This was the absolutely typical game of two halves. For the first half, Grays played their best football of the season so far, but whatever the Wroxham manager said at half time made an appreciable difference to the flow of the game and Grays did well to hold out for the draw - which all things being considered was a very fair result over the 90 minutes.

The first chance of the game after 5 minutes fell to the home centre forward, Josh Harvey, but the reshaped Grays defence held out in their first test. After that though, the tide was mainly in the Blues favour. Jesse Olukolu and Sam Bantick combined well after a defensive slip by Wroxham - home keeper, Ollie Sutton, saved well from Olukolu’s first shot and the same man then drove the rebound over the bar. Bantick himself then had a chance that Sutton tipped over.

Wroxham were though still dangerous on the break, looking to get behind the Grays line. On the quarter hour, Ryan Miles got round the back but Ryan Hawkins blasted the chance high over the goal.

Olukolu was Blues main creator. TIme and again, he tormented Wroxham’s left back Tom Huckerby, but the home side defended well in numbers. Grays were showing a level of creativity not seen before this season. Aron Gordon was seeing plenty of the ball, making his familiar darting runs, whilst in central midfield, the returning Joao Carlos was proving a revelation in the holding role, directing the traffic and driving the Blues forward.

Eventually, the pressure told. After half an hour, Olukolu and Gordon combined well and the latter’s pin-point cross found the head of Jordan Peart. Home appeals for offside were waved away, as Blues took a lead that rewarded their more adventurous play.

But Wroxham were still up for testing the Grays defence. Michael Finneran made a vital interception when Harvey thought he was through again and the Yachtsmen were rewarded just before the half time whistle, when it was Hawkins turn to get in behind and he finished smartly past Danny Sambridge for the equaliser. Harsh on Blues, maybe, for all their efforts, but the warning signs were there.

Half time: Wroxham 1 v 1 Grays Athletic

The second half was the mirror image of the first, with the home side making most of the running and Blues left to make the most of limited possession.Haydn Davis floated a tantalising cross in from the left that Sambridge turned over and then Hawkins was denied by a great block from Marcus Milner. The game really came to life in the last quarter of an hour. Sambridge made a fine double save with bodies flying in all directions, whilst at the other end, Olukolu went on a mazy jinking run but couldn’t find a finish.

As the clock wound down, Grays applied more pressure, especially from the men coming off the bench. Sully Bakalandwa started flying down the left wing and he created a chance for David Knight who just couldn’t do enough to beat the home keeper. And Knight again was put in by Olukolu, but again he failed to squeeze the ball home.

Wroxham almost had the last laugh, when Ryan Miles put a dangerous ball into the Grays six yard box, but sub Joao Rangel just couldn’t stretch a leg far enough to make contact.
This was though a much improved performance by Grays. Mark Stimson’s recent signings certainly added something to the mix, with the experience of Carlos and Finneran clearly making a positive difference.

Final score: Wroxham 1 v 1 Grays Athletic

Grays Ath: Sambridge, Milner, Adeniji, Saponara (Obi, 63), Finneran, Carlos, Peart (Bakalandwa,73), Stimson, Bantick, Gordon (Knight, 81), Olukolu