Matches

MATCH REPORT VS HEREFORD UNITED (AWAY) by Carol Smith-Allen

For the first time in their 115 year history Grays Athletic made the trip to Edgar Street home of ex-league side Hereford United, and for their fifty-seven die hard supporters Blues, decked out in their new stylish lemon away kit ensured that the four hour journey was a worthwhile one with a thoroughly deserved two nil victory over the Conference National favourites.

The Bulls fielded an unchanged team to the one that had beaten Crawley Town last Saturday, whereas the Grays line-up included Joe Bruce and recent signing Cameron Mawer in defence for Lee Matthews, who had picked up a slight injury and Andy Sambrook.

The home side started the brighter with Adam Stansfield quickly forcing a corner, but Alex Jeannin?s delivery was poor and the ball was easily cleared. Jon Brady?s twenty-five yard drive flashed across the goal-face, and then the midfielder had a good opportunity when one on one with Bayes but screwed his shot narrowly wide. At this point Grays began to make an impact, and Glenn Poole?s close range shot having got on the end of Thurgood?s cross was punched away by Bull?s keeper Craig Mawson.

Although play was relatively even it was Blues who opened the scoring in the 14th minute courtesy of some inept defending by the Hereford Skipper Tony James. The centre-back held onto the ball for far too long enabling Dennis Oli to knock it into the path of Tony Battersby who promptly fired home from the edge of the box. From this moment onwards what Blues fans lacked in numbers they more than made up for in noise.

The goal appeared to unsettle the home side and in an attempt to equalize they abandoned their usual passing game and opted for the long ball through the middle. This allowed Blues to seize control in the middle of the park, and as a result neither side created many chances.

Around the half an hour mark a pass by John Martin found Oli but the striker?s low drive was pushed out of play by Mawson, and the resulting corner from Poole was easily caught by the keeper.

As half-time approached the hosts applied some concerted pressure, but were unable to penetrate the solid Grays defence.

For virtually the whole of the second period Grays were totally in control, playing as a unit and looking menacing when going forward. It was only in the final ten minutes of the half that the home side tested Bayes.

Within minutes of the restart Stuart Thurgood despatched a fierce twenty yard strike just wide of the left-hand post, and then Andy Ferrell came close for the hosts firing just over the crossbar. This was followed by a John Nutter twenty yard free kick flashing across the goal face with the on-rushing Hooper not quite able to get on the end of it.

Around the hour mark Hereford Manager Graham Turner made his first substitution bringing on Craig Stanley for Rob Purdie. Shortly afterwards his counterpart, Mark Stimson was forced into replacing Dennis Oli with Dean Brennan after the striker had taken a knock as he and fellow team-mate Hooper attempted to get the ball in the back of the net.

Bulls now endeavoured to press forward with Brady prominent, but stout defending by the Grays back four kept them at bay.

With twenty minutes remaining both sides made a further substitution, Jamie Slabber replacing Battersby, and for the hosts Danny Carey-Bertram came off the bench with James making way.

On seventy-four minutes Grays came close to increasing their lead but Dean Brennan?s header from Glenn Poole?s corner was hacked off the line by Ryan Green, and minutes later Poole himself had a scoring opportunity but hesitated giving the Bull?s defence time to get back and clear the ball to safety.

As the clock wound down and the tension mounted the Blues fans were getting louder by the minute, and never more so than when good interplay by Slabber and Hooper set up Thurgood who came agonisingly close. The Grays Captain had two bites at the cherry, the first was cleared off the line by the competent Green, and the rebound bounced up off the bar into the grateful arms of Mawson.

With nothing to lose and in an attempt to salvage a point the home side pushed forward. Bayes, surplus to requirements for most of the match was now called into action conceding the corner from Stanley?s low drive, and then the Grays keeper made an absolutely brilliant finger tip save from Carey-Bertram?s close range shot.

In time added on for stoppages the nimble Martin appeared to have scored following a clever turn, but the midfielder?s low drive had in fact gone inches wide of the post. Then in their next attack Blues had wrapped things up; Slabber played the ball down the flank to Brennan, who near the by-line crossed the ball into the box leaving Hooper to poke it past Mawson into the right-hand bottom corner.

With such a good all-round team performance it would be difficult to single out any player for special praise, and after the match Manager Mark Stimson said ?The boys worked hard today from the first minute until the 94th minute, and we got our rewards in the end.?

He also commented ?It was a massive test for us today. Some of my players haven?t played at this level before and definitely not with so many supporters in the ground. But I asked them questions before the game and they have come up with the right answers, and it was a fantastic performance all-round. When you come to a club like Hereford who are up there with the favourites ? I expect them to be first or season at the end of the season - you are going to get pressure from the first whistle. We weathered the storm and got our reward through some hard work by Dennis Oli and a great strike by Tony Battersby. It was our first real test today, and the two young boys coming into the team Cameron Mawer and Joe Bruce both defended superbly.?

Teams:-
Hereford United:- (3-5-2) Mawson, Mkandawire, James (Carey-Bertram 71) Beckwith, Green, Coldicott, Purdie (Stanley 60), Brady, Jeannin, Stansfield, Ipoua Subs not used:- Brow, Evans, Ferrell

Grays Athletic:- (4-4-2) Bayes, Mawer, Stuart, Bruce, Nutter, Hooper, Thurgood, Martin, Poole, Oli (Brennan 67), Battersby (Slabber 71) Subs not used:- Eyre, Matthews, Kightly

Referee:- Mr. I. Scarr

Attendance:- 2997

Supporters Man Of The Match:-

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