Grays Athletic 0 Gravesend & Northfleet 2 (Sky Sports)
Wed, January 3, 2007. Kick off: 7:45 PM
Match Report by Martin Candler
Ushering in the New Year with bullish hopes being expressed by the management of a play-off place as a possibility, most Grays fans left this game with justifiable concerns that the club could be facing a relegation scrap. With confidence being undermined by injuries, outgoing key players and management changes, the Blues were undone by a lack of composure and cohesion in their play. No wonder, really, with five players making their home debut during the course of the match that Grays could not match the team patterns of play of their neighbours who move into play-off contention after this win.
On a wet and windy night in front of the Sky cameras, Grays continued with the system of Lee Boylan as the lone striker and five in mid-field, forced on them, it was said, by a lack of alternative options. It was ironic, therefore, that when the hitherto little-used John Turner was brought on to partner Boylan in the 55th minute that Grays enjoyed their only sustained attacking spell in the match. This was brought to a cruel end in the 80th minute when Boylan suffered a nasty shoulder injury and was substituted.
The first half was a subdued affair with Gravesend looking the most likely without penetrating the Grays rearguard. In fact, Tom Williamson had the best chance in the 29th minute when he volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy. However, the first Gravesend goal came just before half- time when good approach play down the right by Stacy Long and Luke Moore caught Sheku Kamara out of position and Liam Coleman controlled the resultant cross, spun and shot past Ashley Bayes without any noticeable challenge from the home defenders.
Although Gravesend played the more cohesive football throughout the second half, the period in the match when Grays employed two strikers saw Glenn Poole and particularly, Matt Bodkin, stretch the visitors defence for the first time but a number of half-chances went beggig and it was in the dying moments of the game when sub Omome Sodje hit the post and MacDonald rolled the ball in to complete a miserable night for the Grays faithful.
Grays Athletic: Bayes, Kamara (Turner 55), Cowan, Stuart, Bull, Williamson, Nicholls (Harding 66), Sambrook, Bodkin, Poole, Boylan (Fernandez 80)
Subs Not Used: Knowles, Comyn-Platt
Booked: Poole, Fernandez
Att: 1071
Ref: G Horwood (Gravesend)
Fans Man of the Match: Stuart
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