Matches

Match Report by Martin Candler

Two teams that contested the play-offs last season faced each other in a relegation battle this term. Grays emerged the victors in a close-fought encounter where Aaron O‘Connor‘s 65th minute strike separated the two sides. Not that it was a comfortable win as Halifax mounted a late rally which was repulsed by timely saves by Danny Knowles and stout defending by the Blues back four. Grays started brightly and, in spite of a blustery wind and a bumpy pitch, carved out chances for Dennis Oli and O‘Connor but neither could beat the Halifax keeper, Craig Mawson. Then in the 29th minute, the visitors responded when a Danny Forrest cross was met by the head of Darryn Stamp but Simon Downer was in position to head his goal-bound effort off the line.

In the second half, Grays began to open up a stubborn Halifax rearguard who were tested by the pace and movement of O‘Connor, Oli and Leroy Griffiths in attack. The all-important breakthrough came when O‘Connor turned Steve Haslam on the edge of the box and beat Mawson with a left foot shot into the corner of the net. Halifax, to their credit, refused to buckle and made a series of determined assaults on the Grays goal. Stamp and Tyrone Thompson both drew fine saves from Knowles but, to the relief of the home faithful, the Blues saw the game out to secure three valuable points for the second time in the week and leapfrog their opponents in the league table.

Not a pretty spectacle, then, but the priority was a win and this they achieved to give home fans hope in the battles ahead.

Grays Athletic: Knowles, Sambrook, Downer, Stuart, Tonkin, Nicholls, Thurgood, Martin (Harding 89), Oli, O'Connor, Griffiths (Rhodes 81).
Subs Not Used: Bayes, Barness, Howell.

Booked: Downer.

Goalscorer: O'Connor(66)

Att: 801

Ref: D Cann (Norfolk).

Fans Man of the Match: Downer

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

© Graeme Truby

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