Matches

MATCH REPORT VS HALIFAX TOWN (HOME) BY Carol Smith-Allen

This match against Halifax Town, who have won their last three matches and trail Grays by only five points always had the potential to be a close affair, and coupled with the fact that Blues gave a slightly below par performance that is exactly how it panned out. A draw was indeed a fair result, although Grays almost snatched all three points in the last few minutes something which they are becoming renowned for.

First half play ebbed and flowed at a very lively pace, but with neither side creating many clear cut chances.

On twelve minutes the visitors had the first real opportunity to open the scoring when a cross was floated into the box giving the unmarked Ryan Sugden a free-header, but inexplicably the forward known for his aerial dominance was unable to make the connection.

Shortly afterwards Dennis Oli had a couple of stabs at goal; the first of which went over the crossbar and then Tyrone Thompson put the second out for a corner.

The young Blues contingent were making the most of their new location in a more exposed corner of the New Rec, and as a result their chants of ?Blue Army? could clearly be heard in all sections of the ground.

In the 25th minute Grays were awarded a free-kick for a trip on Oli, but unfortunately the well rehearsed set piece from Stuart Thurgood and Glenn Poole hit the Shaymen?s wall. Three minutes later Blues had an even better chance when McLean slipped the ball to Slabber at the near post, but had the striker?s shot found the back of the net it would have been ruled out for offside.

Almost immediately, the visitors were forced into making a substitution replacing the injured Sugden with John Grant, and as dark clouds gathered in the sky above indicating that a downpour was likely Manager Mark Stimson was looking calm but pensive.

At this point Grays really began to surge forward with Slabber prominent. The Blues joint top scorer raced into the box and the Shaymen had little choice but to put the ball out of play. He then positioned himself at the back post ready to head Glenn Poole?s in-swinging corner back across goal allowing Lee Matthews to fire home.

Within minutes Slabber was again in action, and came close to extending Blues lead; he bundled his way through and then despatched a low drive across goal missing the target by mere inches.

In time added on for stoppages Grant could have grabbed an equalizer had it not been for a perfectly timed tackle by Cameron Mawer.

The second half started with the visitors applying concerted pressure ? they definitely had no intention of lying down to die! Matt Doughty squared the ball to Danny Forest who despite being in acres of space blasted over the bar, and then Forest attempted to chip the ball over Eyre but was off-target and the ball flew over the bar.

In the 52nd minute Mark Stimson made his first substitution replacing Poole with John Martin, and despite Town?s early onslaught it was Grays who came closest to scoring. Martin?s twenty yard free-kick was only partially cleared by Denny Ingram enabling Mawer to send the ball back across the goal face but somehow both Oli and Slabber failed to get on the end of it ? great chance!!

Three minutes later Blues were to rue this missed opportunity when slack defending contributed to Town?s equalizer; Doughty?s precision cross eluded Eyre leaving Grant totally unmarked at the far post to head the ball into the empty net.

Shortly afterwards Grays made a second substitution bringing on Michael Kightly for McLean. Play became more even although it was still evident that the visitors thought all three points were for the taking.

Thompson made a surging run into the box, cutting inside several Blues players on his way, but was ultimately let down by his final touch blasting the ball over the bar.

On sixty-eight minutes the visitors made another change bringing on Chris Senior for Lewis Kileen.

Again dark clouds loomed above the New Rec ? yes we were in for another downpour and the odd clap of thunder too! However, the wet conditions did little to dampen the spirits of either side, and play continued to be at a lively pace with both teams knocking the ball around well.

With just under fifteen minutes to go Grays made their third and final substitution replacing Dean Brennan with Gary Hooper, and two minutes later Town brought on Brenton Leister at the expense of Wayne Jacobs.

Then the action really began! The opposition were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box for a foul committed by Angus, and it was duly taken by Ingram. However, the Town Captain?s powerful strike went just over the bar. It was then the turn of the lithe Senior who tried to chip Eyre from twenty-eight yards, but for the Grays keeper it was an easy save to make.

Blues then had an excellent opportunity when Hooper got on the end of Kightly?s diagonal cross at the back post, headed the ball across goal to Oli lurking at the near post, and although Oli managed to get his head to it he directed the ball wide.

The ball was then taken straight to the other end where Grant?s close range effort brushed against the outside of the post.

Right on ninety minutes Grays fans were on their feet celebrating what they believed was likely to be the winning goal only to promptly sit back down when they realised it had not gone in ? in the words of Dick Dastardly ?drat, drat, and double drat!? What had in fact happened was the hard working Slabber?s low drive from out on the right flank had hit the inside of the far post and then bounced kindly into the grateful arms of Ian Dunbavin.

So on this occasion although they came very close Grays didn?t grab what had started to become a bit of a trademark ? a late goal.

After the match Manager Mark Stimson commented 'It didn't go well for us today for whatever reason. We never got our passing going and for the first time this season we lacked a bit of desire. Maybe the midweek derby game with Dagenham took a bit out of the players, but we have had to dig in. In the end we've created some good chances, and could have nicked it at the finish. I thought a draw was probably a fair result, and on another day Jamie Slabber's shot right at the death would have gone in, but it was a good sign that we were still getting in even at the later stages of the game.'

Teams:-
Grays Athletic:- Eyre, Nutter, Mawer, Matthews, Angus, McLean (Kightly 63 mins), Thurgood (c), Brennan (Hooper 76 mins), Poole (Martin 53 mins), Oli, Slabber Subs not used:- Bayes, Olayinka

Halifax Town:- Dunbavin, Haslam, Doughty, Quinn, Ingram (c), Forrest, Thompson, Jacobs (Leister 78 mins), Kileen (Senior 69 mins), Sugden (Grant 29 mins), Wright Subs not used:- Bowler, Young

Referee:- Mr. R. Vaughan

Attendance:- 1,807

Supporters Man Of The Match:- jointly Dennis Oli and Jamie Slabber (both polling 40% of the votes cast)

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