Matches

Match Report by Martin Candler

Grays fans who made the long trip to Exeter were left in no doubt how much this match meant to the Devonians. In the local papers the Blues were referred to as ?chavs?.Essex boys?.fans tend to dislike it when clubs are bankrolled by wealthy directors, particularly when it?s not their team? The top prize for one-eyed journalism must go to Alan Crockford of ?the Crockford Files?who wrote ?Grays are nothing special?.they can beat the middling sides and thrash the part-timers but the Essex upstarts fail against the promotion contenders?In fact the Grays side running out today will be the most clueless bunch of idiots to enter St. James?s Park ?.? After the result the Blues supporters were asking who?s the idiot now!

Back to the match, a last-gasp winner from sub Gary Hooper settled this bruising top-of-the table clash in front of a bumper crowd of 6,682. In a scrappy 1st half, the Blues normal passing game was negated by some uncompromising tackling by the home side who relied on the long ball and set-pieces (especially some prodigious throw-ins) to unsettle their visitors. Michael Kightly and Aaron McLean had early chances, which were followed by unsuccessful efforts by Dean Moxey and Craig Farrell. Just before half-time Jamie Slabber went on a mazy run and his powerful parried shot fell to Kightly who blazed over the bar.

As the players were walking off the pitch at half-time Lee Phillips and Jamie Stuart squared up to each other and Referee Mr. A. Sainsbury deemed that they head-butted each other and produced a red card for both players. After the break Grays settled the better and took the lead in the 55th minute. The mercurial Dennis Oli released Johnny Martin, surely the man of the match, who ran on and coolly beat Paul Jones in the Exeter goal. Billy Jones and City skipper Glenn Cronin both hit the post as Exeter launched a frantic assault on the Blues goal. But Grays still looked dangerous with Slabber and Oli lively up front. The introduction of Ade Olayinka, Gary Hooper and later, Glenn Poole, gave Grays fresh legs. Exeter, with all their subs thrown on, continued to mount attack after attack and finally breached the valiant Grays rearguard. With just 3 minutes left Grays failed to clear a Scully corner and Jon Challinor fired the ball home past the despairing Ashley Bayes, much to the obvious relief of the baying home fans. But this explosive game had one more twist in its tail; in injury time, as City?s supporters were celebrating a hard-earned point, that man Martin, after some composed Grays approach work, wriggled into the penalty area, and his cross was deftly turned into the net by Gary Hooper.

After the game, Mark Stimson, who had a ?frank exchange of views? with Exeter?s Steve Perryman, said ?We did what we do best which is to go forward and attack because we have the players to do that.? He also thought that the referee should not have sent off Stuart and Phillips, feeling that a quiet word would have been more appropriate.

The Blues fans were overjoyed at this magnificent result achieved in the most hostile of environments; they must also be commended for the restraint they showed when a good number of Exeter fans were allowed into the supposedly segregated away end. One wonders who would have got the blame if any incident had occurred at the ?Grays? end? Finally, some commentators say that these hard matches will cause the Blues bubble to burst. Anyone watching this game would say that, on the contrary, Grays are relishing the challenge and learning the ways of the Conference fast.

Exeter: Jones,Woodards,Sawyer,Todd,B. Jones,Challinor,Cronin,Moxey,(Taylor),(Flack),Scully,Phillips,Farrell (Mackie)

Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Stuart, Matthews, Nutter, McLean (Hooper 74), Thurgood, Martin, Kightly (Olayinka 45), Oli (Poole 82), Slabber.

Grays Subs Not Used: Eyre, Mawer.

Sent Off: Stuart (Grays), Phillips (Exeter) (45).

Goals: Martin 56, Hooper 90 (Grays), Challinor 87 (Exeter).

Att: 6,682.

Ref: A Sainsbury (Wiltshire).

Fans Man of the Match: John Martin

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