Grays Athletic 2 Burton Albion 3 (Home) -- Matches -- Grays Athletic F.C.

The Recreation Ground, Bridge Road,
Grays, Essex, RM17 6BZ
Clubhouse: (01375) 377753
General enquiries: (01375) 391649
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Matches

Grays Athletic 2 Burton Albion 3 (Home)
Tue, January 31, 2006. Kick off: 7:45 PM

Match Report by Martin Candler

Mark Stimson summed up Grays? performance after the game by saying ??for some reason the players didn?t perform tonight. I think they were all waiting for the man next to him to do the job and that doesn?t happen.? Mark made just one change from Saturday?s thrilling draw against Hereford, John Nutter being given a left-midfield role in place of Michael Kightly. A win would have put the Blues in second spot in the table but it was a poor performance from start to finish lacking fight, cohesion and confidence. The visitors, for their part, looked sharper in the tackle and more decisive going forward.

In the 17th minute, Burton opened their account when from a Keith Gilroy free-kick Shaun Harrad rifled a shot home after the Grays defence failed to clear. Three minutes later, Tony Battersby crossed for Gary Hooper to put in Johnny Martin who volleyed home from close range. The home team were only level for three minutes; a log throw-in by Aaron Webster was flicked on by Jon Shaw for Chris Hall to poke the ball home from close in, with the Grays rearguard just embarrassed onlookers

Gary Hooper was then thwarted by Darren Stride?s last-ditch tackle and a weak shot by Tony Battersby was easily fielded by Albion?s keeper Saul Deeney.

In the 51st minute, Grays were awarded a penalty for a foul by Stride on Battersby but the usually reliable Stuart Thurgood had his spot-kick parried by Deeney. More drama followed though when referee Mr. Johnson adjudged that Martin was pulled back by a Burton defender and pointed to the spot for a second time. Thurgood coolly sent the keeper the wrong way to bring the scores level.

Still Burton looked the more likely to get a winner and so it proved when in the 57th minute Webster completed Grays? tale of woe by sneaking in to score after Battersby?s mis-cued defensive header had left Webster unmarked at the back post. The visitors continued to press and only the cross-bar prevented Kris Taylor from scoring from a flowing attack involving Gilroy and Harrad which had left the mid-fielder clear on goal.

Grays threw on Dennis Oli, Kightly and Jamie Slabber in the second half but, in truth, Burton were the better side throughout and the Blues could only ponder on why they looked so out of sorts.

Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Edwards, Hanson, Nutter, McLean, Thurgood, Martin, Johnson (Slabber 82), Battersby (Kightly 69), Hooper (Oli 45).
Subs Not Used: Eyre, Mawer.

Booked: Thurgood.

Goalscorers: Martin (20), Thurgood (51 pen)

Att: 858

Ref: D Phillips (West Midlands).

Fans Man of the Match: Bayes

Photo: ? Rob Vallance