broke and Simmonds bore down on goal, but was just beaten in the race to the ball by Carl Emberson.
Although Blues produced a below par performance and dropped valuable points at home, results elsewhere meant that the top of the table position has been regained. Blues now travel to Cambridge and Carshalton before entertaining Basingstoke at the Rec on the 18th of September.
Teams:
Grays Ath: Emberson, Bruce, Lunan, Robinson, Youds, Thurgood, Brennan, Carthy (capt), Eastwood, Cole. Subs: Bradshaw, Overland, Nutter, Powell, Wild.
Eastbourne Borough: Hook, Baker, Tuck, Smart, Chapman, Piper, Harris, Crabb, Ramsey, Brady, Rowland (O). Subs: Simmons, Green, Myall, Pearce, Rowland (S).
Referee:- Mr. M. Bull
Attendance:- 321
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