The trip to face Stuart Nethercott’s bottom placed side comes on the back of three straight league victories in the space of seven days. Needham Market and Ilford were beaten at Rookery Hill, whilst Blues won 3-1 at Potters Bar Town in midweek to end The Scholars’ nine match unbeaten run.

It was three relative newcomers to the team who got the goals at the South Mimms Travel Stadium, with Jake Hall opening the scoring midway through the first half as a ball cleared from a corner deflected off of him into the net.

With Joao Carlos missing his first league match of the season, Danny Bunce was playing in left midfield, and it was his bursting run through a static defence which setup the second for Nathan Gordon. As Bunce got to the by-line, he squared the ball across the goal and left the ex-Redbridge winger with a simple tap-in.

The Blues back-line was resilient and the midfield was helping out, evident when Kenny Beaney cleared off the line.

The much-travelled striker James Bunn secured the win minutes after the restart with an excellent finish from 12 yards. He held off a defender as he controlled a pass into feet, and after evaluating his options, he decided to turn his marker and finish low past the keeper.

There was a consolation goal for the hosts; however George Kamurasi in the Grays goal will have been extremely disappointed that he didn’t deal with the long range free-kick.

Whilst recent weeks have seen an upturn in fortune for The Blues, Ware themselves have been struggling at the foot of the table. Since securing back-to-back league wins; a 1-0 home win against Romford and an impressive 4-1 win at Soham Town Rangers, they have lost the subsequent six matches.

They have suffered on the road, losing to AFC Sudbury (3-1) and Chatham Town (5-2), whilst their home form has been equally as poor with defeats against Great Wakering Rovers (2-0), Tilbury (2-0) and Enfield Town (3-2). Another home match in midweek brought a sixth successive defeat as they lost by the only goal of the match against Heybridge Swifts.

Elsewhere in the league, there are two important games that feature four of Blues’ play-off rivals as Brentwood Town host Tilbury and Redbridge travel to AFC Sudbury. The top two sides Leiston and Enfield Town both have home games they will be expecting to win as they face Waltham Abbey and Ilford respectively.

AFC Sudbury v Redbridge
Brentwood Town v Tilbury
Chatham Town v Maldon & Tiptree
Enfield Town v Ilford
Great Wakering Rovers v Cheshunt
Heybridge Swifts v Thamesmead Town
Leiston v Waltham Abbey
Potters Bar Town v Needham Market
Romford v Harlow Town
Waltham Forest v Soham Town Rangers
Ware v Grays Athletic

TEAM NEWS
Paul Olima starts a three match ban after his red card at Soham, whilst Craig Pope and Harry Agombar start two match bans after accumulating ten yellow cards. With Bradley Thomas and Stanley Muguo having been released, it is expected that two or three reserve team players will join up with the first team squad.

Stephen Ikumelo could be drafted in at right back, or if Joao Carlos is available, Lee Flynn could switch full back positions with Danny Bunce slotting into left back. Charlie Brien should provide cover at centre half, whilst Joe Smallwood and Ricky Alexander have signed first team forms should they be required in the coming weeks.

Ware have their own suspension concerns with three players also missing. Defender Vince Rispoli and midfielder Lewis Rolfe miss the match thanks to recent red cards, whilst striker Ricci Crace starts a two match ban for accumulating ten yellow cards.

Nethercott has been busy strengthening his squad and has signed strikers Jamie Richards and Jon Shiels recently. Richards has played at Conference South level with Thurrock and Boreham Wood and most recently in the Isthmian Premier with Aveley, whilst Shiels joined from local rivals Waltham Abbey. Both made scoring starts on their debuts last weekend against Enfield Town.

FORM GUIDE
Grays Athletic: W D L W W W
Ware: L L L L L L

LEAGUE POSITION

	Pos	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Grays Athletic	5th	34	19	6	9	68	39	+29	60
Ware	22nd	34	4	6	24	29	67	-38	18

Dependant on results elsewhere, Grays could climb above Tilbury into 4th, or drop out of the play-offs into 6th. Ware could go above Great Wakering Rovers with a win, and need Rovers to lose at home to Cheshunt.

MATCH FACTS
Saturday’s match will be the 12th competitive fixture and 14th in total between the two clubs. My records show the first was a friendly back in October 1955 which finished 4-4.

The first competitive fixture was an FA Cup Preliminary Round match in September 1970 which Grays won by a single goal from Micky Harrington.

Of the 11 competitive fixtures so far, Blues have won 8 (73%), whilst there have been 2 draws (18%) and just the 1 win for Ware (9%). That win for Ware came in a 3-0 win last season at Wodson Park with Matt Mitchell, Gazmend Dauti and Sam Ruff scoring the goals.

The two clubs met on the opening day of this season at Rookery Hill with Joe Sweeney scoring a hat-trick, and Eljay Worrell netting after he had joined the game as a substitute for Joao Carlos.

CLUB CONNECTIONS
Emiel Aiken, Shayne Mangdoza and Jake Whincup
If you know of any others, please let me know.

MILESTONES
If selected, centre half Junior Baker will be making his 80th appearance for the club.

Both Anthony Ryan and Joe Sweeney need one more goal for their 10th for the club.