Grays Athletic 2 St Albans City 1 -- 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 St Albans City 1
Tue, February 27, 2007. Kick off: 7:45 PM

Match Report by Martin Candler

A late strike by Gavin Grant gave Grays all three points for the first time in a league game for four months in an open and entertaining encounter played at a furious pace. It was a curate‘s egg of a match with both sides displaying some pleasing football but at the same time committing basic errors; Grays just about edged the game but sympathy must be accorded to the plucky Citizens whose hopes were cruelly dashed in a frantic finale.

Justin Edinburgh kept faith with both the team that started in Sunday‘s fine Trophy win over Welling and a 3-5-2 formation which has produced the goods in that competition. There was an almost immediate justification of his gamble in the 5th minute when Dennis Oli raced through the visitor‘s defence to unleash a low drive past the St.Albans keeper Paul Bastock. If Grays fans thought this was a prelude to a goal-fest, Bastock disavowed them of that notion with a series of marvellous saves to earn the man-of-the match accolade. Grays also received a set-back in the 10th minute through sloppy defending. A needlessly conceded corner was swung in by Matthew Hann for the unchallenged Gary Elphick to volley goalwards, Leon Archer reacting the quickest to prod the ball home among a forest of static defenders.

Gavin Cowan, Grant and Mawer all had chances but St. Albans somehow kept their efforts out and in reply Hann drew a fine save from Ashley Bayes. Straight after half-time Grays introduced Leroy Griffiths and although he took time to adjust to the pace of the game he became more influential as the game reached its latter stages. A little later, when Ben Harding came off the bench, his physical presence and energy gave Stuart Thurgood and Johnny Martin more time to look up and spread the play to Glenn Poole and Mawer on the flanks where they found oceans of space.

Despite the visitors still posing a threat in attack it was Grays who looked the more likely to score. The ever-improving Grant was a constant menace to the St.Albans defence with his pace and close control soon drawing a fine save from Bastock with a header and seeing a shot deflected wide for a corner. To their credit, Grays eschewed the long, hopeful punt forward and kept playing their football, an approach which was rewarded in dramatic fashion with just four minutes of normal time remaining. A quick ball over the top found Grant in full stride and after surprisingly out-muscling the strapping Cameroon-born Patrick Ada he coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Bastock. Nearly eight minutes of extra time were added on by referee Mr.Creighton before he blew his whistle to the palpable relief of Blues fans and the sickened despair of the sporting St.Albans supporters.

A gutsy, if flawed, performance from the Blues but one which produced the win so vital in our quest for Conference survival; back-to-back victories will now surely give the players a timely lift for the remainder of the season.

Grays Athletic: Bayes, Smith, Cowan, Stuart, Mawer, Martin, Thurgood, Williamson (Harding 63), Poole (El Kholti 90), Oli (Griffiths 46), Grant.
Subs Not Used: Joyce, Howell.

Goalscorers: Oli(5), Grant(86)

Booked: Thurgood.

Att: 803.

Ref: S Creighton (Reading).

Fans Man of the Match: Grant

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