Matches

Match Report by Martin Candler

Grays produced an off-key performance at the New Rec on Saturday against opponents desperately fighting to preserve their league status. Forest Green are a big, robust side who clearly set out to deny the Blues time and space to play their attacking football. A late, late equalizer by sub Guy Madjo gave the visitors a priceless point to take back to Gloucestershire and left the Blues with their eighth home draw of the season.

After the lively Michael Brough and Mark Beesely had efforts saved by Ashley Bayes, Grays sprang to life when Dennis Oli, cleverly fed by Aaron McLean, perhaps should have done better with a shot that he slid past the post. He soon made up for this miss however, when in the 12th minute he guided a pin-point Glenn Poole free-kick into the net with an unchallenged header to put the Blues ahead. Despite having lots of possession, Grays were baulked by some ?vigorous? Forest Green tackling and over-lenient refereeing by Mr Fletcher, which materially disrupted any flow to the game.

The man in black further infuriated the home fans by awarding a controversial penalty in the 37th minute, Brough managing to get goal-side of John Nutter who appeared to touch the ball away to safety. Brough?s ?perfect 10? dive convinced Mr Fletcher that a foul had occurred and to rub salt into the wound, it was Brough himself who converted the spot-kick.

This gave Forest Green some hope and impetus at the restart, and the lumbering target man, Julian Alsop, missed with two headers. Still Grays could not shake themselves out of an uncharacteristic lethargy, maybe the legacy of three magnificent league victories on their travels in the past week. However, with Gary Hooper introduced in place of Michael Kightly, Grays went in front in the 71st minute. An incisive run and cross by McLean was met with a thrilling finish by man-of-the moment Glenn Poole to bring his goal tally to seven in the last six games. He then hit the bar with a thumping 30-yard volley, unfortunately injuring himself in the process. But Grays seemed to have done enough to record a sixth win in succession until the match had entered its fourth minute of injury-time, when Madjo popped up to deny the Blues maximum points. In the dying seconds, sub Mark De Bolla had a fierce cross- shot finger-tipped away by the visitor?s keeper, Ryan Clarke, which illustrated the fact that it just was not the Blues? day.

A disappointing result then, but still a point?s a point; who knows how important that might be at the end of the season.

Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Nutter, Stuart, Thurgood, Oli(DeBolla 73), Martin, McLean, Kightly(Hooper 61), Poole(Olayinka 80), Hanson
Subs not used: Eyre, Bruce

Goalscorers: Oli(13), Poole(72)

Booked: Stuart

Attn: 1205

Referee: R Fletcher

Fans Man of the Match: Poole

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Photo: ? Rob Vallance

Forthcoming fixtures