Grays Athletic 1 Tamworth 0
Tue, March 13, 2007. Kick off: 7:45 PM
Match Report by Martin Candler
This was a game where three points were the priority, entertainment was secondary; a game for the partisan supporter only. Tamworth came to the New Rec with a string of fine recent results behind them and, it must be said, played some thoughtful football. However, the only period of the match where they looked capable of scoring was in the final nerve-jangling quarter when Grays fell deep in defence to preserve their slender advantage. But the Blues should have wrapped the game up before then with a catalogue of missed chances.
Abandoning their usual passing game, the Blues employed a much more direct style which in the first half at least, Tamworth repulsed with comparative ease. Dennis Oli and Johnny Martin worked tirelessly and Jamie Stuart, as ever, held firm at the back. Grays best chance came when Alex Rhodes beat two defenders in a fine run but blazed over the bar. Then in the 42nd minute talisman Gavin Grant volleyed a shot into the ground and the ball seemed to bounce over the diving Jose Veiga on its way into the corner of the net.
The second half saw Rhodes, twice, and 73rd minute sub Leroy Griffiths (who had added presence to the attack) miss golden opportunities to put distance between the two sides and as the game progressed the home side‘s nerves began to show. Goal-line clearances from the under-rated Cam Mawer and the dependable Andy Sambrook were followed by a fine double save from Ashley Bayes as the visitors tried everything to find an equaliser. But after an agonising six minutes of added time, Grays claimed a vital win.
Although the football wasn’t pretty, Justin Edinburgh was right after the game to praise his team for grinding out a victory with spirit and determination; a little more of these qualities earlier in the campaign would have kept us out of the relegation dog-fight.
Grays Athletic: Bayes, Sambrook, Mawer, Stuart, Tonkin, Grant, Thurgood, Martin (Barness 86), Harding (Poole 71), Rhodes, Oli (Griffiths 73).
Subs Not Used: Knowles, O'Connor.
Goalscorer: Grant(42)
Attn: 779.
Ref: G Ward (Kent).
Fans Man of the Match: Mawer
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
© Graeme Truby
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