Matches

Match Report By Martin Candler

Grays crashed out of the F.A Cup at the Dripping Pan stadium, not with a bang that the fireworks before and after the game gave us with but with bitterly disappointing whimper. The Blues started so promisingly, with the debutant Jack Obersteller, the one bright spark for the visitors, linking well with Dennis Oli on the left but the only end product was a Danny Kedwell header straight at Steven Williams and a good save by the Rooks‘ keeper from Aaron O‘Connor‘s deflected shot.

Lewes‘ manager, Steve King, persisted with the 4-5-1 formation employed on Saturday but his tactics were fluid enough to ensure that their wide men, Dale Binns and Jamie Cade, saw plenty of the ball, particularly as both Grays full-backs received scant cover from their own wide players. In contrast Grays‘ build-up was laboured and the strike pairing of Kedwell and O‘Connor simply failed to gell. In the 24th minute, the Grays defence was all at sea when, from a Simon Wirmull corner, man-of-the-match, Ian Simpemba nipped in front of his marker to score with a firm, if unchallenged header. Just before half-time, Charlie Hearn carelessly lost the ball in mid-field and Wormull pounced to send ex-Blue Anthony Barness sprinting into the box and his low cross was slammed home by Paul Booth, his 12th of the season.

The second half saw Lewes quite content to sit on their lead and Grays had the lion‘s share of the play but to the muted travelling fan‘s chagrin, they never really looked like reducing the deficit. Although they knocked the ball about sweetly at times, in the final third of the pitch the resolute Steve“Robbo”Robinson and Simpemba snuffed out any goal threat with almost embarrassing ease. Far from stamping their Premiership authority on the game, the Blues became increasingly bereft of attacking ideas. Suffice to say that in the last 10 minutes, defender Jon Ashton nearly scored twice, once with a header then a scuffed shot, by gambling on crosses delivered from wide, something that no forward had managed for the previous 80 minutes. Anyone feeling that the Grays faithful were disrespectful to their own players by cheering old favourite, Leroy Griffiths when he came on as sub, should bear in mind that he once chased 40 yards to thwart a Grays move; just the sort of commitment needed to fire up the supporters but, in truth, a quality palpably missing from most of the Grays team.

Lewes, then, were worthy winners and let us wish them well in their 1st Round tie with Mansfield, let‘s hope also that they don‘t get Mr Kettle as referee!

Grays Athletic: Knowles, Downer, Ashton, Stuart, Obersteller(Marshall), Oli, Hearn, Murray, Grant(Watson), Kedwell, O'Connor

Attn: 746

Match Pictures

Gavin Ellis (TGS Photos):

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