Matches

Match Report By Martin Candler

Grays went out of their favourite cup competition not with a bang but with a whimper. After the match Justin frankly admitted that “there were few positives to come out of the game - too many players were below par - unbeaten at home since October we surrendered our proud record too easily” But he did point out that he is happy with his players as a group and stressed the importance of reacting to what was a poor performance in a positive manner.

Grays started well with some pleasing interpassing and as early as the 8th minute, Michael Standing fired just over the bar with a rasping shot. However, York using the width of the pitch well with Nicky Wroe prominent on the left and Emmanuel Panther tireless in mid-field. Ten minutes before half-time Martyn Woolford split the home defence with a telling pass from which Wroe‘s shot drew a fine parry from David Button but his co-defenders were slow to react and Wroe ran the ball into the net to give the Minstermen the lead.

Danny Kedwell replaced Ian Selley at the start of the second half to bolster a somewhat isolated front two; the previous 4-man mid-field formation had provided neither width nor penetration. However, in the 50th minute a speculative shot by Richard Brodie was cruelly deflected in by Cam Mawer past the wrong-footed Button to double the visitor‘s advantage. As York pressed forward the Blues began to make basic errors and this uncertainty swept through the whole team with sliced clearances and misplaced passes the order of the day. It therefore came as no surprise when in the 60th minute Woolford scored from 8 yards after a pacy run and pin-point cross by Brodie (with little meaningful challenge from the beleagured Grays defence). Button made a couple of fine saves before, in the 68th minute, Santos Gaia fouled Brodie in the area and the same player duly stepped up to convert the resultant penalty to put York four goals to the good. A consolation strike by Kedwell could not disguise the fact the visitors had outplayed the Blues and were comprehensive winners at the final whistle.

Grays Athletic: Button, Gaia, Selley(Kedwell), Mawer(Downer), Obersteller, Ashton, Murray, Power, Standing, Watson(Daniel), O'Connor
Subs: Flitney, McCafferty

Goalscorer: Kedwell(74)

Attn: 528

Ref: J. Linnington

Match Pictures

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Gavin Ellis (TGS Photos):

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