Tamworth 4 Grays Athletic 2
Tue, October 10, 2006. Kick off: 7:45 PM
Match Report by Ryan Goad
GRAYS‘ miserable run hit a new low on Tuesday when they were thumped by perennial Conference strugglers Tamworth.
Through a combination of top notch finishing and woeful defending Frank Gray‘s men, who have now won just once in eight games, found themselves 3-0 down inside 18 minutes and never recovered.
They conceded a fourth just past the interval that dashed any hopes of a Lazarus-like comeback.
But Athletic managed to salvage some pride with two late goals from Aaron McLean and Adam Green.
Grays‘ two goals coincided with the introduction of influential skipper Stuart Thurgood, who made his first team return for the final 20 minutes after breaking his leg in pre-season.
Thurgood‘s comeback is the one positive beleaguered manager Gray can take from the game and he hopes the captain's return will lift his troops.
“Stuart makes players play. He talks to others around him and you saw that for the final 20 minutes tonight,” said Gray.
“It was a big plus to see him on the pitch tonight and we need him now to get games under his belt as soon as possible.”
On his side's miserable run, Gray added: “The lads are frustrated, we all are. It's a difficult period for us and we need to pick ourselves up as soon as possible.”
The hosts opened the scoring in the second minute when ex-Dagenham & Redbridge midfielder John McGrath bent a 25-yard free-kick around the wall and past Grays goalkeeper Ashley Bayes.
Ten minutes later Taiwo Atieno took full advantage of Gray‘s shoddy defending and struck a fantastic goal. He outfoxed Green and Jamie Stuart with a cute dragback and fired crisply past Bayes.
He netted again in the 18th minute, curling a 20-yard effort past Bayes after being teed up by Steve Burton.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors when Bradley Thomas headed McGrath‘s corner past Bayes shortly after the restart to make it 4-0.
Grays huffed and puffed but until Thurgood's introduction did not look like getting anywhere.
But the skipper‘s return roused his team-mates and soon enough they had one goal back when McLean lashed home at the second attempt.
The deficit was halved in the closing minutes when Green's 20-yard effort rocketed into the top corner, but it was all too little too late for Grays.
Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Stuart, Sangare, Green, Kightly, Martin (Thurgood 71), Nicholls, Poole, Oli, McLean.
Subs Not Used: Knowles, Boylan, Williamson, Smith.
Booked: Martin, Kightly.
Goals: McLean (78) Green (87)
Att: 907.
Ref: M Matadar (Blackburn).
Fans Man of the Match: Martin
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
© Mark Gardner
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